Federal University of Ceará Ends Ben-Gurion University Exchange Over Gaza War

Overview

• The University Council voted on October 6 to terminate the 2022 cooperation and exchange agreement with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
• UFC said no students are on in-person exchange and that the partnership produced only two remote activities that ended in July 2023.
• In its motion, the council condemned what it called a continuing genocide in Gaza and committed to promoting activities that raise awareness of Palestinian conditions.
• Leaders said the decision answers appeals from the university community, citing student protests on October 2 at the Benfica campus in Fortaleza.
• The move mirrors steps by other Brazilian institutions such as Unicamp, and the council expressed solidarity with professor and federal deputy Luizianne Lins, who was detained after the Global Sumud flotilla interception and later released.