Debat 'Responsibilities of Belgian Universities with regard to cooperation with Israeli Universities'

Belgian universities, like many globally, have cooperation agreements with Israeli universities, including student and staff exchanges and research projects often funded by the EU. Our presentation discusses universities' duties within international law.

In Flanders, an inter-university council adopted a human-rights test for foreign collaborations, first applied to Israeli universities due to concerns over human-rights violations in Gaza and the occupation of Palestinian territories. This application caused tension and opposition.

We argue that universities, linked to states, are also bound by human rights and international law obligations, particularly peremptory norms. Even if funders like the EU do not act to fulfill their duty under international law, universities should still uphold these standards.