Action by students in solidarity with Palestine. A message from Rector Anne-Sophie Nyssen

A "Sit-in of the Liège students in solidarity with Palestine" is currently taking place at the University of Liège, Place du 20-Août. The authorities (Vice-Rector Pierre Duysinx and Professor Florence Caeymaex, Ethics Advisor) met a delegation of students at their request. They listened to their demands, which the rector's team will be addressing early this week. 

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espite international condemnation and, more recently, the distancing of the United States, the Israeli government persists in its strategy of disproportionate retaliation and destruction of Gaza, and refuses a ceasefire allowing access to healthcare, vital aid and humanitarian assistance. As Rector of the University, I have denounced this position clearly and explicitly since the beginning of the conflict. As a reminder : 

• November 2, 2023: ULiège was one of the first universities to take a stand “condemning all forms of terrorism and calling for an end to violence against civilians, as well as their access to vital resources, healthcare and humanitarian aid. ULiège is committed to being a place of welcome for students and researchers fleeing war, as well as a space for dialogue, tolerance and solidarity between peoples and cultures.” Read the article
• December 18, 2023: ULiège committed itself alongside the other universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation through two inter-university motions of the Council of Rectors (CRef) to suspend institutional collaborations with organizations, whatever their origin, that repeatedly support or are directly involved in violations of international law and human rights. Following this motion, a screening of collaborations was initiated within the institution. Most of the research projects involving certain Israeli universities are multinational, and steps are currently being taken with partners. We support the project for an inter-university analysis. Read the article
• On March 12, 2024, I condemned “Israel's deliberate destruction of educational institutions and ongoing discrimination against students and colleagues, which constitute an infringement of the right to education, a fundamental right guaranteed by international conventions on Children's Rights and Human Rights”. I repeated ULiège's commitment “to suspend institutional collaborations with organizations, whatever their origin, that repeatedly support or are directly involved in violations of international law and human rights.” Read the article
• On March 19, 2024, the CRef condemned the systematic attacks or destruction of Palestinian educational institutions, and in particular the Palestinian higher education system in Gaza. Read the article

Under no circumstances can the violence of war lead to violence on our campuses. Every member of the university community has the right to dignity and security. Our universities must be a space for dialogue, tolerance and solidarity between peoples and cultures. Universities have a fundamental and specific role to play in providing a forum for debate, where the complexity of societal issues can be tackled in a thoughtful way, with respect for fundamental rights and in a constructive spirit of openness to a diversity of viewpoints, where value judgments and individual assessments are no substitute for academic arguments.