The Jewish economist and doctor Alan Garber was appointed interim president of Harvard University, succeeding Claudine Gay, who resigned from her position after she was subjected to a fierce attack because of her testimony in Congress about anti-Semitism.
The American newspaper “The New York Times” said that Garber, who serves as dean and chief academic officer of Harvard University, will now serve as its interim president.
The Harvard Foundation described Garber as an “outstanding and diverse scholar,” adding, “We are fortunate to have someone with Alan’s broad and deep experience, insightful judgment, collaborative style, and exceptional institutional knowledge to advance key priorities and guide the University during this interim period.”
Former Harvard University President and former US Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said, “Garber, who is loved, admired and respected around the world, is a wonderful choice as interim president.”
On Tuesday, Gay resigned from her position after she was subjected to fierce attacks because of her testimony in Congress about anti-Semitism during protests in support of Gaza on campus, as well as accusations of plagiarism.
Last July, this political science professor became the first black president of the prestigious university located near Boston.
The day after her resignation, Claudine Guy admitted to making mistakes, but considered that she was the target of a continuous campaign “of lies and insults.”
“Those who have campaigned relentlessly to remove me since the fall have often used lies and personal insults, not logical arguments,” she wrote in a New York Times op-ed.
The war in the Gaza Strip has sparked intense controversy on prestigious American universities since it broke out on October 7, when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, to which the latter responded with a devastating bombing campaign and ground operations.
On Tuesday, December 5, in a tense atmosphere, Gay, along with the presidents of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania, responded to questions from parliamentarians over a period of 5 hours.
Gay was criticized after she refused to answer clearly whether calling for the extermination of Jews violated Harvard University’s code of conduct when she testified before Congress.
Her response, along with the response of her two colleagues who were apparently concerned about freedom of expression on campuses, sparked a controversy whose repercussions reached the White House.
Gay has also come under criticism in recent months, after reports emerged that she did not properly cite scientific sources, and the latest accusations were published Tuesday from an anonymous source on a conservative online media outlet.
More than 70 representatives, including two Democrats, called for her resignation, while a number of prominent Harvard graduates and donors called for her to leave office.
In return, more than 700 Harvard faculty members signed a letter supporting Gay.
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2024-01-05 07:32:01
