Fobzu’s 2025 Annual Conference: Emergency Support for Palestinian Higher Education

Fobzu’s Annual Conference, Emergency Support for Palestinian Higher Education: The Role of the International Academic Community, was held on 27 June at SOAS University of London at a moment of urgent crisis. The event brought together scholars, university leaders, civil society organisations, and policy experts to confront the ongoing scholasticide in Gaza and discuss the role of international academic solidarity. The conference affirmed the leadership and centrality of Palestinian academics as equal partners in the struggle to sustain and rebuild higher education, and called for coordinated, justice-based partnerships between UK and Palestinian universities. It also highlighted the complicity of UK and European institutions in the destruction of Palestinian academic life, underscoring the urgent need for redress and material solidarity. 

As part of our response, Fobzu continues to facilitate the work of the Emergency Committee of Universities in Gaza—the formally mandated body representing the Strip’s three non-profit public universities, which together serve over 80% of Gaza’s students—by amplifying the collective voice of its academic leadership, supporting the launch of Isnad programme, and promoting meaningful international collaboration. 

Access full conference report here.