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At Yıldız Technical University, the panel discussion “Being a University in Gaza”—organized as part of the YÖK Science Café events—addressed the struggle to continue education amid intense attacks and opportunities for academic collaboration with universities in Gaza. The journey of Palestinian academic Dr. Abdulnasır İsa—from his undergraduate studies to his doctorate while in prison—and the 17-volume work he authored despite challenging conditions were among the panel’s most compelling narratives.

The “Being a University in Gaza” panel, held as part of the Science Café events organized at universities under the coordination of the YÖK Office of Science Communication, took place at YTÜ’s Davutpaşa Otağ-ı Hümayun.

The panel, which opened with a speech by YTÜ Vice Rector for Education and Teaching Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya, featured: Dr. Hamza Ahmed Mousa Makhamreh, a faculty member in the Department of Control and Automation Engineering at YTÜ; Anas El Saleh, a YTÜ Industrial Engineering student and President of the General Union of Palestinian Students in Turkey; and Dr. Abdünnasır İsa, a Palestinian academic who completed his education—from undergraduate studies to a doctorate—during his 34 years in prison. Prof. Dr. Asaad Yousef Asaad, Rector of the Islamic University of Gaza, also participated in the panel via a video message.

The panel, which assessed the severe conditions facing higher education in Gaza due to Israel’s attacks, focused on the impact of the destruction of educational institutions on students and academics, efforts to continue education, and the importance of international academic solidarity.

“Gaza is a university that transforms the conscience of humanity”

In his opening remarks, YTÜ Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya stated that the events unfolding in Gaza must be evaluated within the context of humanity and human dignity, noting that Gaza—under occupation and bombardment—is teaching the world a lesson in conscience and dignity.

Karakaya said, “Imagine a place—under occupation, under bombardment—yet teaching the world’s parched conscience. It reminds people, who have chased after a materialistic world, that they are human and to remember their dignity. What price is it paying? Its very life.”

Noting that Gaza speaks to humanity’s shared conscience despite the devastation it has endured, Karakaya said, “In fact, Gaza is a university. Today, Gaza is a university that is transforming humanity’s conscience. But how tragic it is that the universities in this region have been destroyed and razed to the ground.”

Pointing out that university-age youth in Gaza have lost both their families and their educational environments, Karakaya emphasized that as students in Turkey prepare to return to their universities for the new semester, the conditions faced by their peers in Gaza must also be taken into consideration.

Educational activities that will heal Gaza’s wounds

Stating that universities must develop concrete contributions for Gaza, Karakaya highlighted the importance of transforming academic resources into educational solidarity. “It is time to stop just giving speeches about Gaza and actually do something. We are a university. We need to make plans that will contribute to Gaza,” he said.

Referring to his meeting with the President of the Jerusalem Platform, Karakaya stated, “As Yıldız Technical University, we will organize a separate initiative for tangible, visible educational activities that will serve as a balm for Gaza’s wounds.”

Recalling the Gaza march held at YTÜ the previous year, Karakaya emphasized the importance of keeping the events in Gaza on the agenda and expressed his hope that Jerusalem would achieve freedom and Gaza would find peace.

A Message of Academic Solidarity from Gaza

Prof. Dr. Asaad Yousef Asaad, Rector of the Islamic University of Gaza, described in a video message the challenges faced by universities and academics in Gaza. Emphasizing their determination to continue educational activities despite the suffering and harsh conditions, Asaad highlighted the importance of academic cooperation between Turkey and Palestine. Sharing his hope for the revitalization of Gaza’s educational journey, he delivered a message of solidarity grounded in science and humanity.
 

Education Continues in Gaza Despite All Challenges

In his speech titled “Being an Academic in Gaza,” Dr. Hamza Ahmed Mousa Makhamreh touched on the history of education in Palestine and described the role of schools opened during the Ottoman period in the region’s educational life. He noted that transportation barriers in the West Bank and Jerusalem have disrupted education, while in Gaza, approximately 70 percent of schools have been damaged or destroyed.

Emphasizing that educational activities continue despite the harsh conditions, Makhamreh reported that the number of temporary learning spaces rose from 494 in March 2026 to 610 in July. He stated that, as of July 2026, 435,000 children and students, along with 10,000 teachers and staff members, had benefited from educational support programs.

Drawing attention to the fact that behind these figures are people struggling to educate themselves in tents, lacking safe learning environments and facing a shortage of supplies, Makhamreh said that the difficulties faced by students and teachers are reflected in all aspects of daily life.

Noting that students in Turkey and Palestine could carry out joint capstone projects and thesis work, Makhamreh added that academics could also contribute to this process through joint research. Suggesting that awareness could be raised through academic and cultural events, Makhamreh said, “Sometimes academic collaboration can be simpler than we think. Yet its impact can be enormous.”

“A nation’s future is first written in the classrooms”

Anas El Saleh, an industrial engineering student at YTÜ, drew a parallel between Yıldız Technical University’s educational journey—which began in 1911 under challenging conditions—and the Palestinian people’s struggle for education during his speech titled “Existing Through Education.” He emphasized that education in Palestine is one of the fundamental elements of preserving social existence and securing the future.

Citing assessments by UNESCO and the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education, he reported that 95 percent of university buildings in Gaza have been damaged, 22 campuses have been completely destroyed, and the education of approximately 88,000 students has been disrupted.

Anas El Saleh also addressed the experiences of Palestinian students studying in Turkey, describing the efforts of young people—some of whom had lost their families or were evacuated while injured—to return to their university studies. He emphasized the importance of scholarships in enabling these students to continue their education.

Concrete Proposals for Cooperation Between YTÜ and Universities in Gaza

Noting that YTÜ’s expertise in engineering and architecture could contribute to universities in Gaza, El Saleh listed his proposals for bilateral cooperation as follows:

“Joint research projects on reconstruction engineering; remote course access and digital library access for Gazan students; permanent scholarship quotas; and joint studio projects where our students provide voluntary technical support for the redesign of destroyed campuses. None of these are merely symbolic gestures; each is a concrete reflection of a nation’s determination to rebuild its own future.”

Noting that education enables a nation to hold on to its future even under the most difficult conditions, El Saleh issued a call for solidarity, saying, “That student will continue to learn—today in a tent, and tomorrow perhaps in one of these university lecture halls.”

He turned a prison into a madrasa and wrote 17 volumes of books

Sharing his experiences in a speech titled “Holding Fast to Education Despite the Darkness: The Educational Struggle of Palestinian Prisoners,” Palestinian academic Dr. Abdünnasır İsa explained that he never gave up on learning despite arrests, solitary confinement, and bans on education. Noting that they had created an educational environment in prison where inmates taught one another, Isa said he had written 17-volume books under harsh conditions.

Isa recounted that he had been arrested repeatedly during his high school and college years, but returned to the classroom each time he was released; he also noted that he continued his education with the support of his professors even during the period starting in 1994 when he became a wanted man. He noted that, since he could not attend university, he completed his coursework and proctored exams outside university buildings during his 34-year life in prison and solitary confinement.

His four-year undergraduate program took eight years to complete

Isa explained that he was arrested in Nablus in 1995 and subjected to physical and psychological torture during interrogation; he added that he resumed his studies after being transferred to prison. He emphasized that access to books and the right to a university education are among the fundamental demands of prisoners on hunger strike.

Isa noted that Israeli authorities initially did not allow them to study at Palestinian or Arab universities, forcing them to continue their education through Israeli universities, and stated that he studied Political Science and International Relations. He said that due to periodic restrictions on his ability to attend classes, as well as solitary confinement, isolation, and transfers, it took him 8 years to complete his 4-year bachelor’s degree, and that he graduated with a master’s degree in 2009. He explained that despite the subsequent complete ban on university education, they managed to enroll in Palestinian and Arab universities through various means in 2010.

Everyone taught what they knew to others

Noting that the struggle for education in prison developed through the sharing of knowledge among inmates, Isa said he passed on what he learned at the university to other inmates and that he, too, took classes from experienced instructors. He explained that they conducted studies in fields such as Islamic law, administration, and planning, and that after about 10 years, the inmates took on the responsibility for their own education.

This solidarity, in which inmates taught and learned from one another, created a madrasa-like environment within the prison. Emphasizing that learning opportunities were extremely limited, Isa explained that there was no internet, no suitable desks, and no proper study environment; they sat on the floor and wrote on pieces of cardboard. Noting that they continued their work by hiding their papers, Isa said that despite all the obstacles, education instilled vitality and a will to live in the inmates.

He Received Solitary Confinement for Writing, Yet Continued to Produce

Isa noted that among the 17 volumes he authored in prison was a series titled “According to Sources,” in which he tracked developments in Israel. He said he wrote approximately 1,000 words a day and managed to get his work out of prison with great difficulty. He noted that he was held in solitary confinement for two weeks because of his writings, but upon his return, he continued to write and publish under a pseudonym.

Isa also explained that they established the Hadarat Center in prison for political and strategic research and conducted scientific meetings and studies; he noted that, thanks to collaborations with Palestinian universities, hundreds of prisoners had completed their undergraduate degrees and dozens had earned master’s degrees.

Isa summarized his commitment to education in a response he gave to an official who asked him why he was so dedicated to this cause: “Because we are a nation that says, ‘Read.’”