The Design Academy Eindhoven freezes collaboration with two Israeli design schools. The academy made this decision in response to the war in Gaza and protests against it. It is not only within the DAE that people call for severing ties. Protests are also underway on the TU/e campus.
Temporary
The board of the Design Academy Eindhoven (DAE) has decided to (temporarily) sever ties with the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and the Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art from the start of the autumn semester starting at the end of August, in pending assessment. A final decision will be made on whether or not to cut ties.
This decision was made in consultation with the DAE participation council and the supervisory board. On Tuesday morning, the management of the program informed students and staff about the decision by email.
Petitions
‘Several petitions and open letters are circulating online on social media among art academies in the Netherlands. It calls for an end to cooperation with educational institutions that are actively involved in or support the war in Gaza,” the management wrote in the email. In response to these, the Design Academy decides to temporarily sever ties.
Confirmation
The DAE management also states in the email that it is a ‘deeply multicultural institution’ and that there are many different views on the current conflict in Gaza within the course. That is why, according to the management, it is important to take each other’s backgrounds and perspectives into account. The management of the Design Academy has not yet confirmed the temporary termination of the collaboration.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Seetha
