Scholars for Peace in the Middle East Statement on Restoration of University of Johannesburg Relations With Ben Gurion U

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

In a most welcome development, following a vote earlier this year by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Faculty Senate to boycott Ben Gurion University (BGU), UJ's administration announced that the original water-research contract which was terminated as a result of the Senate Action has now been reinstated. It was announced that the two universities signed a contract to continue their joint research on water purification and the conversion of algae into energy with the cooperation of scientists from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Ghent (UG).

The Board of Directors of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) and the leaders and members of the SPME Chapter at the University of Johannesburg hail the courageous decision by those UJ Faculty members and administrators to continue to pursue their individual, departmental and institutional contractual relations. This development signals the official University of Johannesburg rejection of the Senate Resolution and we applaud the University for resuming institutional relations in support of scientific collaboration and academic freedom with Israeli universities.

The world academic community frowns upon academic boycotts which it regards as antithetical to the fundamental principles of academic freedom. Whatever their feelings, academics cannot say they support academic freedom and exchange if they boycott, censor or otherwise interrupt the exchange of ideas, research and information. Credible academic institutions must be clear in supporting basic principles of academic freedom with statements and policies rejecting such campaigns and actions.

Adopted by the SPME Board of Directors and SPME University of Johannesburg Leadership, July 11, 2011

Representing the SPME University of Johannesburg Leadership:

        
        - Elli Kriel, Department of Sociology;
        - Meir Perez, Department of Engineering

SPME Officers and Board of Directors

        
        - Peter J. Haas, President, SPME; Case Western Reserve
          University
        - Stanley Dubinsky, Vice President External Relations, SPME;
          University of South Carolina
        - Judith Jacobson, Vice President Internal Relations, SPME;
          Columbia University
        - Ruth Contreras, Secretary SPME; University of Vienna and Vienna
          Natural History Museum (ret.)
        - Shlomo Dubnov, University of California-San Diego
        - Edward S. Beck President Emeritus, SPME; Walden University
        - Steven Albert, University of Pittsburgh
        - Leila Beckwith, UCLA
        - John Cohn, Thomas Jefferson University
        - Samuel Edelman, SPME Executive Director (ex-officio), University
          of California- Chico
        - Awi Federgruen, Columbia University
        - Joel Fishman, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
        - Rev. India E. Garnett, United Church of Christ, Central
          Pennsylvania Synod
        - Richard Landes, Boston University
        - Kenneth L. Marcus, Institute for Jewish and Community Research
        - David Menashri, Tel Aviv University
        - G.S. Don Morris, California Poly Tech Institute and Wingate
          Institute, IL
        - Donna Robinson-Divine, Smith College
        - Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, University of California-Santa Cruz
        - Philip Carl Salzman, McGill University
        - Ralf Schumann, MD., Charite Berlin
        - Ernest Sternberg, University of Buffalo

        
        Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click
        appropriate link.
        Sam Edelman
        http://www.profnetconnect.com/sam-edelman

For Immediate Release: For Further Information Contact Edward S. Beck, SPME President Emeritus and BDS Task Force Chair, ScholarsforPeace@aol.com or +1-717-576-5038

CONTACT: .