The Executive Committee at University of Limerick abhor violence and acts of war on innocent civilians in any conflict.
It is deeply upsetting to witness the continuing violence. There is no justification for the loss of innocent lives from any quarter. The undermining of fundamental human rights in Gaza including the right to life, to security of person, and to physical and mental well-being is indefensible.
UL supports the call of the Irish Government and the European Union for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and the opening of aid routes into Gaza.
In relation to our international collaborations:
- UL does not have any investments in arms manufacturing or distribution companies in Israel.
- There are no Israeli companies providing funding for research or investments at UL.
- UL is one of 26 partners from around Europe working on an EU funded research project. There is an Israeli partner as part of this and this partner is not an academic institution. UL respects the academic freedom of its staff to pursue international collaborations and research.
- UL has no active partnerships with Israeli academic institutions.
The destruction of universities and educational facilities in Gaza as well as the targeting of academics not only takes from individuals and citizens their right to education, but it also strikes to the core of what we stand for here at UL.
In support of this role, our University of Sanctuary Scholarship is now open for applications until the end of May and our UL's Scholars at Risk Programme is a fund to enable persecuted or otherwise threatened scholars to continue their academic work. Established in association with Scholars at Risk Ireland, this is part of an international network striving to defend the human rights of scholars around the world.
In addition, UL support services continue to engage with members of our university community to assist those directly affected by this conflict.
It is fundamental to the role of universities that diverse and conflicting viewpoints can be held and debated in an open and collegiate manner. It is also important that these viewpoints are heard and we respect the right of all individuals and groups within UL to express their abhorrence at what is happening in Gaza.
The voice of Ireland has been heard loud and clear globally in rejection of this violence, as have the voices of universities throughout the world.
University of Limerick is a multi-cultural, diverse, and multi-faith community where a wide range of views coexist. All perspectives are welcome, but we must ensure that these are expressed in a respectful way so that everyone can fully participate in life at UL.