“We built these universities from tents. And from tents, with the support of our friends, we will rebuild them once again.”
Call by Gaza Academics and Administrators to the World, 29 May 2024
In May 2024, nearly 200 Palestinian academics and university staff in Gaza issued a powerful statement affirming their collective determination to resume teaching and study — despite the near-total destruction of Gaza’s higher education sector by Israeli military forces. Refusing the erasure of their academic life, they called on international partners to stand with them in rebuilding and reopening their universities.
In response, the Emergency Committee for Universities in Gaza was established by Al Aqsa University, Al Azhar University, and the Islamic University of Gaza – the three largest non-profit public universities in Gaza, representing the majority of students and faculty. The Emergency Committee works to mobilise international solidarity and practical support to ensure that higher education in Gaza can resume as soon as possible.
Friends of Palestinian Universities has been appointed by the Emergency Committee to facilitate its international work, helping to coordinate efforts, build partnerships, and channel resources in direct collaboration with Gaza’s universities. Through this role, we are committed to ensuring that support reaches those leading the collective rebuilding of academic life in Gaza, and that their universities – and their communities – live on.
Find out more about the work of the Emergency Committee of Universities in Gaza here.
