New YORK: The president of New York’s renowned Columbia University, Nemat ‘Minouche’ Shafik, resigned on Wednesday, effective immediately, following persistent criticism of her handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.
In a letter to the university community, Shafik said the Ivy League school had made “progress in a number of important areas” during her one-year term at the school, but “this period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community.” Shafik wrote that she decided to resign after thinking about the situation over the summer.
Katrina Armstrong, the chief executive of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, replaced Shafik as interim president, the university’s board of trustees announced. There had been massive pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University in the spring. There was a protest camp on campus, and a building was also temporarily occupied and damaged. (DPA)
