Federico II University of Naples: A Beacon of Academic Collaboration and Open Dialogue

“The Federico II of Naples has been collaborating for many years with Israeli and Palestinian universities. We do this in a logic of full openness of the universities, confirmed today also by Minister Bernini in the meeting with Crui, where he spoke about the necessary collaboration and sharing of the principle of non-intolerance in universities,” said the rector of the Federico II of Naples, Matteo Lorito, specifying that on March 4th the university signed a cooperation agreement with the Al-Quds University of Jerusalem for cooperation in the fields of teaching, scientific research, and training. “We have been collaborating for 15 years - Lorito explains - with various Palestinian and Israeli universities, from the universities of Nablus in Palestine and now this in Jerusalem, but we also have long-standing relationships with important Israeli universities such as the Technion, the Israeli Institute of Technology, and the Weizmann Institute of Science. We do not collaborate with the States, but directly with the universities, knowing that in the faculties there is discussion, dialogue but also dissent. All this, however, means leaving the doors open to debate. This position is also shared by Crui and Minister Bernini, who spoke of collaboration and sharing and the principle of non-intolerance. Today I consider this a very important meeting point,” Lorito said. Lorito said that “the full freedom of the universities means openness to all without militarization, nor law enforcement, but in universities, there must also be rules for open debate. I know that young people are strongly motivated from a political and emotional point of view on such a hard conflict, it is natural, because the university is the mirror of society.” “In universities, everyone can express their own opinions but you cannot tell someone you cannot come in to talk,” the rector continued. “We all see what happens in Gaza and we are shocked, but we cannot accuse those who come to have a debate. There can be no preclusions, it is unacceptable. We will have a meeting for all those kids who have waited in vain.”