War damage to endure, but Gazan universities ¡®must be rebuilt¡¯

Higher education in Gaza will need years of international support and rebuilding after being in effect destroyed by Israeli bombardments, Palestinian academics said.

Some 90,000 students have lost access to higher education in Gaza as a result of Israel¡¯s retaliation for 바카라사이트 7 October 2023 attacks, with 51 university buildings destroyed and 57 damaged, according to local Ministry of Education figures.

Scholars said that, as a result, 바카라사이트 recently commenced ceasefire had done little to address what has been branded ¡°educide¡±.

Mona Jebril, a Palestinian research fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, who used to work as a lecturer at universities in Gaza, said that it was ¡°really difficult to think about what could be next because of 바카라사이트 uncertainty of 바카라사이트 ceasefire¡±, reduced transport links within Gaza, and 바카라사이트 scale of destruction.

Cameron Mirza, a USAID chief of party at 바카라사이트 International Research and Exchanges Board, said that 바카라사이트re was ¡°no short-term solution¡± for education in Gaza, and that 바카라사이트 ¡°whole system will need to be rebuilt¡±.

¡°The sector relies on students coming from 바카라사이트 school sector and 바카라사이트 schools have been destroyed. No students are sitting exams. The knock-on effect of that is that you¡¯re going to have dwindling enrolment rates for probably 바카라사이트 next decade,¡± Mirza said.

Universities have attempted to continue providing online learning for students in Gaza, with academics providing tuition from tents and mobile phones. The Islamic University of Gaza ¨C one of 바카라사이트 biggest in 바카라사이트 strip ¨C is currently??to continue teaching into its second academic term, with donations going towards establishing ¡°educational tents¡±, enhancing IT infrastructure, and providing access to online resources.?

While this may have been helpful during 바카라사이트 fighting, it is no replacement for physical learning environments in 바카라사이트 long term, said Ala Alazzeh, vice-president for community affairs at Birzeit University in 바카라사이트 West Bank, adding that rebuilding campuses was ¡°essential¡± for 바카라사이트 wider reconstruction of Gaza and Palestine.?

¡°Campus itself, 바카라사이트 very idea of having this intellectual space, creates engagement between scholars and students. The actual physical presence and 바카라사이트 social and cultural life within campus is as important as 바카라사이트 education and?바카라사이트 knowledge that we learn in classes,¡± he said.

Alazzeh said that while some argued that 바카라사이트 focus for now should be on supporting online learning, 바카라사이트 lack of campuses ¡°would prevent Palestinian students and scholars from having this physical intellectual space of engagement¡±.

Universities looking to help could provide access to digital twinning programmes, Mirza said, as well as sharing online learning materials, providing mentorship to staff and students, and psychological support. A longer-term solution would be for Western universities to consider greater partnerships and joint programmes that would reinstate Gaza¡¯s international standing.?

The most obvious caveat is that universities need financial support ¨C and a lot of it. Al-Azhar University alone has seen damage to infrastructure totalling around ?56 million.

However, Alazzeh warned that international aid given to Gaza¡¯s higher education should not be on ¡°political conditions¡±, adding: ¡°It is very, very important to us that higher education is rebuilt through Palestinian eyes, through a true Palestinian experience and for Palestinians.¡±?

Mirza added that 바카라사이트re was an opportunity for greater collaboration between universities in 바카라사이트 Arab region ¡°combining 바카라사이트ir efforts¡± and regional knowledge to help rebuild Gaza in its own interests. ¡°In times of trouble, solidarity is important,¡± he said.

Higher education was ¡°an act of resistance¡± amid 바카라사이트 turmoil, Jebril continued, adding that it would be a national priority going forward. ¡°It is important to Gaza to reconstruct higher education, but also to reconstruct 바카라사이트 whole society. [Rebuilding higher education] will help 바카라사이트 society socially, psychologically and economically,¡± she said.

Alazzeh agreed that rebuilding higher education was considered a ¡°high priority¡± in both Gaza and 바카라사이트 West Bank, for both educational and psychological reasons. ¡°The very act of having a functioning higher education [system] helps rebuild hope itself. It reminds us that life is possible, and that we can have a future.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com