Ramallah – The Ministry of Education and Higher Education and British Council signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) earlier this week, marking an important milestone in UK–Palestine academic cooperation under the Higher Education Scholarship Palestine (HESPAL) programme.

Signed at the Ministry’s headquarters in Ramallah, the agreement strengthens collaboration in higher education and scientific research between Palestinian and UK institutions. The MoU was signed by His Excellency Prof. Amjad Barham, Minister of Education and Higher Education, and Shahida MacDougall, British Council Director in Palestine, in the presence of the British Consul General in Jerusalem, Helen Winterton.

The agreement establishes a framework for deeper cooperation between UK and Palestinian higher education institutions, reinforcing the British Council’s long-standing commitment to supporting higher education in Palestine through the HESPAL programme. Through this partnership, the British Council works with 19 universities across Palestine and 35 UK universities to strengthen academic collaboration, research partnerships and international exchange opportunities.

The collaboration will expand academic partnerships between UK and Palestinian universities, promote collaborative research through grants and research opportunities, increase scholarships, offer a new fellowship programme and create capacity-building opportunities for Palestinian academics and institutions.

Shahida MacDougall, British Council Director in Palestine, said:

“This agreement reflects the long-standing and mutually beneficial partnership between Palestine and the UK in higher education and research. Through HESPAL, Palestinian scholars and researchers have made valuable contributions to academic communities in both Palestine and the UK through innovative research, leadership and collaboration. We are proud to continue creating opportunities that strengthen institutions, support academic resilience and deepen cooperation between Palestinian and UK universities.”

The MoU comes at a particularly important moment for Palestinian higher education, as universities, academics and students continue to face unprecedented challenges, particularly in Gaza and across the West Bank. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to sustaining access to quality education, supporting academic resilience and creating opportunities for future generations of students and researchers.

For more information, please contact: Razan.Kaloti@britishcouncil.org

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2022–23 we reached 600 million people.

HESPAL is a flagship scholarship and capacity-building programme that supports Palestinian academics and professionals to pursue postgraduate study opportunities in the UK. Since its launch 15 years ago, the programme has played a significant role in strengthening Palestinian higher education institutions through the development of academic leadership, research capacities and institutional partnerships between Palestinian and UK universities.

www.britishcouncil.org