THE CORNELL DAILY SUN | Tuesday, February 21, 2012 5
NEWS
Fuchs Says Partnership Is Meant to Foster Academic Collaboration TECHNION
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also signed the petition. Partnering with Technion constituted “an endorsement of a university that is heavily involved in the Israeli militaryindustrial complex, and that decision was taken in complete secrecy, as the Provost acknowledged, without any consultation with the faculty,” Sanders said. Sanders called this collaboration “a political decision of symbolic importance” for its apparent endorsement of a situation that “doesn’t leave a good taste.” “This could be, and no doubt will be, interpreted as a warm embrace of the [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government that funds Technion, and of the Israeli occupation,” she said. “And Technion –– much to the surprise, I think, of faculty –– is not putting forward any money whatever, so it has to be seen as a very symbolic decision. Nobody would argue that this is the best university in the world with which we could have partnered.” Fuchs said he does not support boycotting other universities. Though some students may have disagreements with the politics of a partner university’s government, he said, cooperation between two academic institutions can “contribute to the betterment of our global community.” “Cornell can be the most effective when we as individuals and as an institution exercise our academic freedom and engage with universities worldwide in collaborations and partnerships, both formal and
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that oppress Palestinians. Additionally, Technion works with Rafael and Elbit, which have developed oppresses Palestinians in the West Bank technologies for use in Israeli Merkava Mark IV tanks, and which have also and Gaza Strip. Provost Kent Fuchs said the partnership helped to develop military surveillance is intended to foster academic collabora- drones used in the Gaza Strip and the West tion and was not intended as a political Bank, according to Ajl. However, CIPAC members said the statement in support of the Israeli governpetition’s accusations against the Technion ment. “We partnered with Technion in this were unfounded because it wrongly accusnew venture because of our complemen- es Israel of committing war crimes. “The petition ignores Israel’s right to tary academic expertise and strengths and our shared vision for a campus that will defend itself. With security threats from help transform New York City into a world multiple fronts and facing enemies who hub of innovation and technology com- employ civilians as human shields, Israel mercialization,” Fuchs said in an email must rely on the innovative military technologies developed by institutions such as Monday. The petition was borne out of a broad- the Technion to defend itself,” Emily er boycott against Israeli organizations, Rotbart ’12 and Yotam Arens ’12, co-presaccording to Max Ajl grad, a member of idents of CIPAC, wrote in an email. SJP brought their complaints to Fuchs SJP. in December, before Mayor Bloomberg’s decision was “This could be ... interpreted as a warm announced, according to Ajl. embrace of the Netanyahu government.” The group plans to bring the issue to the attention of the Prof. Elizabeth Sanders Faculty Senate and to hold an open discussion on the collaboration on March 1. Students are not the only opponents the “This is not our call for a boycott,” Ajl said. “We are responding to a call for a administration faces. Prof. Elizabeth boycott that was put out by Palestinian Sanders, government, said concerns were raised about the substance and process of civil society.” Ajl said Technion’s actions play a funda- Cornell’s collaboration with Technion at a mental role in developing technologies Feb 8. Faculty Senate meeting. Sanders Continued from page 1
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informal,” Fuchs said. Yet Prof. Eric Cheyfitz, English, who signed the petition, said the partnership raises ethical questions about how universities should collaborate. “The Cornell University bylaws state: that one of ‘the functions of the University Faculty shall be to consider questions of educational policy which concern more than one college, school or separate academic unit, or are general in nature,’” Cheyfitz said in an email. “In the case of the Technion partnership, no such consideration was afforded the faculty through its representatives in the Faculty Senate.” Ajl said the University’s decision could forever stain Cornell’s image. “The University made a business decision and it will go ahead with it unless it decides that it makes sense to not go ahead with it,” Ajl said. “It raises enormous questions about the University’s ethics because from now on every single war crime that the Israeli army commits, Cornell’s hand will be on it, and that raises questions about the future of this institution.” As of Monday night, the petition had 576 signatures. Editor’s note: Rebecca Harris ’14, a Sun news editor-in-training, is Chair of Political Affairs for Cornell Israel Public Affairs Committee. She was not involved in the editing of this article. Sylvia Rusnak can be reached at srusnak@cornellsun.com.