Minister of Research and Higher Education, Tora Aasland goes against the proposal for an academic boycott for Israel, which will be voted in the Norwegian Science and Technology University

- There is no Norwegian policy to boycott Israel or other countries' institutions for that matter - either culturally or academically. The Government believes that the boycott is not an instrument that matches the characteristic of the academic culture: free research-based exchange - regardless of who performs it. To adopt a boycott would also break with the statutory principles of academic freedom. said Aasland in a response to the university's manner.

Our universities and colleges are to promote academic freedom by following recognized ethical and scientific principles of openness. The employees themselves have a statutory right to choose their professional contacts as well as topics and methods for their research. That some scientists choose not to have contact with individual countries, institutions or communities, institutions should not be their concerns. The board at the institution may not impose on scientists not to cooperate with researchers from Israel or other countries.

In the previous days, Tora Aasland had been critized as she kept passive in deployment of an Iranian student by Norway with fear of that he may contribute to the nuclear technology of Iran in the future.