Conference on Rebuilding Higher Education in Gaza

The College of Public Policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), in collaboration with the Islamic University of Gaza, the University of Fort Hare, the University of Johannesburg, and the University of Glasgow, is organizing a conference to address the reconstruction of higher education in Gaza. It will build on previous engagements, including conferences at King’s College London (June 2024) and the University of Glasgow (December 2024).

Since October 2023, Gaza has suffered enormous loss of life, displacement, and destruction of infrastructure due to Israeli bombardment and invasion. The healthcare, food, water, electricity supply, and education systems have all completely collapsed. Despite this, education continues to function through alternative means.

Rebuilding Gaza’s higher education sector is vital for socio-economic recovery, peacebuilding, and preserving Palestinian culture and identity. As Gaza’s academic community has emphasized, rebuilding higher education institutions is crucial for the future of Gaza's youth, their right to continue their education in their homeland, and to contribute to its reconstruction.

This conference will address the immediate and long-term needs in rebuilding Gaza’s higher education sector, exploring challenges, priorities, and strategies for recovery. It will facilitate dialogue between leaders of higher education institutions in Gaza and international experts, organizations, scholars, and academics.

The conference is grounded in recent research, including a needs assessment of Gaza’s higher education sector, strategies for international support, and an analysis of aid flows to higher education in Palestine.

This conference will be held in English with live Arabic interpretation.

Conference themes focus on:

• The scale of destruction and the immediate, medium-, and long-term needs of Gaza’s higher education sector.
• The financial cost of reconstruction and the types of support required (e.g., international scholarships, funding for staff, and rebuilding infrastructure).
• Global trends in post-conflict reconstruction of higher education and the importance of prioritizing Gaza’s academic sector in recovery efforts.
• The role of international aid, donors, and solidarity in rebuilding higher education and reversing the impacts on Palestinian academia.
• Lessons learned from previous efforts to rebuild Gaza’s higher education institutions, including challenges with donor-driven agendas.
• The importance of higher education rebuilding for the empowerment of women in Gaza, addressing gender disparities exacerbated by the crisis, and ensuring equitable access to education to support their contribution to rebuilding efforts and community resilience.

Researchers and scholars interested in attending or presenting should submit their abstracts (max. 300 words) via this link.

Submission Deadline: Monday, March 10, 2025

Notification of Acceptance: Monday, March 16, 2025

Limited funding is available to support displaced Palestinian academics and administrators with travel and accommodation. Please indicate if you require assistance.

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