Today, Wednesday June 10th, Scientists for Palestine joins the strike for black lives standing in solidarity with our black colleagues worldwide in the struggle against the plague of systemic racism.
Author: Scientist4Palestine (Page 1 of 2)
Scientists for Palestine stands in solidarity with our black colleagues, in the US and around the world, in the struggle against the plague of systemic racism. We feel a particular resonance, as the similarities between the struggle faced by African-Americans and Palestinians are staggering. Palestinian scientists know all too well what it is like to have fundamental human rights stripped away from them. We join our colleagues in their commitment to ending the violent effects of systemic racism, wherever they take place.
As Dr. King said: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice”. We hope that soon the scientific and academic world will stand up united to end systematic racism against our black colleagues, against Palestinians, and against racism in all of its forms. Until then we will be steadfast in our active solidarity with our black colleagues. That is why we endorse the strike on Wednesday June 10th. To show our active support, we call on our Palestinian colleagues to submit a short video to express their solidarity with as well as joining the strike on June 10th!
Guidelines on how to make the video:
- Please submit the video no later than Tuesday June 9th at 10 a.m. Palestine time to give us enough post-production time.
- The video should be no longer than 30 seconds, all submissions which exceeds this limit will not be considered.
- The video can be shot with professional cameras (preferred) or cell-phones, so long as the final product is of good enough quality.
- Please shoot the video horizontally so that post-production will be easier.
- Please start the video by introducing yourself mentioning your full name, your affiliation and your research field.
- Please end your video with the sentence “I believe that Black Lives Matter”.
- During the video, it would be appreciated if you could hold a sign with some of the hashtags created for the event, like #ShutDownSTEM, #ShutDownAcademia or other which can be found at: https://www.shutdownstem.com/.
- We would appreciate it if the video contained a sentence or two explaining the special empathy felt by us as Palestinians. (e.g. As a Palestinian Scientists I know too well what systematic racism is like).
- Please clearly state that you will be striking on June 10th (e.g. … that is why I am striking in solidarity with my black colleagues on June 10th).
Guidelines on how to submit the video:
Please upload your video via https://wetransfer.com/ and fill out the “email to” box with Scientists for Palestine email (admin@scientists4palestine.com).
For more info on what you can do: https://www.shutdownstem.com/
كرد على الإشاعات التي تدور مؤخرا على الإنترنت، أنشأ
فريق من جامعة هارفارد بقيادة سارة الزعبي و أمينة زياد رسوم توضيحية لنشر معلومات صحيحة و دقيقة عن فيروس COVID-19 للمجتمعات العربية حول العالم.
نرجو منك نشر الرسالة إلى أفراد عائلتك و أصدقائك.
In response to the misinformation being circulated online, Harvard University team, lead by Sara Al-Zubi and Amina Ziad, created these infographics with a focus on sharing accurate COVID-19 information with Middle East- North African communities around the world. Please share with your networks and family members!
The third International Meeting for Science in Palestine was a great success, watch this video for the highlights of the weekend:
The meeting aimed to escalate and refine plans toward Scientists for Palestine’s primary objectives of advancing science in Palestine and integrating Palestinian sciences into the international scientific community by: enhancing collaboration between Scientists in Palestine and exile with key partners globally; highlighting Palestinian scientists and scientific development; and devising measurable goals toward these ends. The international meeting provides space to access information about the challenges and successes of Palestinians practicing and researching science under occupation while also providing concrete opportunities for international scientists to get involved. A working group track ran to help develop enhanced strategies to identify mechanisms for sustained international collaboration with and elevation of Palestinian scientists.
The meeting included presentations by Palestinian scientists from both Historic Palestine (Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel) and Palestinians abroad, as well as other young and established scientists from around the world, and will be joined by prominent scientists including 2018 Chemistry Nobel Prize winner George Smith, MacArthur fellow Astrophysicist Nergis Mavalvala, and renowned Palestinian medic and innovator Dr. Tarek Loubani.
The Third International Meeting for Science in Palestine is taking place on January 10-12 at MIT, Boston, USA. The meeting kicks off with a public open event:
The Friday and Saturday events will be live-streamed on S4P’s Facebook page. See here for the program.
The new Study in Canada Scholarships program will offer full academic scholarships for up to two years of study at the post-secondary level that leads to a diploma, post-secondary or post-graduate certificate, or Master’s degree at a college, technical or vocational institute, or university in Canada. The Study in Canada Scholarships program is open to students from all disciplines.
all details here.
A Palestinian US Citizen, a father, a husband, education activist, human rights worker and one of Scientists for Palestine closest partner unlawfully abducted by Israeli military without charge.
Our dear friend and close partner in Palestine, education activist Mr. Ubai Aboudi, remains in Israeli military detention. A Twitter storm, a Facebook storm, and call-in to the US Department of State (DOS) are set for Wednesday January first at 1p.m. EST. Please be ready to tweet, call and post.
Twitter storm for #Freedom4Ubai #Science4Palestine #AdministrativeDetentionIsAWarCrime #EducationNotDetention
On Monday, November 18th, 2019, an Israeli tribunal placed Mr. Ubai Aboudi under administrative detention for 4 months despite no charges being brought against him.
We call on all scholars concerned about human rights and the enforcement of the universal right to education to join, among others, Nobel laureate George Smith and Noam Chomsky, to ask for Mr. Aboudi’s immediate release from military prison.
Update: Amnesty International has started a campaign for the release of Mr. Ubai Aboudi, see how to take action here.
Update from Dec. 2nd:
In the confirmation of detention hearing at the Ofer military court, the judge has reduced the detention order of S4P’s dear partner Mr. Ubai Aboudi to two months instead of the initial four. The judge unfortunately did not confirm that this detention order will be the last. Administrative detention orders can be indefinitely renewed. Also Ubai has thus far spent three weeks in jail, but no charges have been brought against him.
Mr. Ubai Aboudi, one of Scientists for Palestine’s closest partners in Palestine, was brutally abducted from his house on Wednesday at 3 a.m. in the morning and is currently held in jail without charges.
For this reason S4P started a campaign to call for his release which will be escalated in case he is not released on Monday. Our statement has the full support of Ubai’s family as well as the signatures of many prominent scientists among which Nobel prize winner George Smith.
Please share it as widely as possible among your contacts and social media. On top of the moral duty that we have to call for the release of Ubai, with Mr. Aboudi in jail the fate of the upcoming Third International Meeting at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is at stake.
The statement appears below, and here is a link to our Facebook post.
We are very happy to announce that registration for the Third International Meeting for Science in Palestine is now open. We are proud to inform that this third meeting will be hosted the by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston from January 10 to January 12, 2020 and will see the participation of high-profiles figures of the caliber of George Smith, 2018 Chemistry Nobel Prize Winner, Nergis Mavalvala, MIT astrophysicists and MacArthur fellow and Mawan Awartani, Minister of Education of Palestine.
Over the past year, we have expanded and further developed the work and goals of Scientists for Palestine in collaboration with the broader scientific communities and in collaboration with Palestinian civil society. We are most excited to share these developments with you, as your input and participation is critical to the ambitious phase we are entering in the expansion of this important movement.
Please note that the weekend working groups and plenary sessions are strictly for registered participants and that registration will close December 15th, 2019, or whenever we reach capacity. Please also note that registration requires two steps:
AMIDEAST supports numerous scholarship and fellowship programs – more information here.
The third Palestinian Advanced Physics School ended on July 18th 2019. The school took place in Birzeit University and was attended by around 30 students from different universities across the West Bank. An additional 10 students from Gaza, who did not receive travel permits to attend the school, gathered at the physics department of the Islamic University of Gaza to participate remotely in the school, through a video link. In addition to lectures on cosmology, quantum optics, electron microscopy and string theory, there was a public lecture on the expanding universe held at the A.M. Qattan foundation. Overall, the school was a resounding success, with all participants — students, lecturers and organizers — having a great time while learning physics.
The Saïd Foundation offers a number of scholarships annually. It also offers joint scholarships with selected universities in the UK. Find out more here. Applications for scholarships are now open, closing at 23.59 (UK time) on Friday 1 November 2019.
18 – 28 August 2019 at Palestine Polytechnic University and Bethlehem University, Palestine
The Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) in cooperation with Palestine Polytechnic University (PPU), Bethlehem University (BU), and Palestine Academy for Science and Technology (PALAST) are organizing the ‘AGYA Summer School in Numerical Simulation’. The AGYA Summer School takes place from 18 to 28 August 2019 at Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, and Bethlehem University, Bethlehem, in Palestine and will be led by international experts. It is aimed at students and young researchers studying or researching in the fields of mathematics, physics, engineering, and related fields.
More details here. the application form is available here, please see here where to send it to.
We are very happy to announce the third Palestinian Advanced Physics School, to be held at Birzeit University from July 14th — July 18th. The aim of the school is to provide Palestinian advanced undergraduate and master levels students with an overview of exciting recent developments in modern physics, not normally included in the regular curriculum. We encourage all qualified students to apply by May 31st at: www.scientists4palestine.com/paps2019.
ICTP offers fellowships to candidates coming from Developing Countries: it covers the MHPC tuition fees as well as the cost-of-living expenses and a return ticket from the origin country. The scholarships are provided by ICTP (not by MHPC), and winners are automatically admitted to MHPC.
all information here.
The IPSP supports students from Palestine to undertake one-year Master’s-level studies in Ireland. Application forms and the course directory for the IPSP can be downloaded at the bottom of this page. The deadline for applications is 14 March 2019. Shortlisted candidates can be expected to be called for interviews and language testing exams in the first week of April 2019.
All details here.
The Fellowship is offered to women scientists from Science and Technology Lagging Countries (STLCs) to undertake PhD research in the Natural, Engineering and Information Technology sciences at a host institute in the South.
All details here. Deadline for submission: 30 May 2019.
As part of the Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF), the Royal Society has launched an award to enable outstanding UK research leaders to develop international collaborations with the best leading researchers from around the world, to work on some of the global challenges and problems facing developing countries. All the details here. The deadline is 3pm on Thursday 4 April 2019.
These schemes are for scientists based in the UK (or US for the Kan Tong Po programme) who want to stimulate collaborations with leading scientists overseas through either a one-off visit or bilateral travel. All the details here. The current deadline is 3pm on Wednesday 13 March 2019.
ICTP is now accepting applications from young physicists and mathematicians for the 2019-2020 class of the Postgraduate Diploma Programme. The one year course of study prepares talented students for PhD studies, as part of the Centre’s efforts to promote advanced scientific research in developing countries.
All the details here. The deadline is 28 February 2019.
The following statement was approved at the Annual General Meeting of Scientists for Palestine on January 13th 2019:
Scientists for Palestine believes that free collaboration among nations is one of the pillars of the way the scientific community should operate. Understanding how this principle is infringed in the case of Palestine is of tantamount importance, as we attempt to explain in this document.
The primary obstacle towards strengthening science in Palestine is the ongoing Israeli occupation of the West Bank, and the siege of the Gaza strip. The occupation infringes on:
- The right to education of the Palestinian people: through systematic forced closure [1], raids [2], destructions and even bombing [3] of Palestinian universities, schools [4] and scientific infrastructures, Israeli forces prevent Palestinians from having the right to their own education [5], a right which is protected by Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [6]. Furthermore, there have been instances in which established academics have been held in Israeli jails with neither trial nor official charges, apparently just for criticizing these policies [7].
- The freedom of movement: the mobility of Palestinian scientists and students is critically limited by checkpoints in the West Bank [8], which tremendously delay internal travel, an incredibly convoluted system of permits to leave Gaza [9], which makes it a de facto open air prison, and the lack of a single operating airport between the West Bank and Gaza. Modern scientific collaboration can only flourish when scientists are free to travel and are able to experience an exchange of ideas and perspectives.
- Access to equipment and infrastructure: Israeli institutions control nearly everything that comes into Gaza and the West Bank, severely restricting what can be imported [8], as well as the granting of planning permissions in ‘Area C’ of the West Bank. This makes it almost impossible for Palestinian scientists to build experiments or the infrastructure needed for large scientific projects.
Those restrictions have a strong impact on potential collaborations between the Palestinian academic community and the international scientific community, including in particular Israel. In fact:
- There cannot be a true and fair collaboration between Palestinians and Israelis as long as the former do not have free access to the academic and scientific resources and infrastructure that the latter have (residents of the West Bank and Gaza cannot freely travel to Israel, for instance).
- As discussed above, the primary obstacle to Palestinian scientific progress is not a lack of friendliness, but instead those policies implemented by the Israeli government, many in open violation of international law, which repress and discriminate Palestinians.
The Palestinian academic community has largely recognized that their Israeli colleagues’ denouncement and active opposition to the occupation are important. This must be clearly understood as a joint opposition effort between partners that are unequal due to the impacts of the ongoing occupation. Such joint opposition efforts are in contrast to activities that, under the pretext of collaboration, ignore – and thereby normalize – the impact of the occupation in science. Efforts from Israeli academics and scientists of conscience recognizing the situation described in this document and condemning without reservation human right abuses against Palestinians should be encouraged.
References:
[1] University Closure History | Birzeit University.
[2] Birzeit University denounces early-morning campus raid by Israeli military (2017, 14 Dec).
Al-Quds University strongly condemns the raid by the Israeli forces of its campus (2017, 18 Dec).
[3] Israel strikes university in Gaza city, (2014, 2 Aug).
[4] EU Local statement on the dismantling of schools in the West Bank (2018, 26 Oct.).
[5] Israel’s assault on Palestinian universities is a threat to human rights and a tragedy for this generation of students (2018, 21 Oct).
[6] The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
[7] Starved of justice: Palestinians detained without trial by Israel.
[8] Nature: In the Palestinian territories, science struggles against all odds.
[9] Science in the Gaza Strip: the impact of the Israeli occupation. Video produced by Scientists for Palestine.
This website collects various scholarship possibilities for international students to pursue graduate studies in the USA.
Scientists for Palestine had its second Annual General Meeting on Sunday, January 13th 2019, the first one since the constituent General Meeting where S4P’s constitution was approved. During this important meeting members came together to assess the actions of the organization over the last year, and to discuss the direction to take for the future year. Members also voted and passed various amendments to the S4P constitution which was thus accordingly modified, other resolutions and elected the leadership of the organization for the following year.
“ASPIRE is a 10-week program for highly-motivated students to work at the cutting-edge of astronomical research at the Anton Pannekoek Institute (API), University of Amsterdam. Our goal is to give you the experience of astronomical research at a world-leading institute and help kick-start your journey into a science career and all the other avenues it can open. You’ll gain new research skills and an advisor who will be your guide and mentor. We are especially seeking students whose opportunities to access to such experiences are currently limited.”
all details here, including on what funding is available.
The American Astronomical Society the lists summer opportunities for students they have been informed of here.
As part of the scientific collaboration between researchers in Quebec and their counterparts in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza, the Palestinian Quebec Science Bridge (PQSB) aims at promoting the international mobility of Palestinian researchers, especially early-career and junior researchers, and their counterparts in Quebec.
In accordance with the PALAST, FRQS, FRQNT and FRQSC Agreement, the PQSB will fund research projects in three broad research areas: health sciences; natural sciences and engineering; and social sciences, humanities, and arts.
all details on their website.
Perimeter Scholars International is a one-year master’s-level course in theoretical physics designed to bring highly qualified and exceptionally motivated graduate students to the cutting edge of the field in an intense, interactive training environment.
The program includes funding. For more information visit their website here.
STEPS (St Andrews Education for Palestinian Students) was established in January 2011 as an independent charitable foundation to provide funding for Palestinian students at the University of St Andrews.
This scholarship, co-funded by STEPS and the University of St Andrews, will provide funding for up to two Palestinian students to undertake a one-year postgraduate course of study.
All the details here.
“Advancing Theoretical Astrophysics” is intended to build and strengthen essential skills in physics and computation for a career in theoretical astrophysics. We will focus on problems related to accretion and outflows around compact objects; however, many of the skills will translate easily to other fields of theoretical astrophysics. The summer school prioritizes a supportive, collaborative, and diverse learning environment.
more information, including on possible funding here.
Our Second International Meeting for Science in Palestine ended this Sunday at Columbia University, NY, USA.
We are tremendously grateful to everyone who took the time to participate. The weekend was an incredible success and it was beyond wonderful seeing so many people, coming from different backgrounds and sharing different skills, all working towards the same goal: developing innovative visions to support and advanced the integration of the Palestinian scientific community into the broader international community.
Because of the incredible success of the conference, we had to face some exceptional expenses and we are currently $ 1150 dollar short. That is why we have raised our fundraiser goal from $ 5000 to $ 6150. If you haven’t donated yet, and you have money to do it, please consider donating to support our activities, share the fundraiser and ask your friends to support. No donation is too small!
If you missed the meeting you can watch the recordings of the events on our Facebook page, direct links to the various sessions are available here.
Friday’s public event was streamed live, and can be seen here.
The meeting’s sessions are being streamed live on our Facebook page. The first session is here.
The second International Meeting for Science in Palestine will start soon at Columbia University, NY, USA.
The meeting starts this Friday at 5:30PM with a public event on Doing science under military occupation: the case of Palestine.
The rest of the weekend is for registered participant only, but we will try to live-stream the meeting – more information will be posted here and on our facebook page.
You see the full program here.
The program of the Second International Meeting for Science in Palestine is now available here.
The meeting will open with a public event on Doing science under military occupation: the case of Palestine.
The meeting will continue on Saturday and Sunday with sessions for registered participants only. We will hear updates from Palestinian academics on their research along with the challenges they face to carry it out. The meeting will be a unique opportunity to connect with concerned scientists who are willing to work to help build connections with Palestine.
The Second International Meeting for Science in Palestine will open with a public event discussing the circumstances faced by Palestinian academics, and scientists in particular, and what we can do to help.
Applications are now being accepted for Perimeter Institute’s Undergraduate Theoretical Physics Summer Program. This fully-funded two-week summer school offers students the opportunity to participate in ground-breaking research while learning research tools and collaboration skills in the multi-disciplinary environment of the world’s largest independent theoretical physics research centre.
Features of the program include:
- No program fee
- No application fee
- All meals, accommodation and transportation provided
- Opportunity to stay at Perimeter for a paid four-month research internship (start and end dates negotiable).
Apply online at perimeterinstitute.ca/undergrad
More details here.
Applications are still open for the Second International Meeting for Science in Palestine, the event is for registered participants only.
If you would like to participate please don’t forget to fill out the application form here. The application deadline is October 30th 2018.
Scientists for Palestine is raising funds for the Second International Meeting for Science in Palestine, and we need your support.
Most of the money collected here will go towards the essential expenses to run the meeting and in particular towards funding airfare and visa fees for our Palestinian colleagues to make it possible for them to attend the gathering. The breakdown will be as follows:
- $ 3400 will go towards reimbursing visa and travel expenses for Palestinian scientists.
- $ 1000 will go towards meals during the event and one social dinner.
- $ 600 will go towards advertisment and extra expenses.
No donation is too small, and all contributions are greatly appreciated!
From November 9th through 11th, 2018 Scientists for Palestine and many other members of the international scientific community, will gather at Columbia University in the City of New York for our Second International Meeting for Science in Palestine, a weekend-long meeting involving multiple plenary and parallel sessions.
The goal of the workshop is to reaffirm our vision and establish new and ambitious objectives for scientific collaboration between the Palestinian and the international community, transcending the limitations caused by 50 years of ongoing occupation.
International meetings for science in Palestine are essential to break the international isolation of the Palestinian academic community. Though organising high-level scientific events requires funding. To make sure that Palestinian academics are able to participate and take an active role in the event we need to face the high cost of airfares and visa fees. Unfortunately securing funding for non-standard scientific gatherings like the upcoming one at Columbia University, can be challenging. Very few universities, laboratories, or science agencies provide funding for such events.
From November 9th through 11th, 2018 Scientists for Palestine and many other members of the international scientific community, will gather at Columbia University in the City of New York for a weekend-long meeting involving multiple plenary and parallel sessions. The event is co-sponsored by the Center for Palestine Studies at Columbia University, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, Science for the People and Within our Lifetime • United for Palestine. This will be Scientists for Palestine’s second international gathering, after a similar initiative hosted earlier this year at the University of Cambridge, UK.
The event is only open for registered participants, if you would like to participate please fill out the application form. The application deadline is October 30th 2018. Up to date information will be available in the gathering’s webpage, and on the Facebook event.
Participants are expected to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.
“The Early Career Women Scientists (ECWS) fellowship is a prestigious award of up to USD 50,000 offered to women who have completed their PhDs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and are employed at an academic or scientific research institute in one of the listed Science and Technology Lagging Countries (STLCs).” More information on their website
Information on scholarship for foreign students to study in France here.
Lack of funding for Palestinians pursuing their studies, both at home and abroad, is a considerable obstacle for the advancement in their careers. Opportunities for scholarship exist (gathered here) but they can be narrow in scope. We thus decided to advertise individual fundraising campaigns created directly by Palestinian students in order to support their studies here.
The French government has scholarships for studies, training courses and language courses in France. More information on their website here.
Ahdaf supports young people intending to undertake their first undergraduate degree at a university in the West Bank or Gaza, who have not attended university before, and may consider students who are enrolled and in their first year. All the details on to whom the scholarship applies to and what is included are available on their website.
Scholarships Ads is a regularly updated and relatively thorough listing of scholarships around the world, mostly for masters and PhD programs. Their search engine allows for searches by country, research area, etc. Website is here.
The European Union offers scholarships for master degrees through the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree program. These are available in all areas of research, including all areas of science. In each area, groups of European universities join together to offer positions. For more information on eligibility, funds available, deadlines, etc. visit their website here.
The International Mathematical Union/CDC’s program provides research assistantships to graduate – PhD and Master – students of emerging research groups working in a developing country listed in Priority 1 or 2 of the IMU CDC Definition of Developing Countries. All the details are here.
Swiss government offers different fellowships depending on country of origin to pursue research or further studies at doctoral or post-doctoral level in Switzerland. See here for all the details and deadlines.
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