"Over the past seven years, Emory has been approached repeatedly by groups from off campus requesting that Emory commit to an academic boycott of Israeli scholars and scholarly institutions. Those seeking to organize such an action claim to do so as an expression of dissent concerning certain Israeli government policies and actions with which they disagree. Most recently, three academic professional organizations have endorsed such an action.  

Emory’s own and newly-penned policy on Respect for Freedom of Expression is clear about the need to protect the rights of others. An academic boycott would clearly violate the right of university faculty to academic freedom and so cannot be supported. The statement of the Association of American Universities (AAU), of which Emory is a member, states well Emory’s position, when it says that it 'strongly opposes a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.… Any such boycott of academic institutions directly violates academic freedom, which is a fundamental principle of AAU universities and of American higher education in general.' In agreement with our AAU colleagues, Emory also opposes an academic boycott."

James Wagner
President, Emory University