Who are we?

We are a network of students and employees from the Technical University of Denmark advocating for the liberation of Palestine. As academics we believe that one of the ways we can exert pressure on the Israeli state is through the establishment of an academic boycott, particularly because of the key role that Israeli universities play within the security state. Through the course of our investigations we have uncovered the links that DTU has with Israeli universities as well as private firms which are involved in the occupation. These are in the form of direct collaborations, student and personnel exchanges, and investments. 

We aim to create awareness of these ties and hold DTU accountable for its involvement in the genocide of the Palestinian people committed by the Israeli government. Ultimately our goal is to convince DTU to institute an academic boycott and establish clear ethical policies on collaborations and investments which apply not just to this conflict, but uphold human rights concerns broadly. 

demands

We call on DTU to:

• Conduct a legal review of all current collaborations for ties to war crimes and violations of international law and end any such partnerships.

• Establish a due diligence committee and create strict and systematic procedures for vetting future collaborations, particularly for military-civil fusion or dual-use technologies.

• Implement an ethical investment policy with clear exclusion guidelines and regularly audit and monitor all investments for compliance with human rights.

• Frequently publish their full investment portfolios for transparency.

• Share knowledge about unethical entities across institutions to foster collective accountability.

• Provide support to Palestinian students that are currently on campus in the form of psychological and academic services. 

• Considering the scholasticide in Palestine where there are no universities left, DTU should offer Palestinian students and academics opportunities to continue their work here in Denmark.

Summary of Findings

• More than 638 research papers have been published by DTU researchers and Israeli counterparts between 1975 and 2024

While most topics are benign, several papers have been found regarding surveillance technology, including the development of camera components and image processing algorithms

• 53 institutional collaborations were identified between DTU and Israeli entities

Most of these were funded by the European Union, as direct projects between universities are often not openly published

The most serious of these collaborations was with a company developing automated construction techniques which is partnered with a larger Israeli construction firm known to build illegal settlements and checkpoints in the occupied West Bank

Other projects with Israeli firms developing cybersecurity tools have also been identified

• DTU regularly works with Danish firms Terma and MyDefence which are known to export critical parts for the F-35 fighter jet and counter drone solutions respectively to the Israeli military

• In 2024 alone DTU invested more than 20 million DKK in companies directly involved in the occupation according to the U.N. Blacklist and AFSC database