Anyone who knows me will understand that I am rarely at a loss for words.
Yet, during a meeting a few weeks ago held as part of my duties as Minister for Higher and Further Education, I found myself precisely in that uncharacteristic silence.
The occasion was a briefing from representatives of the British Council, who oversee the Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL).
What I heard about the situation in Gaza left me genuinely speechless. It was a stark moment of realization – a vivid portrayal of a reality far removed from our own.
The media has, to some extent, brought the devastation in Gaza onto our screens and into our living rooms. However, hearing first-hand accounts from those with family in Gaza or those supporting Palestinian academics currently working in our community, with their families left behind, conveyed the sheer scale of horror in a way that no report could capture.
The impact on one sector of society in particular struck a chord with me – the universities.
The briefing detailed over a hundred academics and countless students lost to the conflict. The three universities in Gaza, pillars of hope and advancement, have been reduced to rubble.
The very notion that higher education might have to be conducted from tents, if and when a ceasefire is brokered, is a testament to the resilience of the Palestinian spirit. Despite the unimaginable destruction, there remains a determination to continue teaching and to rebuild the educational framework for their youth.
It was heartening, amidst these revelations, to learn of the solidarity from the Scottish academic community. A number of Scottish universities are now lining up to join Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow in offering support through the HESPAL programme.
This gesture of academic kinship across borders is a ray of hope in the midst of despair.
These discussions have lingered in my mind, painting a vivid picture of the broader conflict in the Middle East. The cycle of violence, including the attacks on Israeli civilians that sparked this latest round of conflict, is as horrific as it is unequivocally condemnable. The loss of life and the deliberate targeting of educational institutions are stark reminders of the human cost of conflict.
Beyond the immediate cessation of hostilities, there’s a profound need for dialogue, understanding and, ultimately, a sustainable path to peace.
The resilience observed in the face of such adversity from Palestinian academics, and the solidarity shown by our Scottish universities, underscore a shared commitment to education as a beacon of hope and a vehicle for change.
