University of Helsinki Freezes Student Exchange Programs with Israel

Helsinki, MINA – The University of Helsinki in Finland announced Tuesday that it would be freezing student exchange agreements with higher education institutions in Israel amid concerns about the civilian victims and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

This decision comes after large pro-Palestinian protests at the university in the Finnish capital continued throughout May as part of a global movement triggered by massive student demonstrations at American and European universities in recent weeks.

The protesters demanded their university end all exchange student agreements and research collaboration with Israeli educational institutions.

Decision makers at the University of Helsinki decided against cutting off research collaboration however, justifying the move on the fact that no international sanctions have been imposed on Israel.

Meanwhile, students have stuck with the demand, vowing to continue demonstrations until the university agrees to cut off academic ties with Israeli universities entirely.

“Cooperation with Israeli universities clearly violates the University of Helsinki’s ethical principles, because these universities are complicit in genocide, apartheid, and violations of international human rights,” Vilja Hermansson, a member of a group that has been organizing the protests, Students for Palestine, told broadcaster YLE.

While Finnish students have not been sent to the Hebrew University of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem since the fall, exchange agreements are now being fully frozen, according to a press release by the university.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators have pointed out that Israeli universities are complicit in the violence in Gaza, as they are involved in developing arms systems used in Gaza and training military personnel in collaboration with the Israeli army, according to YLE. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)