"it is a shame that MIT is a part of it.”
A US Indian student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) used her graduation speech to call out the university’s apparent links to Israel and call for an end to the war in Gaza.
Megha Vemuri, president of MIT’s Class of 2025, addressed students, staff and families at the university’s commencement ceremony wearing a red keffiyeh, a scarf symbolising Palestinian solidarity.
She said: “You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine.”
Her comments come amid growing student protests across the US over university ties to companies or groups linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Megha condemned MIT’s relationship with the Israeli military, calling it a major ethical failing:
“The Israeli occupation forces are the only foreign military that MIT has research ties with; this means that Israel’s assault on the Palestinian people is not only aided and abetted by our country, but our school.”
She also praised students who have protested in solidarity with Palestinians despite facing disciplinary threats from the university.
“Last spring, MIT’s undergraduate body and Graduate Student Union voted overwhelmingly to cut ties with the genocidal Israeli military.
“You called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and you stood in solidarity with the pro-Palestine activists on campus.”
Megha accused university officials of attempting to silence student activism.
She said: “You stood your ground despite the threat, intimidation, and suppression coming from all directions, especially your university officials.”
Comparing her fellow graduates’ future prospects with those of students in Gaza, she continued:
“While we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza.
“We are watching Israel try to wipe Palestine off the face of the earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it.”
She requested classmates to turn their class rings outward, a graduation tradition symbolising the move into the world beyond MIT.
“As scientists, engineers, academics, and leaders, we have a commitment to support life, support aid efforts, call for an arms embargo, and keep demanding now, as alumni, that MIT cuts the ties.”
MIT’s class president, Megha Vemuri, spent her graduation speech bashing Israel.
Then President Sally Kornbluth spoke immediately after and oh boy was that awkward. pic.twitter.com/PjsBNEQxmy
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) May 29, 2025
Megha concluded with a stark message:
“We carry with us the obligation to do everything we can to stop it.”
On social media, many criticised the student’s actions, with some claiming her speech would negatively affect her job prospects.
One person wrote: “Looks like she may regret this when she goes for job interviews.
“Remember the name, Megha Vemuri, a bad decision in college, could make you unemployable.
“Is it really worth the 5 minutes of fame to destroy a career? I truly wish they would take a big world view, no resume could make up for this.”
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