Brown University’s top donor, Barry Sternlicht, has withdrawn financial support from the university due to its willingness to consider joining an academic boycott of Israel. This move comes after the University of Rhode Island became the first higher education institution in the US to discuss an academic boycott of Israel, with a final decision to be made by the board of governors in June.
In response to the controversy, Brown University’s president, Christina Paxson, announced that students would dismantle an encampment and refrain from violating the university code for the rest of the academic year as part of an agreement. However, this decision has sparked outrage from Sternlicht, who called it unconscionable. Given his substantial wealth exceeding three billion dollars, Sternlicht believes that ignoring facts and promoting propaganda under the guise of education sets a dangerous precedent.
The 63-year-old businessman emphasized that there should be no room for discussion when facts are being ignored and views this university’s stance on the matter as a betrayal of true educational values. This issue highlights ongoing debates and controversies surrounding academic freedom, activism, and political stances within educational institutions in the US.
