The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex, Professor Sasha Roseneil, together with leaders of six other UK universities, has written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urging the government to allow Palestinian students to travel to the UK with their dependents to take up their scholarship places. This letter, along with a supporting letter signed by 35 rabbis and bishops, has been covered by the Independent newspaper and other media websites.

In the letter, the signatories asked for the students to be added to scheduled evacuation flights this week. With the academic term now well underway, non-PhD students who do not travel this week not be able to take up places this year, despite having made extraordinary efforts to secure places and full funding.

UNICEF has offered to evacuate all scholar families with child dependents on 26 October, and the letter appealed to the government to use discretion in allowing dependents to join their families for the onward journey.

The signatories are:

• Professor Sasha Roseneil, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Sussex
• Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Bristol
• Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge
• Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford
• Dr Michael Spence, President and Provost, University College London
• Professor Lisa Roberts, Vice-Chancellor, University of Exeter
• Professor Andy Schofield, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of Glasgow

Sussex’s support for Palestinian students

The University has created seven new Sussex Scholarships for Palestine, with the generous support of donors. One of the scholars has been evacuated and has started their course at Sussex, with special transition and induction support from the University. The Brighton and Sussex Medical School has welcomed two medical students from Gaza, who have already started their studies. We have been engaging intensively with government agencies and lobbying government to support the evacuation of the other students, including through the letter reported on above.

We are committed to working with Palestinian universities in a range of ways during and beyond the war, including supporting online teaching for many thousands of students through a new framework for sharing educational resources. We recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Al-Azhar University in Gaza, signalling an intention to cooperate in education and research, and we are working with other universities and sector bodies on long-term partnerships between UK and Palestinian higher education.  

This has been, and continues to be, a cross-institutional team effort by many members of academic and professional services staff, who are deeply committed to supporting Palestinian students and universities.

University of Sanctuary

Sussex is recognised as a University of Sanctuary and we are committed to promoting a culture of welcome and inclusion, providing a safe place for forced migrants and asylum seekers. In addition to the new scholarships for Palestinian students, the University’s Sanctuary Scholarships offer two undergraduate scholarships and one Master’s scholarship a year to forced migrants, asylum-seekers, and at-risk scholars.