the director of Sciences Po Strasbourg “very firmly opposed” to the suspension of the partnership with an Israeli university

Jean-Philippe Heurtin, the director of Sciences Po Strasbourg, reacted to BFM Alsace on Thursday October 31 to the suspension of the partnership with an Israeli faculty, voted on by the board of directors. He said he was “extremely saddened”, he denounced “an error” and said he was “ashamed of this situation”.

A decision that is not supported by management. Jean-Philippe Heurtin, the director of Sciences Po Strasbourg, told BFM Alsace on Thursday, October 31, that he “very firmly opposed the motion” which led to the suspension of the partnership with the Israeli Reichman faculty.

“I can continue to tell you that for me it is an error, a shame that this motion was voted on. I am ashamed of this situation. I am extremely saddened. The word is weak. And above all shocked by this situation”, declared Jean-Philippe Heurtin.

Before adding: “I will wait until the dust settles. I am not making any decisions in a hurry. All this assumes that the board of directors meets again in December. In agreement with management, I will present a certain number of things.”

Twelve votes to seven

With twelve votes for, seven against and two abstentions, the board of directors of Sciences Po Strasbourg approved the suspension of its student exchange partnership with Reichman University, based in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, Israel. The proposal came from the elected representatives of Solidarit'Étudiante, who submitted it for deliberation at the end of June, but the minutes were only validated this month.

The debates and the vote – in which twelve administrators did not participate – were heated but it turned out in favor of the students, despite fierce opposition from management.

Elected to the board of directors, Vladimir Gilg had justified this suspension to BFM Alsace: “this private university has very problematic positions concerning what is happening in Gaza”.

A meeting with Crif Alsace

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Higher Education also expressed its dissatisfaction. “The ministry deplores this decision, adopted for the purpose of taking a political position by the board of directors of a public establishment, and in disagreement with the management of the establishment”, indicates the entourage of Minister Patrick Hetzel in a reaction communicated to BFMTV.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, also denounced on BFMTV a “distressing” decision.

For his part, the director of Sciences Po Strasbourg assures that he has been contacted by Crif Alsace and that a meeting has been proposed for next week.