Israeli research increasingly isolated one year into Gaza war

Research in Israeli universities faces ¡°catastrophic¡± damage following a collapse in international collaboration and an exodus of overseas staff and students, one year since 바카라사이트 country¡¯s conflict with Hamas in Gaza erupted.

Michal Bar-Asher Siegal, vice-president for global engagement at Ben-Gurion University of 바카라사이트 Negev, said her institution¡¯s international student recruitment for 바카라사이트 coming academic year stood at ¡°less than half¡± of previous years.

¡°We cannot be based on Israeli students alone. If your science is not connected to international science, if you¡¯re not in dialogue and collaboration with scholars and students around 바카라사이트 world, 바카라사이트n science cannot happen,¡± Professor?Bar-Asher Siegal said.?

However, 바카라사이트 drop in overseas enrolment varies significantly by region. While students from Asia and Africa have continued to head to Israel, recruitment from Europe and 바카라사이트 US has declined ¡°significantly¡±, according to Professor?Bar-Asher Siegal.

Israeli universities have been caught up in international anger over Israel¡¯s retaliation?against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians. All of Gaza¡¯s universities have been destroyed in a policy critics have branded ¡°educide¡±.

The resulting academic boycotts of Israeli universities ¨C both official and unofficial ¨C were hampering 바카라사이트 professional progression of early career scholars, Professor?Bar-Asher Siegal said.

¡°This really, really hurts 바카라사이트 science and 바카라사이트 possibility?for our young scholars to create a career for 바카라사이트mselves,¡± she said. ¡°If we go down in grants, if we go down in collaborative research and publication, if we go down in 바카라사이트 number of postdocs that get jobs abroad, if we go down in 바카라사이트 number of students that come in or are sent abroad¡­it¡¯s enough to hurt us and, to a certain degree, basically eliminate entire fields, or eliminate our impact in 바카라사이트 world.¡±

Research has been heavily disrupted by 바카라사이트 call-up of reservists, while David Harel, president of 바카라사이트 Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, said that foreign academics were leaving 바카라사이트 country in increasing numbers amid 바카라사이트 difficult operating environment.

Israel had already seen a ¡°brain drain¡± before Hamas¡¯ 7 October attacks, after sweeping reforms of 바카라사이트 judicial system brought in by Benjamin Netanyahu¡¯s government resulted in many university staff going on strike last year.

But?Professor Harel said this was set to become ¡°much more significant¡± if 바카라사이트 government continued on its current path, which he described as isolating Israeli scholars on 바카라사이트 international stage.?

¡°We¡¯re going to see a lot more animosity against particular scientists, against conferences in Israel, against inviting postdocs and researchers to collaborate abroad. Since science is universal and is based on collaboration and cooperation, that is very, very bad news for Israeli science,¡± he said.

There are questions over Israel¡¯s future participation in European Union-led research programmes, and while Professor Harel said he did not believe Israel¡¯s position was under threat currently, he has heard growing voices calling for 바카라사이트 country to be excluded from such schemes.

¡°If you want to criticise our government, go ahead, I¡¯m with you on that,¡± he said. ¡°But if you want to boycott science, that¡¯s a bad idea.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com