In reference to the article “Who holds whom to account when harm is done? Funder accountability and responsibility within the education in emergencies community” published in July 2023, Teachers College, Columbia University states that it was published without Teachers College, Columbia University prior knowledge. The views expressed in the article are those of the authors themselves and do not reflect the views of Teachers College, Columbia University.

For more context, Teachers College, Columbia University and Dubai Cares entered into a Research Agreement dated 15 August 2020. Under this Agreement, Dubai Cares partnered with Teachers College, Columbia University to conduct a research study titled “Education for Transitional Justice, Reconciliation, and Peacebuilding: The Case of Columbia”. Faculty at Teachers College, Columbia University would conduct the study, while Dubai Cares would provide the necessary funding for the research.

The study, funded for 42 months (about 3 and a half years) proceeded smoothly without any incident until October 2022. On October 10^th, 2022, Dubai Cares notified Teachers College that it was making the difficult decision to terminate the Research Agreement. This decision was driven by several factors, including the fact that many of Dubai Cares' donors had put on hold their funding decisions due to multiple global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the War in Ukraine, rising oil prices, and global inflation.

Dubai Cares conveyed to Teachers College, Columbia University that this decision was in no way a reflection of a lack of faith in the quality and importance of this research, nor in the critical importance of strengthening evidence for Education in Emergencies.

At the time Teachers College, Columbia University was notified about the termination of funding, the research study was still in the data collection phase. While we were regretful about the termination of the Research Agreement, we highly appreciate Dubai Cares' contributions to advancing the study of this crucial issue.  Following the termination of the Research Agreement, Dubai Cares has agreed to compensate Teachers College, Columbia University under the Research Agreement to cover all costs incurred up to the termination date.