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According to reports from The Hill and the Associated Press on the 14th, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik suddenly announced his resignation and said he would return to the UK. Previously, Shafik's handling of the campus student protests caused by the current round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict was controversial and criticized.

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik Photo source: Associated Press

On August 14th local time, in a letter to Columbia University faculty and students, Shafik wrote: “It is with sadness that I tell you that I will resign as president of Columbia University on August 14, 2024. This is a turbulent period, and it is difficult for us to overcome the divergent views within the community. This period has also caused considerable harm to my family, as well as to others in our community… I have been reflecting throughout the summer and decided that leaving at this time will best help Columbia University overcome future challenges.”

In the letter, Shafiq revealed that she would return to the UK to work for the UK Foreign Secretary's Office on international development policy. "I have tried to find a way to uphold academic principles and treat everyone fairly and compassionately. When myself, my colleagues and students are the targets of threats and abuse, it is heartbreaking for the whole school, for me as president and for me as an individual," she wrote.

Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip have led to anti-war protests in support of Palestine at many American universities this year, including Columbia University. On April 17, Shafik condemned anti-Semitism at a U.S. Congressional hearing, but U.S. lawmakers accused her of not effectively dealing with protesters on campus who made Jewish students feel unsafe. On the same day, a large-scale protest broke out at Columbia University, and students began to set up tents on the campus lawn. The next day, Shafik called the police to enter the campus to disperse the students, and more than 100 people were arrested. At the end of April, students set up camps to protest again, and Shafik called the police again and arrested more than 100 people.

According to US media reports, Shafik's practice of introducing police to arrest students has caused dissatisfaction among Columbia University faculty and staff and has been criticized by the outside world. At the same time, she also faced criticism from Jewish students and organizations, accusing her of not taking severe measures against protesters in a timely manner.

Columbia University announced on August 14 that Katrina Armstrong, CEO of the school's Irving Medical Center and dean of the School of Medicine, will take over as interim president. In an open letter, Armstrong expressed his acceptance of the position and mentioned the events that occurred on campus this year that attracted the attention of the American media.

“I am honored to be named interim president of our beloved university,” Armstrong wrote in the letter. “As I take on this role, I am acutely aware of the trials the university has faced over the past year. We should neither underestimate their significance nor allow them to define who we are and what we will become.”