Rebuilding Higher Education in Gaza: Principles and Purposes

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On 15 April 2025, Dr Mariam Attia, Senior Lecturer in Academic Practice at The Classical Institute, delivered a presentation at an international conference titled Rebuilding Higher Education in Gaza, hosted by Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) in Doha, Qatar. The event brought together leading scholars, including heads of Palestinian universities, who provided first-hand accounts into the realities on the ground.

Dr Attia’s presentation titled Rebuilding Higher Education in Gaza: Principles and Purposes, called for a careful consideration of underlying the principles and purposes that inform support for the sector. The talk engaged with the theory and practice of the renowned theologian, jurist, Sufi, and educator Muhammed Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1056-1111). In particular, it drew on his writings on intention (niyyah), sincerity (ikhlas) and truthfulness (sidq), advocating for an ethically grounded and context-specific approach to reconstruction.

A key element in Dr Attia’s presentation was the centrality of Palestinian agency in the rebuilding process. In this regard, she interrogated the term ‘capacity building’ arguing for the significance of mutual learning and shared growth. 

The focus on intention, sincerity and truthfulness is timely considering emerging research highlighting the fragmented nature of international support (Jebril, 2024) and its reflection of donor interests (Barakat et al. 2025). Dr Attia noted that discussions around rebuilding higher education in Gaza tend to focus on material concerns (e.g., infrastructure and salaries), while neglecting other dimensions. She called for a holistic approach to recovery that also addresses the intellectual, the cultural, the psychological, and the relational, all grounded in the spiritual and the moral. Dr Attia concluded with the central thesis of her research, namely that rebuilding higher education must begin from within.

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