AIU Urges Universities To End Ties With Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey Over Geopolitical Tensions

Last Updated:May 24, 2025, 10:03 IST

The Association of Indian Universities has called on vice-chancellors to sever academic ties with institutions in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Turkey due to geopolitical tensions.

The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has written to all vice-chancellors across the country, urging them to terminate academic collaborations with institutions in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Turkey. The directive was issued through an official letter dated May 15, 2025, as per ANI report.

Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General of AIU, stated that the appeal was made in response to ongoing geopolitical tensions. “Our Armed Forces are fighting on the borders. We academicians also need to fight at the universities,” Mittal told ANI.

“Certain countries like Bangladesh and Turkey have supported Pakistan. So we wrote a letter on May 15 to all universities and appealed to them to cancel all the MoUs they have with Bangladesh and Pakistan. There is no point in having academic ties with enemy countries,” she further added.

According to AIU, several universities have already responded to the appeal by cancelling Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the mentioned countries.

The AIU’s advisory follows a series of recent moves by top Indian institutions to sever academic ties with Turkish universities in response to Turkey’s open support for Pakistan amid escalating tensions with India.

Last week, IIT Bombay suspended all partnerships with Turkish institutions. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) also suspended its MoU with Turkey’s Inonu University, while Jamia Millia Islamia has halted all academic collaboration with Turkish universities, citing national security concerns. IIT Roorkee, too, officially withdrew from its MoU with Inonu University.

The move has sparked debate in academic circles, with some supporting the decision as a patriotic stance, while others express concern over the implications for research, academic freedom, and international collaboration.

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