The president of Columbia University, Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, announced her resignation after facing criticism over protests on campus related to the war in Gaza. Shafik, who had been president for just over a year, faced backlash from anti-war protesters and House Republicans for her handling of the demonstrations. The protests at Columbia were in solidarity with Palestinians and led to clashes between protesters and police. Shafik decided to resign after months of turmoil and criticism, citing the toll it had taken on her family. Her resignation is effective immediately, and an interim president has been named. The university is now focused on addressing tensions on campus and strengthening the community as classes resume next month. The resignation was welcomed by the student protest group Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, who had called for Shafik to step down. The protests at Columbia and other universities across the U.S. were in response to the Israeli-Hamas conflict, with many calling for schools to divest from Israel. The resignation of Shafik is part of a trend where university presidents are being targeted by lawmakers for their handling of campus protests, especially related to antisemitism.
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Columbia University President Minouche Shafik steps down following turmoil on campus amid Israel-Hamas conflict demonstrations
