… KU is run like a corporation?
Although students and staff are the heart of KU, we have no say in how it is run or organized. Our rector is appointed by, and answers to, a Board which includes politicians, career board members, CEOs, none of whom have any connection to daily life of KU. These external Board members form a majority (6 external members out of 11 total) and are not elected by those who make up the university [source].
… KU uses violence against students?
KU management has recently called police armed with assault rifles and attack dogs on pro-Palestine students exercising their right to freedom of speech and assembly. These students have been threatened with expulsion to serve as an example and to suppress further dissent. This recent violent escalation included the arrest of Greta Thunberg, even as KU uses the imagery of “Fridays for Future” in its advertisements for sustainability programs [source].
… KU has profited from unlawful investments?
Until recently, KU has been profiting from investments in UN-blacklisted companies operating in illegally occupied Palestine [source]. The absence of any transparency in investment reporting makes it difficult to determine what other illegal activities the university may be profiting from. Furthermore, KU outsources investment decisions to third parties such as Nordea and Nykredit, despite the fact that the chair of the KU Board is also a member of the Nykredit board [source].
… KU is not standing up to climate collapse?
According to a recent survey by Dansk Ungdoms Fællesråd, 48% of people between 16 and 25 years old consider issues associated with climate collapse to be the most important political topic [source]. Yet, in its strategic plan for the next decade, KU has not committed to sustainability as a core strategic ambition [source], nor has it implemented any of the sustainability policies that civil society groups, including Den Grønne Ungdomsbevægelse, have recommended to the KU Board [source].
… KU engages in unethical exchange programs?
KU has a special academic exchange agreement with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which – through its Mount Scopus campus – is illegally occupying Palestinian land against international law [source], and has been documented to be a necessary and active component of the Israeli apartheid regime by providing military, academic, and legal support [source].
… KU hosts a NATO-funded military research center?
A university should be dedicated to creating and sharing knowledge for the benefit of society, not to boost war capacity. Yet, KU hosts a NATO-funded military research center (NATO DIANA Quantum Centre) which benefits organizations and companies focused on military intelligence and weapons research, instead of transparent research for the well-being of all [source].
If you’d like to help us spread the word about the #WeAreKU initiative with the KU community, please feel free to display our “Did you know…?” poster in your workplace or study environment. Thank you!
(Best printed on an A4 page.)