Rome – July 3rd, 2024 – “Sustaining higher education goes beyond mere academic operations; it is about fostering resilience and nurturing the intellectual and social capital necessary for the future recovery and rebuilding of Gaza” stated Dr. Kherieh Rassas, Vice President for International and External Relations at An-Najah National University and President of UNIMED – Mediterranean Universities Union on the occasion of the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Global Congress held in Vilnius from June 25-27, 2024.
During the session titled Sustaining Higher Education in Crisis: Responding to Gaza, moderated by UNIMED Director, Marcello Scalisi, Dr. Rassas highlighted the urgent need, in these turbulent times, for a collective and coherent framework to effectively tackle the deteriorating educational landscape in Gaza. “Palestinian society has a predominantly young demographic and the education has a vital role in empowering Palestinian youth and guiding them towards new pathways of hope.”
Last February 2024, An-Najah National University and UNIMED launched the Technical Education Support for Higher Education Students (TESI) to enable higher education students in Gaza to resume their education and alleviate the educational burdens caused by the recent war.
UNIMED urged the academic community to join TESI, “The initiative is a swift response to an intricate and delicate crisis” Dr. Rassas, in fact, stressed that it can be adopted and expanded not only in conflict zones and crises but also in times of emergencies such as pandemics and natural disasters.
Here more information about TESI Initiative.
