Social Responsibility at UvA in Times of Global Crisis

UvA campaign celebrating the 750th anniversary of the City of Amsterdam. Photo by Ilsoo van Dijk.

I was honored to contribute to the UvA campaign celebrating the 750th anniversary of the City of Amsterdam, and marking the university’s societal engagement. The campaign was featured at the opening of the academic year, offering an excellent opportunity to call once again for social responsibility within the university, now that genocide in Palestina and crises unfolding throughout the world are testing and reshaping beliefs, norms, and values.

The university board indeed issued such a call. The rector emphasized that everyone should feel at home at the university, highlighting in particular the experiences

of Jewish students and staff. He stressed that protest may be sharp, but should never be hostile, and that even deep disagreements must not undermine dignity. He urged students, staff, and administrators to choose their words and actions in ways that create space and foster connection.

This raises the question, however: is the university truly creating an inclusive space for dialogue by singling out - at the opening of the academic year - Jewish students and staff who feel unsafe? Is it giving enough consideration to those grappling with the ongoing, inhumane, life-and-death conditions in Gaza? I am thinking in particular of our Palestinian students and colleagues, many of whom, I hear, feel ignored and utterly let down.

Over the years, I have seen how easily individuals and groups - whether in society or at the university - are overlooked, undervalued, or ignored because of cognitive biases, cultural filters, political ideologies or institutional rigidity. In normal times this is harmful; how much more so now. That is why leadership should act with integrity and sensitivity, listening to both the heard and the unheard, piercing through dominant narratives, and taking unconventional measures.

From this perspective, the opening of the academic year was a missed opportunity to show that the university is indeed be a place where everyone feels safe and recognized. It should have highlighted both the experiences of Jewish ánd Palestinian students and staff, especially those who have sought to make their voices heard without turning to media attention or public demonstrations. This is why I support this letter to the UvA board:

And of course, because of the complicity of academic institutions with the genocide in Palestina. No institution operating within a system of oppression is immune from complicity. History makes this clear, and we witness it once more today - in Western democracies, Eastern autocracies, and Southern dictatorships. Many scholars, including some signatories, attest to and have been pointing at this.

As proud member of the UvA community for nearly 35 years,  I stay committed to socially engaged scholarship, and to raising my voice about concerns near home or far away.