Former president Michael D Higgins has said he is “deeply distressed” over the University of Galway’s participation in a research project with ties to defence contractors involved in the attacks in Palestine.
He strongly criticised the University of Galway for its collaboration with an Israeli university that allegedly maintains close ties to defence contractors contributing to the ongoing genocide.
The University of Galway and the Israel-based university Technion have collaborated on the ASTERISK research project - which receives funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe programme- since early 2025.
Speaking at the “Without Values, None of it Matters” event in Trinity College Dublin, the former president condemned his former workplace and expressed his support for cutting off ties with Technion.
“I very much understand and support those who have objected to the Technion connection,” Mr Higgins said.
“I was deeply distressed by Galway University’s excuse being based on an economic contractual problem rather than the big issue of participation in the EU’s Horizon programme by [Technion].”
