Shortly after his election to the New York State Assembly in 2021, newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed his intention to reassess the partnership between Cornell University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology at Cornell Tech, located on Roosevelt Island. Mamdani had previously called for a boycott of this joint campus, which was supported by a significant $100 million investment from the New York City Council to enhance the city’s technology sector.
A spokesperson for Mamdani highlighted concerns regarding the Technion’s association with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), indicating that if he were elected mayor, he would seek to evaluate the continuance of funding and collaboration with the Technion. As mayor, Mamdani would have the authority to appoint board members to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, potentially influencing decisions regarding the partnership.
In response to the election results, the Technion issued a statement emphasizing their ongoing “strong partnership” with Cornell University. They expressed optimism about continuing fruitful collaboration with New York City’s government institutions, maintaining that the alliance has been beneficial for both entities.
The Cornell Tech campus was inaugurated in 2017, during the governorship of Andrew Cuomo and the mayoralty of Bill de Blasio, as an initiative that emerged during Michael Bloomberg’s administration. The approach included a competition inviting top universities globally, ultimately resulting in the partnership between Cornell and the Technion.
Since its inception, the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute has made significant contributions to New York’s economy and technology sector. The institute’s entrepreneurship program, the Runway Postdoc Startup Program, has successfully launched over 130 knowledge-intensive startups, with the majority—approximately 84%—based in New York, thereby creating jobs and enhancing the local tech ecosystem.
The enduring collaboration highlights the potential of strong university networks to foster not just academic excellence, but also to act as substantial economic drivers. The partnership represents a commitment to bridging academia and industry, contributing to a robust and innovative environment for technology development within the city.