The head of the conference of Italian
university deans, CRUI, said Thursday that no Italian
universities have boycotted Israel despite pressure from some
student groups for them to do so, amid the war in Gaza.
"There is no boycott by Italian universities in relation to the
existing scientific relations with Israeli universities," CRUI
President Giovanna Iannantuoni said.
"No university has ever voted for a boycott of scientific
collaboration, only some academic senates (have voted) for the
suspension of individual (cooperation tender) calls.
"We remain open to collaborating with everyone'".
Student groups have staged a series of controversial
demonstrations calling for universities to severe ties with
Israel.
In particular, they have called for programmes with alleged
'dual use' research, also potentially useful for military ends,
to be terminated.
A protest at Rome's La Sapienza University was marred by violent
clashes with police on Tuesday, which drew the ire of Premier
Giorgia Meloni.
One student was arrested for resisting arrest and another for
jumping onto a police vehicle. Several police and some students
were hurt.
Some members of a group who have been camped out in tents at La
Sapienza for several days chained themselves up and started a
hunger strike on Wednesday.
They have displayed banners including "Stop the Gaza genocide"
and "end the NATO war industry".
Despite the protests, Iannantuoni said: "we do not need
preventive actions or special measures by the police".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
