Gaza Education Research Virtual Fellowship (GERVF)

How will the GERVF operate?

The GERVF is developed in collaboration with the Emergency Committee of Universities in Gaza (including representatives from IUG, Al-Aqsa, and Al-Azhar Universities) and draws on a model of support outlined in the FOBZU (Friends of Birzeit University) Guide for UK-Palestinian Higher Education collaboration. The initiative is rooted in principles of equity, and academic solidarity. It is interested in unpacking the challenges and opportunities involved in sustaining meaningful academic collaborations across borders in times of crisis.

The Fellowship aims to support scholars in Gaza by providing virtual access to research resources, networking and mentorship, and online professional development workshops. It offers a unique opportunity for these scholars to advance their work despite the profound challenges they face.

The theme for this inaugural Fellowship cohort is “Scholasticide in Gaza” - the targeted destruction of educational institutions and the broader impact on education and scholarly life. Fellows will explore this topic through the lens of their own academic expertise, experiences, and interests.

The Virtual Fellowship Scheme is led by Dr Basma Hajir, Lecturer at the School of Education, and supported by Dr William McInerney, research consultant and co-lead for the project, with additional support from Professor Leon Tikly, who also served on the selection panel.

The Fellows

Dr Ahmed Kamal Junina

Dr Ahmed Kamal Junina is an Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics and Head of the English Department at Al-Aqsa University, Gaza. His research focuses on language education in conflict zones, critical pedagogy, academic literacies, and translanguaging. He has published and presented widely on virtual education under siege, including recent work on the resilience of Palestinian students and educators during wartime.

His current project, Knowlash and the Crisis of Learning, explores how students and educators in Gaza sustain virtual higher education amid efforts to suppress liberatory knowledge-building processes, a phenomenon he terms Knowlash, defined as the deliberate obstruction or destruction of liberatory knowledge-building, particularly in contexts of war and systemic violence. He is dedicated to advancing educational justice through scholarship and collaboration.

Project Title: Knowlash and the Crisis of Learning: Investigating the Suppression of Liberatory Knowledge and Learning Outcomes in Gaza’s Virtual Higher Education

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Professor Magdy S. Aqel

Prof. Magdy S. Aqel holds a PhD degree in Instructional Technology-eLearning from Ein Shams University, Egypt, which he earned with a scholarship from UNISECO by 2010. He currently works as a full professor at the Faculty of Education at the Islamic University of Gaza. Prof. Magdy previously worked as a computer teacher at UNRWA and the Ministry of Education (MOE) Palestine from 2006-2008. He has also been trained in courses in Finland and Germany in the use of modern teaching strategies.

Prof. Magdy is interested in AI education, augmented reality in education, virtual learning environments, flipped classrooms. and adaptive learning. He is also interested in STEAM learning, learning math and science using technology, using simulation in math and science, and he works as a supervisor for master and doctoral theses on employing technology in math and science.

Project Title: Developing an AI-Based Instructional Model to Enhance Education Students' Capacity for Practicing Sustainable Learning

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Dr. Munawwar Najim

Dr. Munawwar Najim is an Associate Professor of Education at the Islamic University of Gaza, specialising in gender studies, crisis education, and the socio-political impacts of conflict on Palestinian women. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Damascus and has led major academic and administrative initiatives.

During the 2023 Gaza war, she oversaw education for 2,200+ displaced students. She is also a consultant at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Director of IUG Schools. Dr. Najim has co-authored over 40 publications and supervised around 50 MA and PhD theses.

Research Project Title: Challenges and Resilience Strategies: The Experience of Displaced Female Higher Education Students in Gaza During the October 2023 Aggression