BRUSSELS: Belgium’s Ghent University has severed ties with all Israeli universities and research institutions, as they no longer align with its human rights policy, the university said on Friday.
Pro-Palestinian protesters in Ghent have been protesting against Israel’s military offensive in Gaza and have been occupying parts of the university campus since early May.
An investigation by the Ghent University, known as UGent, highlighted concerns regarding connections between Israeli academic institutions and the Israeli government, military, or security services, according to a university statement.
The investigation also referenced a recent World Court ruling stating that the humanitarian situation in Gaza had worsened in recent months.
UGent, which already severed ties with three Israeli institutions two weeks ago, had 18 ongoing partnerships with Israeli academic institutions, it said.
The university will continue its research projects with six non-academic Israeli institutions, saying they could not find any links between them and human rights violations.
Protesters told Belgian broadcaster VRT they welcomed the decision but want to see it extended to include the six Israeli non-academic partners UGent currently partners with. They added they will continue their protest.
Earlier this week, two other Belgian universities announced changes in their partnership with Israeli institutions.
The University of Antwerp announced it would continue its ongoing research projects with Israeli institutions but put new projects with Israeli partners on hold.
The Université Libre de Bruxelles announced that it will no longer initiate projects with Israeli partners. The same policy will apply to Palestinian partners until the hostages are released, it said.
Belgium’s Ghent University severs ties with all Israeli universities
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Belgium’s Ghent University severs ties with all Israeli universities
- Pro-Palestinian protesters in Ghent have been protesting against Israel’s military offensive in Gaza
- UGent had 18 ongoing partnerships with Israeli academic institutions, it said
FIFA gives President Donald Trump a peace prize in a departure from its traditional focus on sport
- Trump, who has openly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Price, had been heavily favored to win the newly created FIFA prize
- “This is your prize, this is your peace prize,” Infantino said
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump was awarded the new FIFA peace prize on Friday at the 2026 World Cup draw — giving the soccer spectacle to set matchups for the quadrennial tournament even more of a Trumpian flair.
Trump, who has openly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Price, had been heavily favored to win the newly created FIFA prize.
He and FIFA president Gianni Infantino are close allies, and Infantino had made it clear that he thought Trump should have won the Nobel for his efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.
“This is your prize, this is your peace prize,” Infantino said. He has repeatedly spoken about soccer as a unifier for the world, but the prize is a departure from the federation’s traditional focus on sport.
Trump told reporters upon arriving at the Kennedy Center that he didn’t know whether he was going to get the award, and added: “I don’t need prizes. I just want to save lives.”
FIFA has described the prize as one that rewards “individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world.”
It comes during a week where Trump’s administration has been under scrutiny for lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and as Trump hardens his rhetoric against immigrants.
The Nobel this year was eventually awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who said shortly after receiving the prize that she was dedicating it in part to Trump for “his decisive support of our cause.”
