Faculty and student protesters hope for a new approach after the president of the US university steps down — but fear more of the same.
It was an abrupt departure for one of the Ivy League’s most embattled leaders: On Wednesday evening, Columbia University President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik announced she would resign, effective immediately.
The news was greeted with relief — and healthy dose of wariness — among student protesters, who believe Shafik’s brief tenure at the New York-based university will be defined by her harsh crackdown on anti-war demonstrations.
The departure prompted an array of emotions for 22-year-old Maryam Alwan. Among them, feeling “personally vindicated”.
Alwan had been among the students leading the protests last spring, as Israel’s war in Gaza caused the Palestinian death toll to surge.
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