Maltese academic Professor Michelle Pace has spoken publicly about her departure from Roskilde University (RUC) in Denmark, alleging that her dismissal was connected to her outspoken positions on Palestine, migration and academic freedom – a claim the university has rejected.
Prof. Pace, an internationally recognised scholar specialising in EU-Middle East relations, migration, conflict and democracy, had worked at RUC for 12 years before being dismissed by the institution in December 2025.
Her case was detailed in an extensive investigation published by Danish newspaper Politiken on 4th October 2026.
According to the report, Prof. Pace was informed in December 2025 that the university intended to terminate her employment over alleged cooperation difficulties and what RUC described as “unacceptable behaviour” towards colleagues.
Prof. Pace disputes the allegations, describing them as “false and fabricated” and arguing that the underlying issue was her public engagement on politically sensitive subjects, particularly the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The revelation comes amidst a rightward shift in Danish politics. In the lead-up to Prof. Pace's termination, Roskilde University had come under attack by leading politicians, with Politiken reporting that employees had become afraid to talk about the conflict between Israel and Palestine, "closing doors when they talk to each other and whispering in the canteen."
The academic had been involved in efforts to communicate with pro-Palestinian student protesters at RUC following demonstrations in 2024. The Politiken investigation also details disagreements surrounding events and activities related to Gaza on campus.
Prof. Pace acknowledged making one mistake in November 2025, when she circulated an invitation through the university's internal platform which incorrectly suggested that RUC itself was organising an event on Israeli society and Palestine solidarity. She said the error was unintentional and was corrected after being raised by management
Roskilde University strongly denied that her political views or public statements were behind her departure.
In a written response reported by Politiken, RUC Deputy Director of HR Miriam Skjalm Lissner said the university had experienced a prolonged pattern of unacceptable behaviour and cooperation problems involving Prof. Pace.
She said these issues were not resolved despite repeated meetings and organisational measures, leading the university to enter into a severance agreement with Prof. Pace and her professional organisation. RUC maintains that the agreement was voluntary.
Prof. Pace ultimately accepted a severance package which included an additional five months' salary on top of her six-month notice period.
The handling of the case has also been criticised by employment lawyer Michael Møller Nielsen, who, according to Politiken, described the termination process as poorly handled and questioned whether Prof. Pace had been afforded adequate procedural protections.
Prof. Pace said she has chosen to speak publicly not because she wants to return to RUC, but because she believes the case raises wider questions about academic freedom.
The Maltese academic has more than 27 years of experience across research, higher education and policy engagement, with work spanning conflict, migration, democracy, governance and EU-Middle East relations. Her affiliations have included Chatham House, the University of Oxford's Refugee Studies Centre, King's College London and Lund University. She is also a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Malta.
