Statement by the management of the University of Ljubljana on participation in European projects and remarks by the UN Special Rapporteur
Bor Slana/STA
Date of publication:
The University of Ljubljana is following the situation in Gaza and the suffering of the population with great concern. As an academic institution founded on respect for human rights, we are firmly committed to strict adherence to international law. We express our deep sympathy for all those affected by the violence and the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
In view of the gravity and unacceptability of the situation, we respect and acknowledge all those working towards conditions that may lead to conflict resolution. We have therefore listened with interest to the views of Ms Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, whose efforts to protect human rights we highly value.
However, we must respond to her statement that the University of Ljubljana is “normalising illegality and crimes” through its cooperation with Israeli universities, and that it, along with other institutions, is “even funding Israeli universities”. We understand these remarks as stemming from deep concern about the situation in Gaza, a concern we share. Nevertheless, it is important to clarify to the public that this statement reflects a lack of familiarity with the actual nature of our cooperation.
As we have explained on multiple occasions, the University of Ljubljana does not currently have any active bilateral cooperation agreements with Israeli universities. Furthermore, the University of Ljubljana has never provided funding, either directly or indirectly, to Israeli universities or other Israeli institutions. In all European Union projects, Israeli institutions are funded directly by the European Commission, as Israel is a full member of the EU framework programmes for research.
In May 2024, the Senate of the University of Ljubljana adopted clear guidelines requiring that all project applications involving institutions from countries engaged in aggression or human rights violations be rigorously screened for potential links to military structures. This commitment remains firm, and is being consistently upheld.
Several University of Ljubljana member faculties are currently participating in four EU-funded projects that also involve Israeli institutions. Two of these projects – one at the UL Faculty of Medicine and the other at the UL Faculty of Mechanical Engineering – are part of Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship programme for research and innovation, funded by the European Commission.
One of these projects, INFRA EMERGENCY, is an infrastructure initiative aimed at combating infectious diseases. It includes 155 diverse research organisations from nearly all European countries, including some that have specific agreements with the EU. Within the framework of this project, there is no direct collaboration between the University of Ljubljana and Israeli institutions. Withdrawal from the project would exclude Slovenia from the early-warning system for emerging infectious diseases, while having no impact on the continued participation of Israeli institutions.
The second project, SEAMAC (Strengthening the Excellence of Additive Manufacturing Capabilities), is coordinated by the UL Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and includes the Israeli Technion as one of the partners. The project is highly applied in nature, focusing on the transfer of expertise in the 3D printing of metallic materials and their post-processing to Slovenia.
The other two projects fall under the Erasmus+ programme, which promotes cooperation in higher education, and are part of broader consortium agreements involving multiple institutions from various countries. The project at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology is a joint study programme with the University of Strasbourg, in which an Israeli university is formally listed as a partner. However, in practice, there have been no student exchanges with Israeli institutions, and given the current context, we would not support such exchanges. Withdrawal from the programme would make it impossible for the students who are already enrolled to complete their studies. The project involving the UL Faculty of Education, entitled Training in Embodied Critical Understanding (TECU), is educational in nature. It includes various forms of training that explore the embodied nature of the phenomenological dimensions of cognition, with a particular focus on the understanding and construction of scientific knowledge.
The withdrawal of the University of Ljubljana from these consortia would not impact the funding of the Israeli partners – this can only be decided by the European Commission. Such a withdrawal would, however, result in our students and researchers losing access to funding, knowledge and opportunities to collaborate with European partners, while Israeli institutions would remain part of the consortia.
We fully agree that cooperation with institutions from countries engaged in acts of aggression and systematic violations of international law must be subject to serious and critical reflection, and that coordinated and decisive action at the level of the EU is essential for the effective enforcement of international law and justice.
The University of Ljubljana remains firmly committed to ethical principles, academic freedom, responsible international engagement, and fact-based dialogue about the role of academic institutions. In this spirit, we will continue to act prudently, transparently and in line with the values we stand for.