Statement from President Clough of Georgia Tech on Boycott

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What follows is Dr. Clough’s reaction to the May 30 vote by the University and College Union [a professional association in the United Kingdom] on a motion to consider a possible boycott of Israeli academic institutions for, among other things, its “complicity” with regard to occupation of the West Bank territories.

“Spirited discourse and the exchange of ideas are the bedrock of academia. In passing a motion to open debate on a proposed boycott of Israeli academic institutions, the University and College Union (UCU) has asked its membership to consider a resolution that isolates one intellectual community in favor of another.

On behalf of Georgia Tech, I hope that the UCU fulfills its pledge to hold this debate in a respectful and inclusive manner, but I also hope that when the time comes, its membership will resoundingly reject the resolution. It is antithetical to our notion of academic freedom and effectively discriminates against our university colleagues in Israel. Throughout the years, Georgia Tech has enjoyed a rich scholarly exchange in engineering and scientific research with Israeli universities, especially The Technion. We plan to explore opportunities for further research and degree programs in Israel as we have in other nations.

Discrimination of any sort in higher education diminishes us all, and so it is imperative that the recent actions of the UCU against Israel be denounced by all academics. Meaningful change cannot occur when some are excluded from the dialogue.”

Statement from President Clough of Georgia Tech on Boycott

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SPME

Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) is not-for-profit [501 (C) (3)], grass-roots community of scholars who have united to promote honest, fact-based, and civil discourse, especially in regard to Middle East issues. We believe that ethnic, national, and religious hatreds, including anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism, have no place in our institutions, disciplines, and communities. We employ academic means to address these issues.

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