KU Leuven students denounce new partnership with Israeli university
About 20 KU Leuven students have protested against a new research project in which KU Leuven and the Israeli Technion University are partnering up. The students say it is unacceptable for the university to have ties with Israeli institutions.
There are 10 partners in the project, including KU Leuven and the Technion Research & Development Foundation, a subsidiary of Technion University. It falls under the European Horizon programme and deals with research into plant-based and novel food products. It starts on Friday and runs until February 2029.
“After everything that has happened, the KU Leuven doesn't just continue existing collaborations but enters into new ones as well,” said one of the protesters, biochemistry student Jan Thys Vanden Audenaerde. “That is really a bridge too far for us.”
“After everything that has happened, the KU Leuven doesn't just continue existing collaborations but enters into new ones as well"
The activists protested at the entrance of the university hall in Naamsestraat. They chanted slogans like “KUL you can't hide, you're supporting genocide” and “Shame on KUL”, wore Palestinian scarves and held Palestinian flags in the air.
'No potential human rights violations'
In response, the KU Leuven said the project had been “thoroughly screened by the Ethics Committee on Dual Use, Military Use & Misuse of Research (EC DMM), which evaluates all proposals that are potentially problematic in terms of human rights”. The evaluation was carried out in spring 2024.
“The committee found that there are no potential human rights violations,” said KU Leuven. “There is also no direct cooperation between the KU Leuven and the Israeli partner.”
In general, KU Leuven maintains its “policy of restraint” when it comes to launching new projects, it said. Collaborations with government entities remain excluded and educational collaborations remain suspended.
#FlandersNewsService | Students protest against links between KU Leuven and Israeli institutions © PHOTO WIKTOR DABKOWSKI / ZUMA PRESS WIRE
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