UGent moves to end Israeli collaborations despite EU hesitation
UGent will begin discussions this month to withdraw from research consortia that include problematic Israeli partners, according to a communication sent to students and staff on Wednesday. While the university initially sought guidance from the European Commission, no clear advice has been given.
Following months of pro-Palestinian protests, UGent pledged last year to cut ties with Israeli academic institutions linked to human rights violations. However, legal complexities have slowed the process.
To ensure compliance, the university consulted the European Commission on whether withdrawing from projects under the Horizon Europe programme qualifies as a "proper termination" to avoid financial and legal risks.
With no response from the Commission, UGent will now attempt to negotiate its withdrawal directly through the consortia before seeking final EU approval.
In May 2024, the university decided to end institutional collaborations with Israeli partners implicated in human rights violations. Rector Rik Van de Walle pledged to halt cooperation with certain Israeli government and academic institutions, affecting 12 Horizon Europe research consortia and one Erasmus+ partnership.
However, UGent did not impose the complete boycott that activists had demanded. "Collaborations with individual Israeli researchers and institutions that are not involved in human rights violations remain possible," the university said on Wednesday.
Despite ending some partnerships, UGent has approved new collaborations with Israeli entities. Since November 2024, it has signed an agreement with Materials Zone, a software developer for materials research. Two additional agreements are pending: one with Vaxa Technologies, an algae producer, and another with Schneider Children’s Medical Center under an ERA-NET initiative.
All collaborations have been reviewed by UGent’s Human Rights Policy and Dual Use Research Committee, which found no risk of human rights violations or ties to unethical practices. The committee has not issued negative recommendations on other potential Israeli partnerships.
#FlandersNewsService | Activists protest at Ghent University, May 2024 © BELGA PHOTO JONAS D'HOLLANDER
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