20 May 2005

 

To: Members of the Association of University Teachers
London, United Kingdom
 

 

There is nothing more intrinsic to the academic spirit than the free exchange of ideas. This
fundamental enables us to share our views, advance our thinking, challenge our premises and bridge our disagreements. In this aspect, academic freedom has never been the private
property of a few and must not be manipulated by them. Therefore, mixing science with
politics, and limiting academic freedom by boycotts is essentially wrong and should be strongly and promptly rejected.
 

 

We, scholars from various disciplines, who have devoted our academic lives to the
advancement of human kind, would like to express our unequivocal support for the separation of science from politics. The Nobel Prize we were honoured to receive was granted without the slightest consideration of nationality, ethnicity, religion or gender. No other alternative is viable or desirable in the future and any deviation from this principle in academic life should not be allowed.

Supporting a boycott against academic institutions will undermine rather then nurture these
principles, and is therefore dangerous. It is our hope that academic reasoning will overcome
political rhetoric.

Yours sincerely,
 

 

Professor Richard Axel
Developmental Biologist, Columbia University
Nobel Prize in Physiology, 2004
 

 

Professor Günter Blobel
Cell Biologist, Rockefeller University
Nobel Prize in Physiology, 1999
 

 

Professor Aaron Ciechanover
Biochemist, Technion, Haifa
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2004
 

 

Professor Johann Deisenhofer
Structural Biologist, University of Texas
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1988
 

 

Professor David Gross
Physicist, University of California
Nobel Prize in Physics, 2004
 

 

Dr. Tim Hunt
Biochemist, Imperial Cancer Research Fund
Nobel Prize in Medicine, 2001
 

 

Professor Dudley Herschbach
Chemist, Harvard University
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1986
 

 

Professor Avram Hershko
Biochemist, Technion, Haifa
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2004
 

 

Professor Gerarad ‘t Hooft
Physicist, Utrecht University
Nobel Prize in Physics, 1999
 

 

Professor Daniel Kahneman
Psychologist, Princeton University
Nobel Prize in Economics, 2002
 

 

Professor Ewric Kandel
Neurobiologist, Columbia University
Nobel Prize in Physiology, 2000
 

 

Professor Aaron Klug
Chemist, Cambridge University
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1982
 

 

Professor Walter Kohn
Physicist, University of California
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1998
 

 

Professor Jean-Marie Lehn
Chemist, College de France
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1987
 

 

Professor Erwin Neher
Neurobiologist, Max-Planck Institute
Nobel Prize in Physiology, 1991
 

 

Professor Stanley Prusiner
Neurobiologist, University of California
Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1997
 

 

Professor Steven Weinberg
Physicist, University of Texas
Nobel Prize in Physics, 1979
 

 

Professor Frank Wilczek
Physicist, MIT
Nobel prize in Physics, 2004
 

 

Shimon Peres
Nobel Peace Prize, 1994
 

Professor Ellie Wiesel
Nobel Peace Prize, 1986
 

 

Betty Williams
Nobel Peace Prize 1976