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Palestine Programme

In response to the systematic destruction of education systems in Gaza, the LSE Middle East Centre is establishing a programme of research and capacity-building, supporting Palestinian recovery and Palestinian higher education institutions, scholars and students. This comes against the backdrop of existential challenges over decades to the higher education system in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

Building upon the Middle East Centre’s research projects and partnerships in Palestine and in the region more widely, the Programme will generate research and foster long-term research and capacity-building relationships with universities and researchers in the oPt.

We are currently fundraising to support the Programme’s activities.

Programme Activities

  • Collaboration Research Projects: High-quality research will address rebuilding and recovery in Gaza, such as post-emergency damage assessments prioritising economic development needs, educational recovery and the restoration of key environmental services.
  • Policy-focused Research Projects: Multi-disciplinary teams of LSE and Palestinian scholars will undertake and publish research to inform policy needs identified by relevant governmental and non-governmental actors.
  • Student Scholarships: The MEC is supporting efforts to raise funding for financial scholarships for Palestinian students to study at LSE. The School provided fully funded Palestinian scholarships for September 2025 and September 2026 entry at both the undergraduate level and postgraduate level. Applications were encouraged from Palestinian students who were resident in Gaza or the West Bank prior to commencing their studies at LSE or were otherwise affected by the war and humanitarian crisis. All LSE undergraduate and graduate programmes are now closed for 2026/2027 entry. Support for September 2027 entry is not confirmed. The LSE Palestine Programme is unable to advise on scholarship funding from other UK universities.

Projects

LSE PI: Professor Michael Mason
Al Azhar University PI: Dr Ahmed Abu Shaban
Duration: September 2024 – February 2026

This research project aims to examine the role of informal social support networks as Palestinians currently cope with acute food insecurity in the face of war and military occupation. Utilising survey data, the project investigates how mutual aid networks are established and sustained, the role of social structures in supporting community-based initiatives and the conditions under which mutual aid is effective in delivering food, including for particularly vulnerable groups.

This project is funded in part by the LSE Urgency Grant Scheme and with support from Dr Camille Germanos Al Hasan and Mr Tarek Al Hasan.

More information

For more information, please contact:
Professor Michael Mason, Programme Director, at m.mason@lse.ac.uk.
Robert Lowe, MEC Deputy Director, at r.lowe@lse.ac.uk.