Campus Voices for Palestine: Solidarity Against Scholasticide

In late October through early November, UCU sponsored organised a speaking tour organised by the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) and University & College Workers for Palestine addressing the impact of scholasticide on Palestinian students and educators. The tour explored how Palestinian institutions are resisting erasure by continuing education on their land and discussed the role of transnational solidarity in supporting the resilience of Gaza’s education sector

The tour featured Palestinian academics and campaigners sharing how higher education institutions in Gaza are defying the campaign of scholasticide through the coordinated efforts of the Emergency Committee of Universities in Gaza, striving to continue teaching and learning despite the physical devastation of their campuses by ongoing Israeli attacks.

The Emergency Committee of Universities in Gaza was formed in response to the historic call from Gaza’s academics and administrators, aimed at addressing the collective needs of universities during this crisis. The Committee, with an official mandate  from Al Aqsa University, Al Azhar University, and the Islamic University of Gaza works in collaboration with international colleagues to support Gaza’s higher education sector.

Fobzu’s director, Omar Shweiki, joined the tour alongside UK and Palestinian academics, Sundos Hammad, Coordinator of the Right to Education Campaign and representatives of the Emergency Committee to  highlighting the determination  of Palestinian academics in Gaza to continue teaching and learning despite overwhelming challenges. He emphasised the urgency of UK academic solidarity with Gaza’s higher education institutions through a variety of measures including institutional partnerships that affirm the integrity of Palestinian universities and provide them with much needed support.