The president of Columbia University (located in New York, USA), Nemat Minouche Shafik, announced her resignation from her position on Wednesday night (14).
Shafik’s decision comes amid an environment of growing tension and controversy surrounding the institution, which was marked by intense and violent protests against Israel between April and June this year, which culminated in arrests and scenes of students defending the actions of the terrorist group Hamas.
Despite the context, in a statement sent to the academic community, Shafik stated that his decision to resign from his position was motivated by a “personal reflection” on how his departure could “help the university” face future challenges, cited the American portal National Review.
“Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my departure at this time would be in the best interest of Columbia in overcoming the challenges ahead,” she wrote.
Under Shafik’s leadership, Columbia University became the epicenter of student protests against Israel in April, which soon spread to several US educational institutions.
In the demonstrations, the students demanded that American institutions withdraw from projects linked to Israel. As president of Columbia, Shafik never accepted the students’ demands, but she was criticized for failing to effectively control the violent protests they carried out inside the institution.
At the beginning of the protests, the dean even called for the police to come in and remove the many students who were illegally occupying the university courtyard. Around 100 students were arrested during the protest, as they refused to leave the area peacefully. After this, Shafik, who was born in Egypt, was criticized by student movements and has since stopped asking for police help.
As reported by National Review, Katrina Armstrong, CEO of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, has been named interim provost until a permanent appointment is made in the coming weeks.