Taawon participated in the Friends of Palestinian Universities (FPU) Annual Conference 2026, Standing with Palestinian Higher Education: Global Solidarity and Academic Partnership, held in London, bringing together Palestinian university leaders, international academics, higher education institutions, and partners committed to supporting Palestinian higher education.
Representing Taawon and the ISNAD initiative, Carmen Kishek, Partnership and Resource Development Lead, joined the conference's closing plenary, "From Solidarity to Action: What UK and European Universities Must Do Next," alongside Dr. Abdel Razzaq Takriti, member of Taawon's Board of Trustees and the ISNAD Steering Committee, and other leading academics and higher education partners.
The discussion focused on moving beyond expressions of solidarity toward practical, long-term partnerships that strengthen Palestinian higher education and protect academic institutions under severe and prolonged disruption
During the session, Taawon presented ISNAD as an institutional resilience initiative supporting the continuity of Palestinian higher education. Rather than focusing only on individual scholarships, ISNAD supports the continuity of higher education institutions by helping cover tuition, sustain essential university functions, and enable universities to continue teaching, examining, graduating students, and serving their communities under severe and prolonged disruption.
The intervention highlighted that protecting higher education requires protecting the institutions that make education possible. Universities are not only places of learning; they are national institutions that preserve knowledge, produce future professionals, and contribute to Palestinian resilience and recovery.
