The Vice-Chancellor comments on the tent manifestation at the university
Since the tent manifestations began at the University of Gothenburg and several other Swedish higher education institutions last week, I have commented in the media on several occasions, the university has responded to the students' letter, and I have engaged in dialogue with the spokespersons for the manifestation. This comment is a collective statement on the matter.
The situation in Gaza is appalling, and no one can remain indifferent to the images and reports reaching us. As a university, we condemn the violence, stand up for human rights, and are appalled by attacks affecting civilians and civilian targets such as schools, hospitals, and universities. I fully understand that people want to express their anger and frustration at what is happening. As a university, we uphold freedom of speech, which means the right of all individuals to freely use their voices to make a difference. There is no doubt about this.
Our task is to conduct education and research, not to engage in boycotts or make foreign policy statements, which is what the protesters want. The university, as an institution, must remain free from external pressures. This means that neither students, staff, nor the society at large can demand that the university, as an authority, takes a stance on specific issues. For the university to terminate all collaborations with a country, the Swedish government must instruct the university to do so. This was the case, for example, during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a comparison that is often made. Even then, however, we emphasized the importance of continued opportunities for researchers and individuals to maintain contact and cooperation.
For research to progress and benefit people, national and international academic collaborations are essential conditions. All collaborations are carefully selected based on the needs of research and education. Researchers have the freedom to decide, according to applicable laws and regulations, how and with whom they collaborate. The choice of collaboration should always be responsible and with judgement. This often means that staff members work in or have exchanges with conflict regions. Academic freedom primarily means that research and education should be free. We should be able to research, publish, and educate even on topics that are perceived as controversial.
When the freedom of academic activity is challenged in various parts of the world, or when individual researchers are persecuted and threatened, various forms of support are available. One example is the Erasmus+ programmes to strengthen higher education in countries and regions. Another is the Scholars at Risk network, which can offer temporary employment for persecuted and threatened researchers and university lecturers. Currently, there is an urgent situation in Gaza focused on emergency aid. Looking further ahead, I can see that the scientific community has a responsibility to participate in the rebuilding of research and education in the region in various ways.
The manifestation we have seen here at the University of Gothenburg has occurred in a respectful manner, and I am hopeful that it will continue in this way. The University of Gothenburg does not accept activities that are perceived as threatening or offensive. We safeguard the working and study environment for all students and staff and offer support through student and occupational health services, for instance, in relation to concerns about the ongoing conflict.
That we as an institution do not take a stance does not mean that the university is silent. Our researchers participate in the media almost daily, contributing their knowledge and analyses regarding the situation in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The university should act as a role model in being able to discuss difficult issues from multiple perspectives in a respectful manner. To this end, the university recently organized a seminar on Israel-Palestine for students and staff, which will be repeated on a larger scale in the autumn. The auditorium was full, the atmosphere was calm, but there was also room for critical questions. This is precisely how I want academia to function. We should provide a safe environment to highlight difficult issues from different perspectives in a balanced and knowledge-based way. Let us together continue to safeguard the open and safe academic environment here at home and globally.
Malin Broberg
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