Work

Remote higher education partnerships in crisis: reflections and practical insights from the Gaza education research virtual fellowship

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This reflective commentary documents the development and early learnings of the Gaza Education Research Virtual Fellowship (GERVF), an initiative that aims to support Palestinian scholars and institutions in Gaza amidst scholasticide. In response to calls from Gaza’s academics for meaningful solidarity that recognises rather than bypasses their institutions, GERVF offers a low-resource and mutually beneficial remote partnership model. We outline how the Fellowship was developed, including the practical and strategic steps taken to prioritise institutional collaboration. We then provide an overview of the Fellowship’s structure and support provided to Fellows. Through shared reflections from UK-based researchers and Gaza Fellows, we cover the Fellowship’s content, early outcomes, lessons learned, and plans for sustainability and scale. We argue that GERVF offers an adaptable model of academic solidarity in Gaza. We invite scholars and institutions to contribute to and extend this approach in support of universities in Gaza, and other contexts affected by violence and systemic oppression.

Source: Compare A Journal of Comparative and International Education

DOI: 10.1080/03057925.2026.2697853

Authors: Ahmed K. Junina, Basma Hajir, Magdy S. Aqel, Munawwar A. Najim, William W. McInerney

Institutions: Al-Aqsa University, University of Bristol, Islamic University of Gaza

Language: English

Topic: Higher Education Governance and Development

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Partnerships for the goals, Quality education, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: University of Bristol