In light of the decision by Trinity Board to cut ties with Israeli institutions, is UCD’s stance still lacking?
In June, the board of Trinity College Dublin voted to cut ties with Israeli universities and companies, following recommendations from the Taskforce on Academic and Institutional International Links and Related Matters. The move, a result of the 2024 Trinity encampment, will see Trinity divest from any remaining Israeli-headquartered companies, enter no new commercial relationships with Israeli entities, nor renew any mobility agreements. While ongoing research partnerships will continue, no new projects involving Israeli participation will be entered. The college maintains that its current multi-institutional agreements are not associated with any ‘breaches of international humanitarian law.’
The UCD agreement does not go as far. While UCD pledged to not enter any new direct partnerships, it has continued to enter new multi-institutional research agreements involving Israeli participation. The most recent, the CATALOOP project, launched in March. UCD has no direct mobility agreements. It does remain in a multi-institutional mobility agreement involving Albania, Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, lasting until July 2026 according to the Erasmus+ ICM database. Though limited in scope, these agreements have faced criticism from UCD BDS, and Academics for Palestine, who objected to the CATALOOP project in an open letter.
Now that the student movement has entered an agreement with the college, its ability to apply pressure through direct action on UCD on what has already been agreed appears extremely limited.
However, a repeat of the 2024 encampment seems unlikely. The working groups established under the Belfield Campus agreement concluded this summer, with the results awaiting approval by the Governing Authority. Crucially, as part of the agreement student groups agreed to not to protest against what was agreed upon in the concluding agreement, though they may protest against other items. UCDSU Campaigns and Engagement Officer, and UCD BDS member, Hazen E. Griffin, noted that while UCD may have been reluctant to engage in conversation with the student movement initially there was some considerable “good will” on the side of individual participants in the working boards and groups. He added that the college is taking the issue in Gaza “seriously” and while UCDSU’s focus would primarily remain on college matters, UCD BDS does have plans to apply more pressure on the government.
The impact of isolating Israel through academic and commercial ties should not be dismissed. The proposed Occupied Territories Bill, for example, has provoked anger among Israeli officials precisely because of fears that mounting sanctions could jeopardise the EU-Israel trade deal. So while these moves matter, the immediate question is whether Irish institutions are doing enough to support Palestinians themselves.
The Department of Foreign Affairs in conjunction with a number of Irish universities, including UCD has arranged for 52 Palestinians to leave Gaza so they can begin their studies in Ireland. While concerns had been raised about the feasibility of them travelling due to high financial requirements this recent operation has seen their transportation. The department claims that they have helped over 200 Palestinians travel to Ireland since the crisis began.
Still, while ties between UCD and Israel have been reduced, opportunities for Palestinians in UCD remain limited. The Sanctuary Scholarships agreement, a larger refugee initiative, offers only 8 places for Palestinians, the Scholars at Risk scheme, 4 places for one year or 2 places for 2 years.
While the effort made to secure the recent safe travel of Palestinian students to Ireland should be celebrated, the fact that a college of 40,000 students can only provide places for a small number of students seems insufficient.
Now that the student movement has entered an agreement with the college, its ability to apply pressure through direct action on UCD on what has already been agreed appears extremely limited. Despite direct action being lauded by student representatives across the country, this potentially marks a new point in relations between UCD and the union where engagement and cooperation will now have to be used in motivating UCD to act.
New UCDSU president Michael Roche has emphasised that he and the union can work together with Orla Feely. This year will see how effective that claim will be.
For those in college who feel Gaza remains a landmark issue, the UCDSU, UCD, and Government will be judged for its ability to actually deliver for Palestinian students, whose education system has been destroyed, cities razed, and lives remain threatened as the war in Gaza rages on.