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Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies Sees Leadership Transition Amid Bias Accusations
Leadership at Harvard University’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies is undergoing a transition following accusations of anti-Israel bias directed at the institution. The departures occur as the former Trump administration intensified scrutiny of academic entities that hosted pro-Palestine demonstrations in the past year. This development follows shortly after Columbia University’s president announced her resignation amidst similar criticism and government attention spurred by campus protests.
Key Leadership Changes at Harvard
David Cutler, Harvard’s interim dean of social science, communicated in an email on Wednesday to center affiliates that Professor Cemal Kafadar, the director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies and a scholar of Turkish studies, would be stepping down from his directorship at the close of the academic year, according to the Harvard Crimson. Professor Rosie Bsheer, a history professor serving as associate director, is also resigning from her administrative role. Both Kafadar and Bsheer are expected to continue in their faculty positions.
Speculation on Forced Resignations
According to anonymous faculty members who spoke to the New York Times, there is a perception that the exits of Kafadar and Bsheer were not voluntary. Harvard University has not yet issued a public statement in response to requests for clarification.
Faculty Condemnation of Departures
The executive committee of Harvard’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors issued a statement to the Times expressing strong disapproval of the leadership changes, labeling them as “abrupt termination[s].”
Concerns over External Pressure
The committee’s statement further asserted, “In the context of recent events, this decision appears to be a regrettable attempt to evade repercussions from the former Trump administration for fostering academic discourse on subjects unpopular with the president.” They added, “These dismissals surrender the university’s autonomy in decision-making to intimidators and individuals acting in bad faith who aim to silence dissenting opinions.”
Reactions to the Leadership Change
The Center for Middle Eastern Studies has recently faced criticism concerning alleged anti-Israel prejudice. Lawrence Summers, an economist and former Harvard president, conveyed his approval on X, praising the university for taking action to replace the center’s leadership.
Summers’ Criticism and Context
“Despite significant delay since the issue was highlighted immediately following October 7, I am very pleased that Harvard is diminishing its institutional backing for anti-semitism,” Summers posted. He had previously criticized Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, on X for supposedly “lack[ing] the will and/or leverage” to combat the purported bias. Summers specifically cited a February panel hosted by the center on “Israel’s war in Lebanon” as evidence of antisemitism.
Broader Context of Campus Tensions
These leadership adjustments at Harvard represent the latest in a series of shake-ups at prominent universities grappling with scrutiny from the former Trump administration regarding campus antisemitism. Following the administration’s withdrawal of $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, the institution agreed to subject its Middle Eastern, South African, and African Studies department to external review, among other concessions aligning with the administration’s demands.
Columbia University Leadership Change
Adding to the atmosphere of change, Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, announced on Friday her imminent resignation. She will be succeeded by Claire Shipman, the co-chair of the university’s board of trustees.