No Association with Genocide!

In September 2025, the Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland received a members’ initiative demanding support of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movements. Part of PACBI is the demand for an academic boycott of Israeli institutions.  

The Academic Boycott is strongly in line with the university’s strategy, values and the code of conduct.  

The basis for the official strategy of the University of Eastern Finland (Strategy 2030) are international challenges, through which the creation of a responsible and sustainable future happens. According to the strategy, UEF is brave, open and responsible, guided by the principles of ethics and the objectives of sustainable development.  

The code of conduct defines the ethical principles as well as the university’s responsibility in upholding them. It acknowledges that, as a university “we bear social responsibility both regionally and globally”, and states that UEF’s partners must commit themselves to human rights, act in accordance with legislation and follow the code of conduct in order for the cooperation to continue. Furthermore, researchers are required to estimate their partners actions and refrain from collaboration if they do not fulfill the necessary ethical and responsibility standards.  

ISYY and The University of Eastern Finland have stated that their organisations support the objectives of sustainable development, and that they strive to function ethically. Responsibility and ethical conduct include social responsibility, of which human rights are an integral part. UEF’s Action Programme for Sustainable Development and Responsibility 2022-2025 identifies eight designated profile areas of the UN Agenda 2030 goals one of them being Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutionswith a sub-goal 16.1 which aims to Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.  

The University of Eastern Finland and ISYY contribute to the constant human rights violations happening in Palestine as long as they choose to collaborate with Israeli institutions in any shape or form. Abstaining from the boycott can be seen as going against parts of the code of conduct and as a failure to follow their own strategy and values.

Therefore, sign the election pledge!

If I am elected to the Representative Council,

I will commit to promoting the goals of the PACBI and BDS movements regarding the severing of ties with Israel by:

1. Advocating for ISYY to publicly declare its support for the PACBI and BDS movements, and to commit to its demands of academic boycott of Israeli institutions and not buying products from companies or services on the boycott list.
2. Ensuring that the ISYY Board regularly and consistently lobbies the leadership of University of Eastern Finland to join the academic boycott of Israeli universities.
3. Ensuring that ISYY includes information on academic boycott and the PACBI demands in the training materials and sessions for student representatives, and teaches them how to advocate for the boycott in university decision making bodies.

Signatories

• 38 – Kaapo Asuma
• 42 – Minerva Leinonen
• 43 – Salla Näivä 
• 44 – Jasmin Närhi

• 108 – Nea Hurskainen
• 109 – Mari Kerkkä
• 112 – Inkeri Kourujärvi
• 114 – Jaana Sivula
• 115 – Niko Surakka
• 116 – Eeva Ylikoski

• 120 – Aino Aromaa 
• 121 – Samu Hallivuo
• 122 – Roni Heiskanen
• 123 – Idamaria Herranen
• 125 – Ruska Itkonen
• 126 – Silja Järvinen
• 129 – Maija Kuivalainen 
• 132 – Oili Puttonen
• 133 – Silja Sillanpää 
• 134 – Eero Terävä
• 135 – Kalle Tiirismaa
• 136 – Ville-Pekka Timonen
• 137 – Julia Toivanen