The heads of teachers and researchers at Sciences Po Paris have warned against any interference and denounced the allusions of a possible “reassertion of control” over the institution. The heads of teachers and researchers at Sciences Po Paris, accused of allowing anti-Semitism to thrive against the backdrop of pro-Gaza mobilization, deplored the “unannounced” visit by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on March 13, warning against any interference and political exploitation. “We express our deep emotion in a united and supportive manner,” write the deans of the schools, directors of research centers, departments of Sciences Po, and elected members of the permanent faculty of the board of directors of the National Foundation of Political Sciences (FNSP) in a message addressed to the educational community of the Parisian institution, as reported by AFP.
“No political leader should claim the right to devalue the fundamental principles of academic independence and freedom,” they emphasize. “Academic freedom ensures the right to teach and conduct research independently, under the control and supervision of peers but without interference from any external authority, including the State.”
“The allusions to a possible ‘reassertion of control’ over our institution during the board of directors on March 13 blatantly contradict this cardinal principle,” they add. “In a liberal democracy, the defense of academic freedom must be an absolute priority.” Sciences Po in turmoil for several days The elite school has been plunged into turmoil since the incidents that occurred during the occupation of an amphitheater by about 300 pro-Palestinian activists on March 12 as part of a “European University Mobilization Day for Palestine.”
According to the management, a student from the Union of Jewish Students of France (UEJF) “was prevented from accessing the amphitheater,” and “accusatory remarks were made (from the podium) against” the association. The UEJF denounced anti-Semitic remarks. This version of events is strongly contested by the Sciences Po Palestine committee, which denounces “unfounded accusations of anti-Semitism from the far right.”
In their internal letter, the deans and research center directors of the Parisian institution unequivocally denounce “all forms of exclusion, discrimination, anti-Semitism, racism, Islamophobia, and violence.”
An internal investigation “was launched the day after the occupation of the Boutmy amphitheater on March 12,” they emphasize. “At a time when this event is the subject of misinformation and political exploitation, it is essential to let the competent authorities carry out this mission without external interference, whether governmental or media.”
