Letter from the President of AURDIP to the President of MUCEM
Stele with an Aramaic inscription describing a gift presented by Raji, son of Amrû, son of S/S, and Natnû, son of Bagrû, to Gûmat, king of the Nabataeans. Arab World….
Source: AURDIP
Genocide Memorial Day 2026: Geneva
The fifth annual Genocide Memorial Day event in Geneva took place at the Université Ouvrière de Genève (UOG) on Saturday 26th January 2026 from 6pm to 22pm. The theme of this year’s event is related to Gaza in Palestine and the genocide that has been taking place in Gaza for the past two years. The speakers answered the question “Gaza: How did we get there?” They brought their analysis on how did we get to a situation where a genocide occurred in Gaza and is still on going. Where there is a harsh blockade and where all essential requirements for living have been blocked by the Israelis.
The EU Commissioner for Research denies any ethical or legal issues with Horizon research funding to Israel
On October 15, a delegation representing European academics, with AURDIP among them, was received by the office of Commissioner Zaharieva, who is in charge of start-ups, research, and innovation at the European Commission. Here is the meeting report and the press release. We came away deeply disappointed, and the situation calls for further action.
Remembering Steven Rose
AURDIP pays tribute to Steven Rose, who passed away on July 9.
A renowned scientist and brain specialist, he was also, together with his wife Hilary, one of the founders of the British Society for Social Responsibility in Science in 1969 and of the British Committee for Universities in Palestine (BRICUP) in 2004, which served as a model for AURDIP when it was created in 2009.
For Steven Rose, research and political and social commitment were inseparable. As a scientist, he fought against deterministic conceptions of human behavior and defended the idea that the interplay of genetic, economic, and social factors still leaves room for individual freedom and responsibility. As a citizen, he was a staunch defender of democratic socialism and of the Palestinian cause, guided by a deep sense of justice.
It is largely thanks to him that the British University and College Union (UCU) adopted a motion to boycott Israeli universities, declaring that “boycotts initiated by civil society have an honorable tradition, from the anti-slavery campaigns to the isolation of apartheid South Africa, as well as the boycotts of Nazi trade.”
He offers the rare example of a figure who succeeded in placing the human at the heart of scientific life and in seeking the universal beyond borders.
Open letter to World Bank President Ajay Banga condemning the smear campaign against Massimiliano Cali
A group of scholars firmly rejects and condemns the toxic smear campaign targeting the World Bank Senior Economist, Mr. Massimiliano Cali. Mr. Cali is the husband of Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. It is clear that he is being singled out by bad-faith actors such as “UN Watch,” an organization with a long record of smearing critics of Israel, in a malign attempt to delegitimize and silence Ms. Albanese in her role as Special Rapporteur. This campaign comes in the wake of the shameful sanctions imposed on Ms. Albanese by the US government, and at a time when the Israeli government is intensifying its war on Gaza—a war that many respected institutions and leading experts have identified as genocidal.
Math in the Time of Genocide
In ancient Greece, the Ekecheiria — a sacred truce — was meant to suspend warfare during the Olympic Games, honoring the spirit of peace, competition, and shared humanity. In the twenty-first century, however, neither Russia nor Israel has shown any willingness to halt their campaigns of destruction, even during international events meant to celebrate youth and excellence, such as the Olympic Games in Paris (2024).
AURDIP Letter to University Presidents in France on EU-Israel Cooperation
In a letter addressed to university leaderships, Ivar Ekeland, vice-president of AURDIP, calls on French institutions to join their Belgian counterparts in demanding the suspension of the cooperation agreement between the European Union and Israel. This agreement, which allows Israel to participate in research programs such as Horizon Europe, is supposed to be conditional on respect for human rights — a condition now blatantly violated in light of the situation in Gaza.
While the International Court of Justice has deemed it plausible that a genocide is underway, and humanitarian organizations denounce mass atrocities, Europe’s inaction is becoming morally untenable. French universities, long silent on the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, are now urged to take a stand. It is time for the academic community — so swiftly mobilized for Ukraine — to live up to the principles it claims to uphold.
Will the European Union Stop funding Israeli institutions?
The EU continues to grant Israel privileges through the EU-Israel Association Agreement, despite Article 2 of the agreement stipulating “respect for human rights”. Additionally, Israeli academic institutions continue to enjoy a privileged status as partners of European universities, receiving over €2.6 billion in EU research funding since 2007. 75 organizations, and 4500 university staff and students, have signed a petition to the EU demanding that this collaboration MUST END.
Google takes down academic petition “STOP European Funding for Israeli Institutions – Stop Complicity in Genocide, Occupation and Apartheid”
In the early hours of 5 June, Google took down our running petition “STOP European Funding for Israeli Institutions – Stop Complicity in Genocide, Occupation and Apartheid” from its platform Google Drive, and blocked the associated account without prior notice. There was no element in our petition that violated their terms of service or stated policy.
Fermiamo i finanziamenti europei alle istituzioni israeliane. Mettiamo fine alla complicità europea nell’occupazione, nell’apartheid e nel genocidio
Questa petizione, firmata da AURDIP e da altre organizzazioni accademiche europee, chiede all’Unione Europea di porre fine alla sua complicità con Israele per quanto riguarda la guerra genocida contro Gaza e la violazione del diritto internazionale. L’UE continua a continuo finanziare le università israeliane, profondamente legate all’apparato militare e di occupazione, mentre le università palestinesi vengono sistematicamente distrutte.
La petizione chiede all’UE di:
- Cancellare tutte le cooperazioni accademiche e di ricerca con le istituzioni israeliane.
- revocare a Israele lo status di nazione associate a Horizon Europe
- Ricostruire le istituzioni accademiche palestinesi
- Indagare in maniera efficace sull’impatto che i finanziamenti passati e odierni dell’UE alla ricerca in Israele hanno avuto e hanno ancora sui diritti umani.
Per concludere, la petizione esige che l’Unione Europea imponga sanzioni, compreso un embargo sulle armi, e utilizzi la sua influenza per far rispettare il diritto internazionale. Il documento è aperto ai ricercatori, al personale universitario e agli studenti che possono firmarlo compilando questo modulo.