The purpose of the MOUs is to build intellectual exchange, collaborate on research, and support teaching in education and social sciences, with a broader aim of assisting the sustaining and rebuilding of the higher education system in Gaza. Since October 2023, all universities in Gaza have been physically demolished or severely damaged.

“I am pleased that the IOE is able to play an important role in supporting the rebuilding of higher education in Gaza,” said Professor Li Wei, IOE’s Director and Dean. 

Dr Abdrabou Alanzi (Head of the Political Science Department, Al Azhar University) explains that the MOUs “are much more than cooperation agreements. They represent a model of responsible academic engagement in times of crisis and a profound expression of solidarity with Gaza’s universities. At a moment when higher education institutions in Gaza have endured unprecedented devastation, this partnership provides hope, advances academic recovery, and reaffirms that education and knowledge remain essential foundations for resilience and rebuilding.”  

The IOE has taken this step in response to calls from Gaza’s academic community, whose universities continue to face an unprecedented emergency. The MOUs create a framework for long-term, equitable partnership with universities in Gaza, supporting academic collaboration, institutional resilience and the continuation of teaching, learning and research.  

“These MOUs matter because they recognise that supporting Gaza’s higher education sector requires more than expressions of concern,” commented Dr Ahmed Kamal Junina (Head of the English Department, Al Aqsa University). “For me and my fellow academics in Gaza, such partnerships offer vital spaces of continuity, collaboration, and dignity. They allow us to keep teaching, researching, and contributing to global knowledge even when the ordinary conditions of academic life have been severely disrupted.” 

For scholars at IOE, the MOUs represent a concrete expression of the values and priorities at the heart of IOE’s strategic plan: advancing academic excellence, promoting social justice, and ensuring that research, education and partnership have meaningful real-world impact. 

According to Professor Louise Archer, Director of the UCL Centre for Sociology of Education and Equity, one of the centres participating in the MOUs: “Supporting social justice, access to education and critical agency are all core to the work of our centre. We are delighted to support this valuable initiative and look forward to working and learning together with partners to build capacity and advance social science research on educational equity.”  

Professor Elaine Chase, Dr Ian Warwick, and Professor Jenny Parkes, co-directors of the UCL Centre for Education and International Development, added:  

“We see these MOUs as a valuable step towards further intellectual exchange and collaboration with colleagues from Gaza as part of broader joint efforts to rebuild the higher education sector in Gaza.”  

Other IOE centres involved in the MOUs include: the Centre for Applied Linguistics, International Centre for Intercultural Studies, Research in Media Arts and Play, the Social Science Research Unit (children’s rights and social justice research cluster), and the Thomas Coram Research Unit. 

The initiative has received acclaim from across UCL, with Professors Mette Louise Berg and Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, Academic Co-Chairs of the UCL University of Sanctuary Working Group. They said: 

“We are delighted that IOE has signed Memoranda of Understanding with three Gazan universities to foster academic collaboration and solidarity with our colleagues and students in Gaza. This historic partnership gives concrete expression to IOE’s and UCL’s commitment to change the world for the better, and upholds the values underpinning our aspiration for University of Sanctuary status.” 

For further information, contact Professor Tristan McCowan, IOE Vice Dean (International) and Professor Rachel Rosen (SSRU).

Related links

Image: Graduates during a graduation ceremony at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City on 9 February 2026. 
Credit: Photo by Eyad Azam/Middle East Images/StringersHub/Sipa USA from Alamy.