Launching Friends of Palestinian Universities at the British Academy
On 5 February, leaders from the UK higher education sector, UK and Palestinian academics, representatives from the academic publishing industry and the arts, alongside long-term friends and supporters of Palestinian higher education, came together to mark the official launch of Friends of Palestinian Universities at the British Academy. Co-hosted by Fellow of the British Academy and Oxford Professor Sudhir Hazareesingh and generously sponsored by Sage Publishing, the occasion represented a moment of reflection, solidarity and renewed commitment to stand with the academic community as it faces existential threat.
We are confident people. With extraordinary friends and new generations coming forward, we will continue to educate and illuminate – and that illumination is part of justice.
Professor Karma Nabulsi, keynote address at the launch of Friends of Palestinian Universities
Opening the event, Chair of Friends of Palestinian Universities, Sandra Hamrouni, introduced H.E. Dr Husam Zomlot, Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, who spoke about education as the lifeblood of the Palestinian people and the enduring Palestinian struggle to build, protect and sustain universities under occupation.
In his remarks, Friends of Palestinian Universities Director Omar Shweiki noted the launch within a longer history of Palestinian civic initiative and international solidarity. Palestinian universities, he reminded us, were “founded not by states, but by the people themselves; not deferred until some imagined future beyond occupation, but built in the face of it – because education could not wait.” That commitment to peoplehood continues to guide Friends of Palestinian Universities. We stand alongside Palestinian faculty and university leadership to defend, sustain and rebuild a higher education system under deliberate and systematic assault.
Delivering the keynote speech, Professor Karma Nabulsi (Oxford University) described the systematic assault on Palestinian education by Israel – scholasticide – as “an attempt at an annihilation – an attempt at a destruction of our people, of the fabric of our society.” And yet, she insisted, Palestinians remain steadfast, and education continues generation after generation.
The flame of learning has been kindled despite all that is burning around it. And what Friends of Palestinian Universities are doing is keeping that hope and that aspiration alive.”
Ziyad Marar, Sage Publishing
Reflecting on the determination of Gaza’s academic community to continue education and rebuild in the face of devastation, Ziyad Marar observed, “Yes, it’s aspirational, but aspiration is the point,” adding, “You can destroy university buildings, and that’s not the same as destroying universities.”
Wherever you are, there are endless ways to show practical solidarity – through partnerships, scholarships, twinning, and raising awareness. This is not symbolic. It is policy-oriented, practical and transformative.
Professor Karma Nabulsi, keynote address at the launch of Friends of Palestinian Universities
The afternoon concluded with remarks from Kiren Shoman, Executive Vice President at Sage Publishing, who ended by affirming: “Education is a fundamental right. It is also part of the pathway to self-determination. The resilience and commitment to learning shown by the Palestinian people inspires us all.”
