Statement from Freie Universität Berlin’s Executive Board on Academic Partnerships with Israeli Institutions

Freie Universität Berlin was founded on the idea that science and open debate are worth defending even in the face of political pressure. That was almost eighty years ago, but the idea still holds true - now more than ever.

In light of recent demands to break off partnerships with Israeli universities and researchers, the Executive Board of Freie Universität Berlin wants to make its position very clear:

A boycott runs contrary to the founding principles of our university. International research depends on an open exchange of ideas. Over the decades our partnerships have grown - in areas such as medicine, the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. These partnerships speak to our firm belief that international research contributes to building a better society - and that a university's commitment to research and teaching has the strongest impact when it strives to be inclusive. Anyone who demands that relations to researchers and institutions be cut off does not understand the role of science and education in times of conflict. It is precisely in times such as these that we need reliable and enduring relationships that make room for different perspectives. These relationships help us to generate new knowledge and discoveries together. They also help keep pathways of communication open, which are often blocked when issues become increasingly polarized.

"Freie Universität Berlin builds its partnerships based on shared values: academic freedom, critical openness, and institutional independence. Israeli universities fulfill these requirements - they are pluralistic, democratic institutions that are also familiar with controversial debates within their own walls. To boycott them would mean isolating precisely those voices that most need to be included in the dialogue."

Professor Günter M. Ziegler, University President

The Executive Board therefore reaffirms its position from January 2026: Freie Universität Berlin firmly rejects any proposal to boycott Israeli researchers or research institutions - a position which is underscored by the German Rectors' Conference's resolution from November 19, 2024, "On the Current Debate on Antisemitism in the Bundestag."