Margo Harkin refuses honorary doctorate from the University Of Galway over Israeli ties

Derry-born filmmaker Margo Harkin has reportedly refused to accept an honorary doctorate presented to her by the University Of Galway due to the universities ties with the Israeli institution Technion.

Technion is based in Haifa, Israel and allegedly has ties to defense contractor Elbit Systems, which provides drones and weaponry vehicles to the IDF.

Harkin is best known for the documentary Bloody Sunday: A Derry Diary. Her most recent piece of work was the 2023 documentary Stolen, which explored the testimonies of survivors of the Mother and Baby homes across Ireland - most notably the scandal of the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home which operated in Tuam, Galway until 1961. The University Of Galway provided academic resources for the film.

The filmmaker was set to be honoured at a conferring ceremony tomorrow, recognising her for her decades long career in film and documentary, with a particular focus in socio-political history. In a statement made to the Irish Independent, Harkin announced she would not be accepting the honorary doctorate, as a form of solidarity with students currently protesting the University's association with the Israeli institution Technion.

In early 2025, the University of Galway and Technion began working on ASTERISK, a project which researches how to secure sustainable green hydrogen from seawater. University of Galway was previously named the number one university in Ireland for sustainability and have a plan to reach net-zero emmisions by 2050.

Students protesting the University Of Galway's ties to Technion. Photo credit: Fionn O'Connor.

Student activists have engaged in many demonstrations led by the university's Palestine Solidarity Society over the last few months, as well as several community protests with marches through the city. Members of the society also took it upon themselves to close off campus vending machines, as the BDS movement calls for a boycott on all Coca Cola products.

"Margo Harkin has highlighted the hypocrisy," says Palestine Solidarity Society secretary Simone Leonard. "The university is undermining much of its own work concerning human rights education, as well its commitment to sustainability. She does not stand alone in revoking ties - shortly before her death, Margaretta D'Arcy also handed in her honorary doctorate to university President David J. Burn himself."

Late anti-war activist Margaretta D'Arcy was based in Galway for most of her life and was presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Galway in 2022. In October, she relinquished the award, along with her ceremonial garments from the conferring ceremony and the scroll.

“They should break the contract because Technion is crucial to the infrastructure, security, and economy of Israel," D'Arcy said to the Connact Tribune. “We do not support the infrastructure security which is necessary to commit genocide in Gaza."

Margaretta D'Arcy in 2025. Photo: Ger Holland

Professor John McHugh, who served as the university's interim president from September 2024 until September 2025, released a statement to students at the start of this academic year stating the university could not back out of the project due to contractual obligations which require the University Of Galway remain involved until 2027.

In the statement, McHugh also announced that the university would "not participate in any new institutional research agreements involving direct Israeli partners until further notice".

University Of Galway Palestine Solidarity Society leading a protest. Photo credit: Fionn O'Connor.