A Columbia Trustee’s View: Higher education is at a crossroads. Let’s choose builders over destroyers
In every generation, societies face a defining choice: build or destroy.
Higher education is at a crossroads. As a scientist and a trustee of Columbia University, I have witnessed firsthand how an institution once hailed as a pillar of intellectual progress can be threatened not only by enemies from without, but also by an ideology from within—one that celebrates chaos over creation, grievance over growth, and destruction over discourse.
The majority of my family left Iran during the revolution (I am a Persian Jew) in the face of violence, extremism, oppression and destruction. My family chose to emigrate to the United States because it is a nation of hope, freedom and opportunity. Through education, dedication and hard work, we have been able to achieve the “American dream” – we are doctors, nurses, scientists, engineers, mothers, fathers – all productive, contributing members of society, engaged in our communities.
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I earned my doctorate at Columbia. It shaped the trajectory of my life, opened doors to scientific discovery, and inspired me to found a biotech company dedicated to advancing treatments for patients with rare diseases. That experience—of curiosity, exploration, and relentless innovation—was derived directly from the principles of academic freedom and leadership at Columbia University.
However, in the spring of 2024, my home was filled with students (my children and many of their classmates) who no longer felt safe on Columbia’s campus. Their fears didn’t stem from intellectual challenge or debate—it stemmed from intimidation. Protesters, many masked, others emboldened by institutional tolerance, took control of the physical environment of the university. They shut down classrooms, buildings and libraries.
Recently, Columbia released a report on antisemitism and campus climate, demonstrating that this chaos and destruction led students of both Jewish (87%) and Muslim (83%) backgrounds feel concerned about expressing their beliefs, and made the majority of students of both religions feel unsafe.
After voicing my concerns regarding antisemitism on campus, I became a target of certain media voices determined to erase decades of my work, service, and scholarship with a few calculated, malevolent strokes of a pen.
What these critics don’t understand is this: it’s easy to destroy, but we are a nation of builders. Among my proudest accomplishments are creating a company, advancing research, discovering new medicines—that’s what it means to build. Builders focus on innovation, problem-solving, and positive change, while destroyers are characterized by negativity and disruption, and strive to tear down existing systems. It takes passion, creativity, and courage to put yourself on the front line – to create and share something with the world.
That’s why I wanted to give back to my alma mater, which has given so much to me. The past few years, I’ve seen how easy it is to destroy an institution, a reputation or a life’s work. It’s even easier to do this from behind a computer, or behind a mask, where one doesn’t need to take personal accountability for what they’ve done. It’s important to recognize that while this destruction attracts attention, it’s transient; positive change has long-lasting effects. My life’s work has taught me that creating is typically hard, unglamorous work. It does not make headlines. It does not go viral. It is not done from behind a mask or in the shadows of TikTok. It requires dedication, rigor, compassion, and commitment.
Columbia University has consistently served as a hub for innovators. It has educated statesmen, Nobel laureates, and medical pioneers. Its laboratories have produced cancer therapies and climate models. Its classrooms have cultivated intellectuals who shaped economies and peace treaties.
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The real Columbia—my Columbia—is a monument of advancement shaped by generations of human endeavor. Monuments, however, can be vandalized and dismantled. And these ongoing campaigns have not been acts of civil dialogue; they have been acts of desecration. Of blaming rather than solving. Of tearing apart instead of sewing together. The world is full of destroyers. Their work is quick, loud, and rarely lasting. But it is the builders – the creators – who carry humanity forward.
This transcends Columbia University. It is about a moral choice that confronts our nation—especially those endowed with the power to shape America’s institutions. Do we elevate or dismantle? Do we empower students to think critically, find the truth, and then grow, or do we permit this new form of campus intimidation to silence those with opposing views and destroy educational opportunities for an entire generation?
As parents, we can start our education of the next generation in our homes. We can teach our children to contribute positively to the world – to help build up our society, rather than destroy. This education must continue at our nation’s top institutions, where our youngest leaders learn to grow through diversity of opinion. We must ensure adherence to nonviolent free speech, non-intimidation, willingness to hear ideas that are different to one’s own and to learn with an open mind.
Our educational institutions should reflect the hope, freedom and opportunity that our nation offers to all of us. Let’s rebuild institutions like Columbia together to ensure that hatred and chaos do not dominate, and everyone feels included and respected. This is our generation’s moment to lead. Building necessitates bravery, and in turn our courage will spread across America. Let’s build again.
