Claim that Executive Board agreed to join 11 April discussion is incorrect
End Fossil, Open Leiden and Students for Palestine incorrectly claim that a meeting will be held with the Executive Board on Friday 11 April. This statement is to correct these claims and clarify the situation.
On 13 March, these three groups invited the Executive Board to a public discussion to discuss their views on our ties with the fossil fuel industry, securitisation and the effects of the Israel-Gaza war.
The university spoke to representatives of the groups on 3 April, and indicated that discussing these topics in three separate sessions would be more in line with the academic approach. Various experts would be able to contribute substantive input to the discussion. Unfortunately, the representatives of the groups did not want to accept this offer and failed to show up at a follow-up meeting that had been scheduled.
Soon after the first meeting, flyers appeared on campus announcing that the Executive Board would speak with the three groups at a public meeting on 11 April. This commitment was never made. Leiden University’s leaders are always open to critical, reasoned discussions. For example, a large debate was held in September 2023 on the university’s ties with the fossil fuel industry. An objective moderator led the discussion between the supporters and opponents of these ties, and members of the Executive Board also joined in. Open debate, respectful discussion between people with different views and convictions, has long been the textbook example of how we do things here in Leiden.
Our university leaders have held many discussions with critical members of our community over the past years on topics ranging from fossil-fuel ties to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and from securitisation to the war in Gaza. The Executive Board offered these groups the opportunity to engage with these topics in three separate sessions, allowing for broad and substantive discussion, but they did not take up the offer.
So despite what these groups seem to claim, the Executive Board never confirmed that it would attend the meeting on 11 April, nor will it be attending.