Harvard University campus, on April 22, in Cambridge (Massachusetts). (Credit: Maddie Meyer/AFP)
Harvard University's Middle East Studies Center announced the departure of two of its top leaders, according to reports from the New York Times.
Cemal Kafadar, the department chair and professor of Turkish studies, and Rosie Bsheer, the associate director and historian of the Middle East, both announced that they will leave their positions at the end of the academic year. Although neither has publicly commented on their departure, several faculty members believe they were pushed out in an environment of increasing political pressure.
Questioning university autonomy
For several months, Harvard has faced intense criticism regarding its handling of antisemitism accusations on campus. The administration of President Donald Trump, along with several Republican Party members, has exerted growing pressure on the university, demanding a stronger commitment to "diversity of viewpoints," particularly regarding the Middle East.
In this context, Hopi Hoekstra, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, asked leaders of the various university centers to propose reforms ensuring greater intellectual pluralism and better management of sensitive debates.
The Harvard section of the American Association of University Professors condemned the "brutal dismissal" of the leaders of the Middle East Studies Center, stating that this decision was part of a "shameful attempt to escape the pressure from the Trump administration." The organization denounced this as a "capitulation" to "bad-faith actors seeking to silence opposing viewpoints."
Asli Bali, president of the Middle East Studies Association, also commented on this decision, suggesting that this interference from the U.S. administration in university governance could mark "the decline of Middle East studies programs" in the United States. She called the situation "unprecedented," noting that questioning university autonomy is a "direct threat to academic freedom."
Recent dismissals at Columbia
Harvard University, a hotspot for pro-Palestinian student protests since the beginning of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, has been accused by some alumni and donors of adopting an "anti-Israeli" bias in its Middle East studies programs. James Chisholm, a spokesperson for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, declined to comment on the departures of Cemal Kafadar and Rosie Bsheer, citing the confidential nature of personnel matters.
This incident at the prestigious Massachusetts university is not the first of its kind since Donald Trump's return to the presidency. Recently, Columbia University agreed to place its Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies, as well as its Palestinian Studies Center, under the supervision of an administrator appointed by the White House. This decision was sharply criticized by academics, who see it as an infringement on the autonomy of study centers.
