In light of the AAUP confusion and the misguided, boycott-supporting actions by some academic organizations, I find it essential to protect my colleagues in Israel from discrimination and harassment. Therefore, I pledge to intensify my collaboration with Israeli universities and academics, and to significantly enhance my support for Israeli scholars and students at my university, ensuring them a welcoming academic environment
I said on Twitter several times, we should organize conferences in Israel in support of Israeli scientists. The added benefit will be that all the terrorist supporters will boycott.
I read the announcement from AAUP (of which I am a very reluctant member) earlier today with the same concern as you have so eloquently expressed here. Sadly, I am not surprised that AAUP has taken this position as it reflects the inherent antisemitism that has completely taken over the progressive Left in the United States. I would point out that I have attended several AAUP conferences in Washington over the last 20 years. At the 2015 and 2017 the open meetings of the membership included blatant outbursts of antisemitic activity from large groups of academics in support of BDS.
It should also be noted that the AAUP is also hostile to science generally out of a childish jealousy of the better societal funding of STEM research relative to the humanities. I literally observed, and objected, to Committee A's objections to the University of Southern Maine's decisions to cut positions in French, Italian and another social science while accepting elimination of the SCIENCE of geology as appropriate. Apparently, Committee A could not conceive of Portland Maine's largest university losing programs in French and Italian but saw no problem with the loss of geology which, of all the sciences, most provides information on LOCAL conditions necessary to understand climate change, environmental protection and resource development/protection (mining etc.). The blatant jealousy against the "privileged" science of geology rose to the level of hatred... hatred that actually undermined the AAUP's arguments for the preservation of the other faculty positions cut by USM.
AAUP remains a valuable source of information regarding the profession, but has lost all moral authority to speak for academic institutions or to set standards and codes of conduct for how academia should be run. In short, they are part of the problem, not the solution at this point.
This action by the AAUP is outrageous and shameful. I am currently collaborating with Israeli scientists and I intend to continue to do so. This kind of nonsense has no place in intellectual activities in 2024.
In fact, I intend to not only collaborate, but also to lend support to Israeli scientists and other STEM professionals in Israel. And bolster the strength of this outpost of Western Civilization in a part of the world that is in desperate need of some sort of civilizing influences of any kind, particularly at this point in time.
Although it might be dangerous to do so, I would obviously do the same for Muslim scientists (many of whom are Israeli, clearly) and Russian scientists, and even for Chinese scientists. As long as we stand together as STEM professionals against the assorted forces of darkness, we have a bit of a chance. We have to reject these negative political forces as best as we can, because they have no place in STEM. I am not naive enough to think that there are not political entities that would try to exploit this sort of position, so of course one has to guard against that, very carefully. But outside of that, I think we should try to treat STEM people as individuals.
As I have previously noted, I am BIPOC, but I completely reject the transient benefits that might accrue to me under these current woke preference rules. Judge me based on my individual characteristics, on my own merits, not on some crazy arbitrary and meaningless nonsensical identity politics.
Especially in European universities, there is strong institutional pressure to shun Russian scientists since 2022. These restrictions are also unwise and unfair. At some conferences, (the tiny number of) Russia-based attendees have had to publicly state their views against the war in the Ukraine, a distasteful political litmus test that neither necessarily elicits the truth nor ensures the speaker's safety back home.
The “litmus test” point is well taken - not sure if one was given to Einstein because of his origins. I am just not clear how boycotting Israeli scientists is compared to “shunning” the Russian ones (the aggression of the rf against Ukraine is equivalent to that of hamas). It is my personal value system, not AAUP policies, that guide me away from collaborating with scientists who live in Russia and either openly support or pay taxes that fuel the aggression. Individual freedom should triumph in such decisions and not spill into collective institutional boycotts.
The AAUP has now shown itself to be fundamentally incompatible with the mission of higher education. I can only suggest that everyone who is professionally involved in the discovery and transmission of knowledge avoid any further connections with AAUP or institutions it dominates.
"That statement has now been replaced by one saying boycotts 'can be considered legitimate tactical responses to conditions that are fundamentally incompatible with the mission of higher education.'”
This part was initially confusing until I remembered that at the same time they're trying to change the mission of higher education
I have never joined AAUP. I've been in academia for 36 years and looked into it when I first entered the profession. While their charter and other statements at the time sounded reasonable on its face, I did not like the adversarial tone. Despite being one myself, I have a problem with academics in general in that we all (well, a lot of us) think we're so damn smart that we know everything and, especially, know what's good for other people better than they know themselves, which denies agency to people we disagree with (see: "basket of deplorables").
"The collective is above the individuals" -- the same idea that drives the unions. BTW, AAUP --at least some of its chapters -- supports student and posdtoc unionization, which is at odds with academic freedom of professors.
Thank you for pointing out the illiberal direction that the AAUP is going. Academia is taking the lead in decivilizing and deculturalizing society in the name of Social Justice. While we may not be beheading ourselves, I question how many minds still remain in academia.
This action by the AAUP is outrageous and shameful. I am currently collaborating with Israeli scientists and I intend to continue to do so. This kind of nonsense has no place in intellectual activities in 2024.
In fact, I intend to not only collaborate, but also to lend support to Israeli scientists and other STEM professionals in Israel. And bolster the strength of this outpost of Western Civilization in a part of the world that is in desperate need of some sort of civilizing influences of any kind, particularly at this point in time.
I saw the writing on the wall about this garbage about a decade ago. It was a major factor in my decision to leave US academia and accept a solid offer from abroad.
As in the case of many of these organizations that have been "captured", I think we need to create unwoke versions. Give them some competition; perhaps they will reform themselves. Otherwise, we just need to replace them.
Judea Pearl
@yudapearl
Please join me in a counter-boycott pledge:
In light of the AAUP confusion and the misguided, boycott-supporting actions by some academic organizations, I find it essential to protect my colleagues in Israel from discrimination and harassment. Therefore, I pledge to intensify my collaboration with Israeli universities and academics, and to significantly enhance my support for Israeli scholars and students at my university, ensuring them a welcoming academic environment
I said on Twitter several times, we should organize conferences in Israel in support of Israeli scientists. The added benefit will be that all the terrorist supporters will boycott.
I read the announcement from AAUP (of which I am a very reluctant member) earlier today with the same concern as you have so eloquently expressed here. Sadly, I am not surprised that AAUP has taken this position as it reflects the inherent antisemitism that has completely taken over the progressive Left in the United States. I would point out that I have attended several AAUP conferences in Washington over the last 20 years. At the 2015 and 2017 the open meetings of the membership included blatant outbursts of antisemitic activity from large groups of academics in support of BDS.
It should also be noted that the AAUP is also hostile to science generally out of a childish jealousy of the better societal funding of STEM research relative to the humanities. I literally observed, and objected, to Committee A's objections to the University of Southern Maine's decisions to cut positions in French, Italian and another social science while accepting elimination of the SCIENCE of geology as appropriate. Apparently, Committee A could not conceive of Portland Maine's largest university losing programs in French and Italian but saw no problem with the loss of geology which, of all the sciences, most provides information on LOCAL conditions necessary to understand climate change, environmental protection and resource development/protection (mining etc.). The blatant jealousy against the "privileged" science of geology rose to the level of hatred... hatred that actually undermined the AAUP's arguments for the preservation of the other faculty positions cut by USM.
AAUP remains a valuable source of information regarding the profession, but has lost all moral authority to speak for academic institutions or to set standards and codes of conduct for how academia should be run. In short, they are part of the problem, not the solution at this point.
This action by the AAUP is outrageous and shameful. I am currently collaborating with Israeli scientists and I intend to continue to do so. This kind of nonsense has no place in intellectual activities in 2024.
In fact, I intend to not only collaborate, but also to lend support to Israeli scientists and other STEM professionals in Israel. And bolster the strength of this outpost of Western Civilization in a part of the world that is in desperate need of some sort of civilizing influences of any kind, particularly at this point in time.
Although it might be dangerous to do so, I would obviously do the same for Muslim scientists (many of whom are Israeli, clearly) and Russian scientists, and even for Chinese scientists. As long as we stand together as STEM professionals against the assorted forces of darkness, we have a bit of a chance. We have to reject these negative political forces as best as we can, because they have no place in STEM. I am not naive enough to think that there are not political entities that would try to exploit this sort of position, so of course one has to guard against that, very carefully. But outside of that, I think we should try to treat STEM people as individuals.
As I have previously noted, I am BIPOC, but I completely reject the transient benefits that might accrue to me under these current woke preference rules. Judge me based on my individual characteristics, on my own merits, not on some crazy arbitrary and meaningless nonsensical identity politics.
Especially in European universities, there is strong institutional pressure to shun Russian scientists since 2022. These restrictions are also unwise and unfair. At some conferences, (the tiny number of) Russia-based attendees have had to publicly state their views against the war in the Ukraine, a distasteful political litmus test that neither necessarily elicits the truth nor ensures the speaker's safety back home.
I saw examples of it too -- it is unfair and distasteful indeed.
The “litmus test” point is well taken - not sure if one was given to Einstein because of his origins. I am just not clear how boycotting Israeli scientists is compared to “shunning” the Russian ones (the aggression of the rf against Ukraine is equivalent to that of hamas). It is my personal value system, not AAUP policies, that guide me away from collaborating with scientists who live in Russia and either openly support or pay taxes that fuel the aggression. Individual freedom should triumph in such decisions and not spill into collective institutional boycotts.
P.S. It is not “the” Ukraine, just Ukraine.
The AAUP has now shown itself to be fundamentally incompatible with the mission of higher education. I can only suggest that everyone who is professionally involved in the discovery and transmission of knowledge avoid any further connections with AAUP or institutions it dominates.
"That statement has now been replaced by one saying boycotts 'can be considered legitimate tactical responses to conditions that are fundamentally incompatible with the mission of higher education.'”
This part was initially confusing until I remembered that at the same time they're trying to change the mission of higher education
Yes, the new mission of higher education is Critical Social Justice.
I have never joined AAUP. I've been in academia for 36 years and looked into it when I first entered the profession. While their charter and other statements at the time sounded reasonable on its face, I did not like the adversarial tone. Despite being one myself, I have a problem with academics in general in that we all (well, a lot of us) think we're so damn smart that we know everything and, especially, know what's good for other people better than they know themselves, which denies agency to people we disagree with (see: "basket of deplorables").
"The collective is above the individuals" -- the same idea that drives the unions. BTW, AAUP --at least some of its chapters -- supports student and posdtoc unionization, which is at odds with academic freedom of professors.
Dear Anna and Jay,
Thank you for pointing out the illiberal direction that the AAUP is going. Academia is taking the lead in decivilizing and deculturalizing society in the name of Social Justice. While we may not be beheading ourselves, I question how many minds still remain in academia.
Thanks again for writing this essay.
randy
Yes. AAUP needs some brave souls to right that ship - not easy.
This action by the AAUP is outrageous and shameful. I am currently collaborating with Israeli scientists and I intend to continue to do so. This kind of nonsense has no place in intellectual activities in 2024.
In fact, I intend to not only collaborate, but also to lend support to Israeli scientists and other STEM professionals in Israel. And bolster the strength of this outpost of Western Civilization in a part of the world that is in desperate need of some sort of civilizing influences of any kind, particularly at this point in time.
I saw the writing on the wall about this garbage about a decade ago. It was a major factor in my decision to leave US academia and accept a solid offer from abroad.
As in the case of many of these organizations that have been "captured", I think we need to create unwoke versions. Give them some competition; perhaps they will reform themselves. Otherwise, we just need to replace them.