Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, has emphasised the need to protect Palestinian students' right to an education after meeting representatives of one of the country's leading universities.
Sheikh Dr Sultan hosted delegates from Birzeit University, headed by Dr Hanan Ashrawi, chairwoman of its board of trustees, at Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre on Saturday.
He praised the university in the occupied West Bank for continuing its academic mission and serving Palestinian society.
He also reflected on the challenges facing the higher education sector as Palestine grapples with a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by a two-year conflict with Israel, and set out his support for every academic institution in need.
The university, which opened in 1924, offers more than 170 undergraduate and graduate programmes as well as doctoral and professional diploma programmes. It serves thousands of students and is known for its work in scientific research and community service.
Education under siege
The Palestinian education sector – particularly in Gaza – came under heavy fire during the war with Israel, which started on October 7, 2023.
At least 90 per cent of Gaza’s universities, colleges and other institutes were damaged or destroyed. More than 165 educational institutions were obliterated, while 392 others suffered partial destruction.
Among the ruins lie Gaza’s flagship universities, the Islamic University, Al Azhar and Al Aqsa, once vibrant centres of research and education.
Before the war, about 88,000 students studied in 19 higher education institutions across the strip. That number is expected to drop by more than half, with countless students displaced, impoverished or mourning their families.
The UAE has tried to put Palestinians seeking shelter in the country back on to an academic path. The Emirates Humanitarian City in Abu Dhabi – a safe haven for about 3,000 Gazans – has helped 44 students pursue higher level education under a partnership with Abu Dhabi University.
