By The Opinion
Aug 14, 2024, 10:59 PM EDT
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik announced his resignation on Wednesday after just over a year in office, following months of criticism over protests on the Manhattan campus over the war in Gaza.
Shafik, an Egyptian-born economist and former senior official at the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of Englandfaced pressure for his handling of encampments on the Columbia campus protesting the war between Israel and Hamas.
Shafik announced his resignation, effective immediately, in a letter published on the university’s website, in which he acknowledged that the protests that occurred on the campus of this prestigious New York center were a factor that influenced his decision.
“This has been a period of turmoil in which it has been difficult to overcome divergent viewpoints in our community. This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as well as others in our community,” acknowledged the head of the university, who had assumed her position in July of last year.
Shafik added that he took advantage of the summer months to reflect and ultimately decided to step aside.thus enabling the university to “overcome the challenges ahead.”
“I am making this announcement now so that there can be new leadership before the new term begins,” said the now former head of the university, who after assuming office became the first female president of this long-standing institution of some 270 years.
Shafik’s announcement comes less than three weeks before the start of the next academic year and after a peaceful summer on campus.
Pressure for Shafik to resign was mounting after months of student-led protests on the school’s New York campus. that spread to universities across the country. Shafik came under fire after authorizing arrests on campus and for her testimony before the House Education Committee about the university’s handling of anti-Semitism.
With his resignation, Shafik becomes the third president of an Ivy League university to resign in the wake of protests over the war between Israel and Hamas, and to be called to testify before the US Congress.
The minister said her next career move will take her to the United Kingdom, where she will lead an effort by the foreign secretary’s office to review the government’s approach to international development.
Shortly after the outbreak of the war between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas, several protests took place on American universities.mostly pro-Palestinian, which led to arrests. Some demonstrations even took place during graduation ceremonies at the end of the academic year.
Shafik’s announcement comes shortly after three deans at the university resigned following the dissemination of a chain of messages on anti-Semitism.
Continue reading:
– Columbia, Harvard, Emory: How protests against the war in Gaza spread to major universities
– “We are afraid that the US will deport us for protesting against the war in Gaza at the university”
– Protests over Gaza humanitarian crisis spread to more universities