Shafik has drawn criticism for his handling of anti-Gaza war protests that rocked the university campus earlier this year.
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has announced her resignation after a tumultuous year marked by tensions with staff and students over her handling of campus protests against the Gaza war.
The university announced his departure in a statement on its website on Wednesday.
“This period has had a considerable impact on my family, as well as others in our community,” Shafik wrote in a letter to the university’s staff and students. “It has also been a period of upheaval in which it has been difficult to overcome divergent opinions in our community.”
David Greenberg and Claire Shipman, co-chairs of the university's Board of Trustees, said they understood and respected the decision.
Protests against the Gaza war began on Columbia's New York City campus in April, inspiring similar encampments at other institutions in the United States and beyond.
As the protests gained momentum, Shafik was summoned before a congressional committee over allegations that the university had failed to protect students and staff from rising anti-Semitism.
The next day, he allowed New York City police onto campus to disperse the protests, and about 100 people were arrested, sparking outrage among protesters and some academics and calls for his resignation. Tensions escalated further in late April, when police again returned to campus, arrested about 300 people and dismantled the encampment.
“Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my departure at this time will better enable Columbia to meet the challenges ahead,” Shafik said. “I am making this announcement now so that new leadership can be in place before the new term begins.”
Shafik's resignation was welcomed by some of the protesters, as well as by those who had accused her of allowing anti-Semitism to flourish.
Trustees said Katrina Armstrong will take over as interim president of Columbia. She is currently the chief executive of Columbia University's Irving Medical Center.
The new academic year will begin on September 3.
Nearly 40,000 people have been killed since Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7 last year. At least 1,139 people were killed in that attack and some 240 were captured.
The war in Gaza has reduced much of the Palestinian territory to rubble and displaced most of its residents.
South Africa has accused Israel of genocide in a case now being investigated by the International Court of Justice.
