President of Columbia University. Minouche Shafik has resigned, almost four months after the school’s handling of student protests against Israel’s assault in Gaza received criticism from both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel factions.
Following school protests for Gaza, Shafik became the third president of an Ivy League university to resign.
She stated that she made the announcement so that new leadership could be in place before the new term begins on September 3, when student demonstrators have promised to resume protests.
Katrina Armstrong, dean of Columbia University’s medical school, has been named interim president.
Armstrong said in a statement that she was aware of the trials the University has faced over the past year.
Columbia University was shaken in April and May when demonstrators occupied parts of the New York City campus in response to Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza, resulting in hundreds of arrests.
Demonstrators chastised Shafik for summoning police to school to quell the protests, while pro-Israel fans chastised her for not cracking down hard enough.
Two other Ivy League presidents have resigned after facing congressional critics.
Shafik, an Egyptian-born economist who holds British and U.S. nationality, was previously deputy governor of the Bank of England, president of the London School of Economics and deputy managing director at the International Monetary Fund.
