'We just want the university life that we can't have in Palestine'

Nour and Lujain are 22-year-old friends from Nablus (West Bank) who want to study at the University of Malaga (UMA). Recently, they held a meeting - Nour in person and Lujain via videocall from Palestine - with various university representatives to discuss their options. Among them were María José Berlanga, vice-rector of equality and social policy, Inmaculada Crespillo, head of the admissions service, Manuel Ladoux, a social worker at the university, and Aisling Devlin, a participant in last year's student camp calling for support for the Palestinian people and an end to the university's relations with Israel.

Nour just needs to complete the internship she is currently doing in Malaga's tourism sector to graduate in Translation and Lujain has already earned her degree in Public Relations and Communication. However, Lujain, speaking from Nablus, explained that although they have finished their studies at An-Najah National University or are about to, they haven't experienced a normal university life. Due to the war and the frequent attacks on Palestinian cities, they haven't been able to attend classes in person and have had to study online. They want to make up for lost time and experience the typical university life that has been taken from them by a conflict that has intensified over the past twelve months and lasted for far too many decades.

Moreover, they want to study in an education system they consider better than the one in their homeland, as they argue that quality education is difficult to achieve in such a tense environment. While their area is not the Gaza Strip under constant siege, there are still constant tensions. Lujain explained that just the day before their meeting with UMA she saw Israeli soldiers storming the café where she was sitting. The workers locked the doors tightly to protect their customers and when she left, she found out that people had been killed as a result. "You can't study like that," she said. Now, Lujain explained, classes remain online. Due to checkpoints and restrictions, even teachers are unable to reach the classrooms to teach.

At UMA Nour and Lujain are looking to pursue a Master's degree, either in Business Administration or International Relations. However, it is not because they really want to stay in Malaga or Spain; their true desire is to return to Palestine, open an academy and contribute to the education of their people. They also shared that, in recent years, they have seen that many people from other countries have travelled to the Palestinian territories as they are interested in learning about the region and its people. With this planned venture, they aim to strengthen the connections between Palestine and other parts of the world.

They had hoped to enrol at UMA this year, but that won't be possible. During their meeting with university officials, it was determnied that they need to improve their Spanish proficiency and demonstrate that they have a sufficient level to follow the courses. So, this academic year, they will start language classes offered by the UMA Foundation for foreigners, and they will most likely be receiving a scholarship for this. Afterwards, they will need to take a Cambridge exam. Lujain had already wanted to come to Spain to complete her eduation before the escalation of the Middle Eastern conflict a year ago, so has some knowledge of Spanish and hopes the language will not be a problem.

Do they consider returning to Palestine even as the war not only persists but escalates and spreads to Lebanon or Iran? "As Palestinians, we always hold onto the hope that one day everything will return to normal. Everyone in the region has the right to live in peace," replied Lujain.

Nour has been in Spain for over a month and plans to stay until December, although now that she is about to start her Spanish studies, she may extend her stay. In Malaga, she is with her brother Amr, who has been living in the city for two years. As a digital nomad, he works for a medical marketing company based in Palestine. Amr came to Spain to escape the conflict, drawn by the Spanish culture, which he appreciates for its openness and Mediterranean influence which makes it similar to his own. He admits that now that his sister is also here, his family have mixed feelings: on the one hand, they think they are safer here, but on the other, they miss them and fear they will never return to Nablus. However, their strong attachment to their homeland leads them to rule out staying in Spain forever, just as their family is hesitant to join them in Malaga.

"They don't want to leave, they want to live," Amr said.

The support for Palestinian students goes beyond just these two cases. There is also Leena Siyam, who is already living in the university residence at UMA. Additionally, at least one more girl, currently sheltered in Egypt with her parents, could join her. The faculty members who participated in UMA'S demonstrations for Palestine, along with those from other European universities, are compiling a list of young people who can study in the Europe. This initiative aims to prevent the Palestinian people from losing more human capital as a result of this ongoing war.

UMA has been welcoming Palestinian students for more than just the past year. According to Manuel Ladoux, the UMA Refugia program was established in 2015 in response to the Syrian war, with the goal of providing resources for students. This includes, covering their tuiton, housing, living expenses, Spanish language courses and psychological support.. In order to support this initiative, the university collaborates with organisations like CEAR, Red Cross, Málaga Acoge and Accem, which help refugees in the province and refer them to UMA.

So far, 68 individuals have participated in classes at the Teatinos and El Ejido campuses, with 17 having completed either a bachelor's or a master's degree. Initially, most of the students were from Syria, Afghanistan, or Africa, but since 2019, the majority have come from Venezuela and Colombia. Now, the programme is also welcoming students from Ukraine and Palestine. Additionally, it is open to researchers, educators, and all university staff.

In order to participate, they have to prove that they have the qualifications required for university admission. As Crespillo explained, while UMA is flexible and understands that those arriving from conflict zones may struggle to gather their documentation, they ultimately require that all paperwork be in order.

Therefore, the two young women in this report will need to submit their degrees from their Palestinian university in order to pursue their master’s programme. However, they are determined to study here and return to their country to help it grow and prosper.

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