Gaza students share educational struggles at Alanya conference

A conference titled ‘Being a Student in Gaza’ was held in Alanya, Turkey, as part of the ‘Science Cafe for Gaza’ events. Coordinated by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and organized by Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University (ALKÜ), the program highlighted the humanitarian crisis and the struggle to maintain education amidst heavy bombardment in Gaza.

During the event, Dr. Diren Doğan provided a historical overview of the region, covering the 1947 UN partition plan, the 1948 Nakba, the 1967 Six-Day War, and the escalation of military operations following October 7, 2023. The presentation emphasized that educational institutions, including universities, have sustained heavy damage.

A message from Nur Naim El-Baz, a midwifery student at the Islamic University of Gaza, detailed the extreme difficulties faced by students. El-Baz described attempting to attend in-person classes despite destroyed roads and insufficient transportation, and having to leave tents to search for internet signals to participate in online learning.