Helping to reconstruct Palestinian HE could bring new ideas to 바카라사이트 West

Since October 7 last year, all Gaza¡¯s universities have been destroyed. Half a century of institutional development has been obliterated by a combination of ferocious Israeli bombardment and, according to on genocide published last week, controlled demolition.

Most Palestinian universities were established in 바카라사이트 1970s and early 1980s. They carried 바카라사이트 promise of modernising Palestinian society and forming part of 바카라사이트 foundations of 바카라사이트 hoped-for Palestinian state. Their achievement is to have come into existence as a vital expression of Palestinian resistance, national values and aspirations.

Palestinians are among 바카라사이트 most well-educated of Arab populations and have had very high expectations for 바카라사이트 education of 바카라사이트 young. A university education is highly valued, and enrolment rates in Palestinian universities demonstrate this, especially for women.

Five Palestinian universities were among 바카라사이트 top 30 Arab universities in 온라인 바카라¡¯s World University Rankings of 2011 and remained so until 2023. Birzeit, An-Najah, Al Quds and 바카라사이트 Islamic University of Gaza stand out. They have played an important role in educating a wide range of specialist graduates, in building collaborative scientific links with universities abroad, and in nurturing 바카라사이트 cultural achievements and identity of Palestinian society.

They have done that despite many roadblocks, literal and metaphorical. Over many years, and especially since 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 Israeli occupation in 1967, Palestinian universities have been subjected to Israel military control and incursions. Closures, arrests and administrative detentions of staff and students during demonstrations have been regular events, as have orders banning overseas academic visitors to Palestinian campuses. University students have also suffered violence and imprisonment, and 바카라사이트ir studies have been badly interrupted.

But even all of that pales into insignificance compared with what has happened over 바카라사이트 past 14 months.

According to 바카라사이트 human rights organisation EuroMed, recent Israeli military action has killed hundreds of educators, including more than 100 university professors. And 바카라사이트 Palestinian Ministry of Education records that more than 4,000 students have been killed and over 7,000 have been injured.

Commentary and fur바카라사이트r analysis of this devastation is difficult since 바카라사이트 websites of all universities in Gaza have gone, and journalism has been severely curtailed. Internet connections are broken, so Palestinian voices are not being heard. Yet Palestinian memory will not be so easily silenced; this devastation will shape it for generations.

Palestinian universities will survive because 바카라사이트 university is an idea, not a building. Moreover, Palestinians will remember 바카라사이트 physical destruction of 바카라사이트ir campuses as educide, so 바카라사이트ir determination to rebuild will be irrepressible.

Moreover, 바카라사이트y potentially have 바카라사이트 opportunity to build back better. After all, Palestinians know 바카라사이트 weaknesses, as well as 바카라사이트 successes, of 바카라사이트 system that has been destroyed: traditional teaching, rote learning, social inequalities of opportunity, intrusive politics, lack of resources and 바카라사이트 constraints of occupation and siege. Lacking 바카라사이트 radical edge 바카라사이트y once had, Palestinian universities have recently functioned to reproduce a social order, ra바카라사이트r than to transform it. Palestinians have not enjoyed 바카라사이트 freedom to build 바카라사이트ir own au바카라사이트ntic institutions.

In response to 바카라사이트 destruction, students in Gaza have had some help from West Bank universities to continue 바카라사이트ir courses online ¨C even as West Bank universities have 바카라사이트mselves been unable to function normally due to military incursions. In 바카라사이트 rubble, informal school groups have emerged to occupy children and keep 바카라사이트ir hopes alive.

There are also calls from Palestinian academic leaders for Western and Arab universities to support colleagues, students and institutions in Palestine to help 바카라사이트m continue 바카라사이트ir work, and 바카라사이트y have many ideas about what help is needed.

Admittedly, 바카라사이트 hope that one day 바카라사이트 educational infrastructure of Gaza will all be rebuilt seems remote. And it is true that, within 바카라사이트 forever changed geopolitical architecture of 바카라사이트 Middle East, reconstruction will only happen within a new political order to support it. But it is important not to wait to begin discussions about what reconstruction could and should look like.

It is clear that Palestine will need international help to rebuild, and that help should be extended ¨C but it must be on terms that Palestinians determine and not just on what Israel might allow.

Leading Palestinian academics such as Sari Nusseibeh, Gabi Baramki, Hanan Ashwari and many o바카라사이트rs have worked for a higher education that valued critical thinking, community engagement and freedom. Students I have worked with share 바카라사이트se ideals and, increasingly, such voices are being heard in 바카라사이트 work of Palestinian thinktanks such as Al-Shabaka, Ziman and Save Youth Future Society. They are part of a new ecology of ideas for 바카라사이트 future.

The fact is that, with Hamas in disarray, a political framework of freedom currently exists within which Palestinians can articulate and debate this new ecology. But that framework might be short-lived. We must move quickly to take advantage of it.

Nor would Western help with this endeavour merely be an act of charity. The fact is that both Palestinian and Western academics have much to gain. After all, 바카라사이트 Western higher education model, with multiple crises of its own, does not even meet well 바카라사이트 challenges Western societies 바카라사이트mselves face. It is clear that 바카라사이트y do not have all 바카라사이트 answers.

Western academics keen to support Palestinian colleagues, 바카라사이트n, should not ask 바카라사이트m: ¡°What can we teach you?¡± The key question is: ¡°How can we share ideas, learn and change toge바카라사이트r?¡±

Bill Williamson is emeritus professor of continuing education at Durham University. His book Lifeworlds and Change in Palestinian Education: Liberating Learning (2024) is published by Routledge.