Palestinian university professors are among the best researchers in the world: They rose from the rubble and rubble of the earth

author

D. Ghassan Mustafa Al-Shami

The rubble of destroyed homes was never the end of the story in Palestine, and Gaza in particular. Wars and pain could not defeat valiant Gaza, and no matter how harsh the genocidal war it went through, it did not and will not extinguish the flame of knowledge and scientific research in the minds of its people. Scientific research emerged among the destroyed homes, the universities that were affected by fire, and the worn-out tents that embraced the dreams of students and academics. An exceptional Palestinian story emerges, whose title is patience, steadfastness, and insistence on life and the continuation of science and learning, and its message is that science is capable of penetrating the walls of the siege and reaching global platforms, even in the harshest humanitarian circumstances.

Palestinian university professors and academics in Gaza reaffirm that the Palestinian person is not reduced to scenes of suffering, and that the Gazan academic, despite the challenges of displacement, loss, and scarcity of capabilities, can continue his scientific career and leave his mark in the fields of research and knowledge. Indeed, this is the paradox of the Gazan scene: cities burdened with devastation, educational institutions suffering the effects of destruction, and Palestinian minds who continue to be present in the fields of science, and cling to their right to learn, produce, and create.

The march of academics at the Islamic University of Gaza, Al-Azhar University, Al-Aqsa University and other institutions of higher education did not stop at the borders of what happened to buildings, laboratories and libraries. Adherence to the educational and research mission has remained present in the conscience of many workers in the academic field. The university professor not only brings knowledge to the lecture hall, but also instils in his students confidence in their ability to overcome adversity, and provides them with a living example that difficult circumstances should not become a final judgment on a person’s future.

The author of the article believes that including the names of Palestinian academics from Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank on international lists of scientific excellence should be an introduction to highlighting their experiences and research, and introducing the criteria for the classifications in which they have achieved a distinguished presence, in a way that enhances confidence in their achievements and gives them the status they deserve. True scientific appreciation is not limited to announcing names, but rather requires an environment that guarantees continued giving, preserves the rights of researchers, and supports the institutions that contributed to the preparation of these competencies.

Among the names associated with the Palestinian scientific march is the martyr Professor Dr. Sufyan Tayeh, former president of the Islamic University, whose academic presence represented a model for the Palestinian world engaged in research and knowledge production. It is not possible to recall the scholars who Gaza lost during the war without stopping at the biography of the martyr Professor Dr. Saeed Al-Badda, president of the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza, especially since remembering these scholars is not merely a restoration of their honorable lives, but rather a reminder of the magnitude of the loss that befell the universities and the Palestinian scientific community, and what could have been They provide research, discoveries and experiences for future generations.

Gaza, the valiant city, despite its wounds and pain, is still capable of providing inspiring examples of resilience and creativity. Its academics prove that knowledge is not a luxury postponed until after wars, but rather a necessity to protect society, restore life, and build the future. Every scientific achievement achieved by a Palestinian professor represents a window of hope for students, and a message of appreciation for everyone who stuck to his pen, books, and research, at a time when tragedy tried to take away a person’s ability to dream.

Gaza does not need to lament alone, but rather to do justice to its scholars, rebuild its universities, and open the doors of the world to its researchers. From the rubble great stories are born, and from the heart of suffering knowledge can make its way towards broader horizons. The Palestinian university professor will remain a witness that the will to science is stronger than attempts to make it disappear, and that Gaza’s future is not built with stone alone, but with minds that create hope and transform knowledge into a force for life and advancement again.