Turku – Academic boycott of Israel: why, how and why now?

On Wednesday 27th November 17:00-18:00 Turku with Palestine is organising a public lecture “Academic Boycott of Israel: Why, how and why now?” with Syksy Räsänen.

The lecture is followed by an optional workshop for those who are interested in discussing the academic boycott of Israel campaign at the University of Turku or other universities based in Turku. The workshop time is from 18:00-19:00.

Both the lecture and workshop will be takes place in hall Pub126, Publicum building, at University of Turku, Assistentinkatu 7.

We encourage as many students, members of the student union and groups, researchers, teachers, university administrators to attend this lecture!

In their last meeting on October 29th, TYY, the University of Turku’s student union made the decision to oppose university-level cooperation with Israel. The fact that the motion sparked heated discussions within and beyond TYY demonstrates the urgent need for clear information about the academic boycott of Israel within the academic community at the University of Turku.

Palestinian civil society’s call for the academic boycott of Israel turned 20 years last July. It has been gaining particular traction in the recent months. This lecture will discuss this campaign focusing on the following questions: How is Israeli academia complicity apartheid and genocide? What are the goals of the boycott campaign, and why would it be effective? What are the similarities with and differences from the academic boycott of South Africa and Russia?

This public lecture is an ideal opportunity for all members of the academic community, including researchers’, teachers’ and student unions and associations, to learn more and ask questions about the academic boycott and what it entails to an academic, activist and writer who has several years of expertise in Finland-based activism for Palestine as the chair of ICAHD Finland, co-chair of Sumud, and writer of “Israelin Apartheid.”

ACESSIBILITY INFO:
The lecture hall Pub126 is located on the first floor of Publicum. Access for wheelchairs and mobility aids is possible and there is space for a wheelchair in the lecture hall.
Access is through the main doors of Publicum from the courtyard. There is a ramp at the main entrance and a button on the right side of the ramp to open the electric doors of the main entrance. Turn left through the main doors and head towards the red lockers. Continue past the red lockers towards the toilet and the glass doors. Hall Pub126 is located behind the glass door behind the toilet, immediately to the left.

The accessible toilet is located on the first floor lobby near the lecture hall. There are also accessible toilets in the lobbies on the other floors of Publicum.

There is no induction loop or sound system in the event area. The hall is a small lecture room, where the sound is relatively well reproduced without sound systems.

If you have any questions about the accessibility of the event, please contact Elina Sutela, [email protected]