Brown University’s top donor, real estate entrepreneur Barry Sternlicht, has withdrawn financial support from the university due to its willingness to consider joining an academic boycott of Israel. This decision comes after the University of Rhode Island became the first higher education institution in the United States to agree to discuss an academic boycott of Israel.
In response to the controversy, Brown University’s president, Christina Paxson, stated that as part of an agreement, students will dismantle an encampment and refrain from violating the university code for the rest of the academic year. The decision by the university administration has sparked outrage from Sternlicht, who called it unconscionable. Given his substantial wealth exceeding three billion dollars, Sternlicht believes that ignoring facts and promoting propaganda under the guise of education sets a dangerous precedent.
The 63-year-old businessman emphasized that there should be no room for discussion when facts are being ignored and views this as a betrayal of true educational values. This issue highlights ongoing debates and controversies surrounding academic freedom, activism, and political stances within educational institutions in the United States.