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Minouche Shafik, the president of Columbia University in New York, has resigned following months of criticism over her handling of student protests after the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel.
In a letter to Columbia faculty and students on Wednesday she described “a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community”.
The decision comes ahead of the new academic year, with many universities braced for fresh student protests and renewed focus by politicians in the build-up to November’s US presidential election.
Shafik’s departure follows that of the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard. All three had come under sharp attacks in congressional hearings focused on antisemitism on campus.
The president of Cornell also resigned ahead of the end of her mandate earlier this year, which she said was her own decision. It also followed criticism of her handling of claims of antisemitism.
The presidents were attacked by a number of high-profile alumni donors who threatened to withdraw funding to their former universities.
Shafik angered faculty by revealing the names of academics who were still under investigation for alleged antisemitism while being questioned in Congress, as well as for suspending students and calling in New York police to break up encampments on its campus.
Her hardline stance triggered protests and clashes between students and police at other campuses across the US and in other countries.
She said in her letter she had been asked by the new UK government to chair a review of “its approach to international development and how to improve capability”.
“I have tried to navigate a path that upholds academic principles and treats everyone with fairness and compassion. It has been distressing — for the community, for me as president and on a personal level — to find myself, colleagues, and students the subject of threats and abuse,” she added.
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