The Lauder Business School in Vienna, Austria, has severed ties with Harvard University “in solidarity with the Jewish student community,” CNN reported on Wednesday, citing a statement from the institution.
“Since 2014, Lauder Business School has proudly been an affiliate of Professor Michael Porter’s Microeconomics of Competitiveness Network at Harvard University, and we have valued and enjoyed the productivity of this cooperation over the years,” said Daniella Sheinfeld, head of communications for Lauder Business School, in a statement. “However, due to recent events, Lauder Business School has decided to withdraw from this network.”
Lauder Business School, founded by billionaire Ronald Lauder, incorporates Judaism into its curriculum, according to its website, saying it wants to offer its Jewish students a place for spiritual development.
Its announcement comes as Harvard grapples with the backlash over its response to rising antisemitism on campus.
Harvard President Claudine Gay, alongside University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and MIT President Sally Kornbluth, recently came under fire over controversial testimony during a contentious House hearing on campus antisemitism.
The university presidents danced around a question from Rep. Elise Stefanik on whether calls for the genocide of Jews violate university policies.
Magill resigned following the backlash over the comments, while Gay has apologized for the remarks, telling The Harvard Crimson in an interview, “I am sorry. Words matter.”
Despite continued calls for Gay to be dismissed, even after her apology, Harvard recently reaffirmed its support for Gay's continued leadership of the university.
Earlier this week, Jewish-American billionaire Len Blavatnik withdrew his support for Harvard.