No break in relations with Israel: the academic Senate of the University of Cagliari rejected the students' motion asking the university to distance itself from Tel Aviv, considered responsible for a massacre in Gaza, ceasing all relations with its universities .
«The decision adopted today collegially by the Academic Senate, democratic body and place par excellence for deliberating decisions that concern the entire community», we read in a note, «highlights that Universities are places of dialogue, discussion and development of culture and knowledge, based on the reference value of Peace and dialogue between Peoples to achieve it".
Then the reasons: «What has been decided goes in the direction of maintaining collaborative relationships and exchanges with Israeli and Palestinian universities with the motivation that these can only contribute to building bridges and breaking down walls, to supporting the achievement of the cessation of hostilities and the achievement of Peace, with an objective well beyond the support of research and teaching activities, the pre-eminent activities of the university system".
Therefore " the Rector and the Academic Senate express full solidarity with the Palestinian people and the Israeli people who have indisputable and urgent needs to achieve Peace".
And again: «As has always happened in recent events of international conflict, also in support of the Crui positions, the Academic Senate of the University of Cagliari firmly condemns every act of war and violence, aggression, retaliation and oppression of freedom of the Peoples wherever they are committed and of which the civilian population suffers the most dramatic and tragic consequences".
In recent days the Rector Francesco Mola had announced the suspension of the relationships: «We will not stipulate any new agreements and we will not renew the expired ones», he announced, specifying that «whoever maintains them will do so in a personal capacity». The Cagliari case would have been unique in the Italian university world. Today's vote brings it into line with the rest of the universities.
(Unioneonline)