NYU Closes Down Tel Aviv Campus For Fall Semester
Aug. 9, 2014, 2:35 p.m.
"Like other universities around the country...NYU made its decision to suspend its fall courses after careful deliberation."
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-123219838/stock-photo-view-of-tel-aviv-city-from-roof-cafe-israel.html?src=0jbhnk/YoRZPHNjdGAmbxw-1-18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shutterstock/Protasov AN</a>
You probably have heard about the resurgence of fighting in Gaza in recent weeks. Because of the bloody unrest, public protests have been cancelled, Lana del Ray concerts have been postponed, and now, NYU has shuttered its Tel Aviv campus for the fall.
As NYU Local first reported, a group of ten students were originally signed up to study there in Fall 2014, but concerns over the fighting between Hamas and Israeli Defense Forces have led them to close down for the semester. NYU said in a statement:
Like other universities around the country, including some that have shortened their summer programs or suspended their fall classes, NYU made its decision to suspend its fall courses after careful deliberation.
The university was approached by some students and their families who expressed concern about the situation in the region and asked if NYU would be going forward with its fall courses in Tel Aviv.
The safety of these 10 students was our foremost concern in our deliberations about whether or not to disrupt the academic program. While this was not an easy decision to make, by doing so this week we were able to work with them to find alternative programs for the fall.
We look forward to resuming classes at the Tel Aviv site in January.
This isn't the first time NYU has had to shut down its Tel Aviv campus due to fighting: back in November 2012, 11 students plus faculty were evacuated mid-semester due to renewed violence. This week, NYU also canceled its fall semester abroad program in Ghana due to the ebola epidemic in the region.
