Haridev Joshi University suspends MoU with Turkish University as India-Türkiye tensions rise

In a dramatic diplomatic move against growing geopolitical tensions, Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication (HJU) - a government-sponsored journalism university in Rajasthan - has temporarily suspended its academic tie with Turkey's Afyon Kotechnology University. This comes on the heels of Türkiye's strong support for Pakistan in recent Indo-Pak showdowns, during which some Indian universities had proclaimed a collective boycott of Turkish universities.

The June 22, 2024 memorandum of understanding (MoU) was centered on academic collaboration and institutional engagement. HJU Vice Chancellor Prof. Sudhi Rajeev explained unilaterally putting the agreement on hold in the national interest.

Recollecting the pro-Pakistan and anti-Indian policy of Türkiye and open support to Pakistan, we have formally written to the suspension of our MoU with Afyon Kocatepe University, said Prof. Rajeev. "It has been done in the spirit of national sovereignty and security. The MoU will automatically lapse after three months unless it is renewed.".

This move by HJU is part of a comprehensive Indian academic movement, with the majority of universities now starting to disaffiliate from Turkish universities. The boycott is based on Türkiye's alignment with Pakistan and alleged interference in internal affairs when it comes to Indian domestic security matters of local concern.

This action is a dramatic departure from Indian academic diplomacy, indicating how global political interests are finding their way to influence knowledge exchange programs and institutional linkages. Whereas such MoUs have so far enabled international academic interaction, the recent episodes alert us to the fragility of geopolitical compulsions to upset these collaborations.

With school institutions increasingly focused on national interest in forming alliances across the world, suspension of the HJU-Türkiye MoU is one step in the direction of a world in which education will be more intertwined with diplomacy than ever.