Giving back to Gaza

In what they call an act of solidarity, four Université de Montréal professors are helping Palestinian scholars and graduate students from Gaza get settled into a new academic and social life in Canada – even though none of the students is attending UdeM.

"They’re not at UdeM mainly because of language barriers: the majority of Palestinian students speak Arabic and English, not French," explained social-work professor Emmanuelle Khoury, who's involved in the project as a volunteer with her colleagues Roxane Caron, Aline Bogossian and Rola Koubeissy.

They're part of an initiative called Palestinian Students and Scholars at Risk (PSSAR), a non-profit, non-political organization founded and run by Canadian-based volunteers, mainly academics affiliated with major Canadian institutions such as UdeM.

The help comes in the form of scholarships, sponsorships, academic supervision and integration into research teams in this country.

So far, eight students from Gaza have come to attend six universities here: four in Ontario (at Ontario Tech, University of Toronto and University of Ottawa), three in Quebec (at Concordia and McGill), and one in Alberta (at the University of Calgary).

"Some arrived alone, leaving their families behind, while others came with their children," said Khoury.  "They had to reconcile higher education and parental responsibilities at a time of great social, economic and emotional instability – it's been quite a challenge, to say the least."

To date, all eight enrolled in the PSSAR program are pursuing graduate studies in professionally oriented fields such as engineering and architecture, often as part of a second master's degree.

Rather than providing direct financial assistance, PSSAR acts as a strategic facilitator, linking these talents with partner universities and academic networks. The initiative also provides students with non-academic support in partnership with community organizations.

"Ours is an act of international academic solidarity,” said Koubeissy, a professor in UdeM education-sciences faculty. “The initiative helps to protect and strengthen the intellectual potential of Palestinians threatened by the dramatic consequences of the war on Gaza."

'Create a safe space'

To that end, she and her UdeM colleagues meet regularly with the students via Zoom "to create a space for listening, sharing and mutual support," Khoury said. "They tell us these encounters are invaluable, since they get a safe space to talk about what they've experienced."

The UdeM volunteers have also written two support guides, available on the School of Social Work's website, to help the students and those who come into contact with them – specifically, professors:

• The first is a psychosocial guide offering intake guidelines and intervention strategies for students experiencing trauma related to war, exile and occupation of their homeland. 
• The second is a socio-historical and socio-political guide that gives an overview of the situation in Palestine, "to help teachers and researchers better understand the context and adapt their support accordingly."

What's next?

"Well, we're continuing our commitment to university solidarity, promoting academic success and personal development in the students' new environment," said Khoury, "and strongly encourage any professor interested in mentoring a Palestinian student to get in touch and sign up."

To learn more about UdeM's initiatives for researchers whose home country is facing conflict or natural disaster, visit the Relief fund for university communities in crisis.