In response to what Amnesty International has identified as an educide —the deliberate destruction of educational and research institutions in Gaza— the University of Liège (ULiège), known for its commitment as a “Université hospitalière*” has intensified efforts to host Palestinian researchers. Although three scholarships have been awarded, none of the selected candidates have been able to take them up. ULiège is now denouncing the diplomatic deadlock and urging federal authorities to establish an expedited administrative process that would allow researchers from conflict zones to leave their countries safely.
Heba Abu Shammala-Abuabdou moved to Liège this autumn and, on 1st of December, began a doctoral thesis on the didactics of mathematics, in the Faculty of Psychology, Logopedics and Educational Sciences. She has been awarded a grant from the ULiège Hospital University program.
She has joined her husband, who has been working at the Université libre de Bruxelles since December 2024. It was because the family had been refugees in Cairo for almost two years that their arrival in Belgium was possible; this is still not the case for the researchers who remained in Gaza, since the rules laid down by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs still prevent them from leaving the enclave to join our country. Basem Ahmed and his family are still stranded in Gaza, despite having obtained all the necessary authorizations, visas and permits from the Federal Foreign Office and the Walloon Region. Their already precarious living conditions - in a simple tent, with no regular means of subsistence - have been further worsened by the arrival of rain and winter cold.
The University of Liège continues to urge the Minister of Foreign Affairs to find an administrative fast-track for the rapid evacuation and reception of these highly qualified profiles.
Since May 2024, when Amnesty officially recognised the educide in Gaza, several ULiège researchers have strengthened ties with their Gazan counterparts. Their goal: to welcome scientists and their families to Liège under the university’s “Université hospitalière” initiative. Out of around fifty applications, three researchers—two men and one woman—were selected. Yet none have been able to reach Belgium.
The case of Palestinian computer scientist Basem Ahmed is particularly telling. “He’s a respected expert in automatic language processing and was set to join the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters for a research project in collaboration with the University of Lorraine,” explains Élise Franssen, a senior FNRS researcher specialising in Arabic language and Islamic studies, who has been in close contact with Ahmed for months. “He’s received a valid work permit from the Walloon Region, but the Foreigners’ Office has yet to issue his visa,” she says, describing the situation as “absurd.”
“The federal government is holding up the process, just as Israel is blocking the borders. But the Israeli blockade isn’t insurmountable—France has managed to evacuate over 200 researchers and artists, along with their families,” she adds.
Ahmed remains trapped in Gaza with his wife and five children. Their situation has deteriorated: they’re now living in a tent on a small, costly patch of beach. They eat only once a day—or every other day. Although the bombings have paused in recent days, conditions in Gaza remain extremely tense.
“All the necessary steps have been completed, including a State Security screening,” says Michel Moutschen, Vice-Rector for Research. He emphasises that ULiège isn’t asking the Belgian government for funding—just for administrative support. “We’re calling for a fast-track procedure that would allow scientists to be evacuated from conflict zones, whether in Gaza or elsewhere,” he explains.
ULiège’s initiative, echoed by other universities, is not just humanitarian—it’s based on rigorous scientific selection. “Our university stands to benefit from welcoming these Palestinian researchers,” notes Élise Franssen. “Failing to bring them here is a loss for us as well.”
As part of its role as a “Université hospitalière”, ULiège has allocated funds to support Ahmed and his family, including his salary. “These funds are intended to help researchers—and students—fleeing conflict or facing threats in their home countries to settle here,” says Pierre Duysinx, Vice-Rector for Mobility and International Affairs, who oversees the programme’s implementation.
*”Université hospitalière” : programme dedicated to fostering hospitality and support for international students and researchers.
Communiqué of the Rectors' Council of February 20, 2025.
The University of Liège is developing various initiatives to welcome and integrate students and researchers fleeing conflicts or whose lives are threatened by their country of origin.
Communiqué du Conseil des rectrices et recteurs du 9 septembre 2024
