Shafik resigned from Columbia University after a year as president, follwing intense scrutiny over her perceived mishandling of pro-Palestinian campus protests and accusations of campus antisemitism
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday appointed economist and former Columbia University president Minouche Shafik as his chief economic adviser. Shafik previously served a brief, tempestuous term as Columbia president, resigning in August last year amid persistent and disruptive protests over Israel's war in Gaza.
Shafik, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, has held senior academic and civil service roles in Britain, before becoming the president of Columbia University.
Columbia's upper Manhattan campus was at the center of the protest movement war that swept college campuses nationwide, with thousands arrested and end-of-year graduation ceremonies disrupted. In her resignation statement, she acknowledged those protests factored into her decision.
Shafik's leadership faced intense scrutiny, with increasing demands for her resignation, particularly in light of her perceived mishandling of these campus protests.
