To KIT employees

The Guidelines for Ethical Principles of KIT set out the obligations of every member of KIT, and also define the basis of cooperation with partners of KIT (https://www.ethik.kit.edu/leitlinien.php). Within the ethical principles its reads:

"We assume responsibility for our acting and for the consequences of our actions. Our work serves the gaining of knowledge, the sustainable benefit of mankind, and the protection of the environment and pursue peaceful purposes exclusively."

In addition, the Principle of Action also requires KIT members:

"to minimize... the risk of misuse by an adequate selection of our... cooperation partners ..."

and

"...to ultimately abstain from research activities that are associated with risks that cannot be restricted."

It is our view, that through maintaining close academic ties with Israeli institutions known to be complicit in supporting the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the destruction of Gaza, KIT is not acting in accordance with its own ethical principles. Academic institutions have the responsibility to uphold universal principles of human rights and international law. They should therefore not maintain or initiate academic relations with universities or other institutions that knowingly and verifiably contribute to or facilitate gross human rights violations. Extensive evidence provided by scholars and institutions like the United Nations suggest that cooperation agreements with Israeli universities violate these principles based on their complicity in Israel’s ongoing and decades long record of violation of human rights of the Palestinian people.

We are a collective of staff members at KIT that demand KIT commit to uphold human rights and international law.

Please support our open letter by adding your signature via this form (anonymous signatures are possible): https://my.liberaforms.org/kit-initiative-for-ethical-academic-ties