Project manager Rawia Awadallah
New EU project will strengthen education and resilience in Palestine and Ukraine
The research project FORWARD aims to give students in Palestine and Ukraine practical tools to help their local communities become more resilient in the face of war. The knowledge gained will benefit not only their own societies, but also other regions affected by conflict.
The European project Urban resilience through open science, education, and community engagement in war regions (FORWARD) (oslomet.no) receives funding of approximately EUR 740,000 from the EU Erasmus+ program to strengthen urban resilience in Palestine and Ukraine.
The resilience of cities and urban communities can be described as their ability; across individuals, institutions, systems, and cities; to endure, adapt, and continue developing in the face of crises such as war and natural disasters, while addressing ongoing challenges like energy shortages, water scarcity, food insecurity, and housing demands.
"The goal is to strengthen communities’ ability to handle crises, rebuild for the future, and maintain some sense of everyday lifehandle crises, rebuild for the future, and maintain some sense of everyday life," says project manager Rawia Awadallah at the Department of archivistics, library and information science.
Online training programs
FORWARD will develop an online training program for students, researchers, and professionals in fields such as urban planning, crisis management, engineering, agriculture, and IT – both at universities and in civil society organizations in Palestine and Ukraine.
The educational program is based on the needs in Palestine and Ukraine, covering topics such as water management, sustainable energy, housing and emergency sheltering, food security, and gender equality.
One module focuses on open science and will strengthen students’ competence throughout the research data cycle – from collection to reuse.
Support for institutions in crisis
The FORWARD project involves universities in Gaza, the West Bank, and Ukraine and will help rebuild and strengthen education systems that have been hit hard by war and destruction.
“This project is a helping hand to higher education institutions affected by war and occupation, and it also gives us valuable knowledge about institutional preparedness – something that is increasingly relevant for us as well,” says Oddgeir Osland, Dean at the Faculty of Social Sciences.
“It’s also an inspiration for those of us working to ensure that Norwegian universities and authorities take greater responsibility for supporting students, colleagues, and civilians in Palestine.”
or oss som arbeider for at norske universitet og styresmakter skal ta større ansvar for å støtte studentar, kollegaer og sivilbefolkninga i Palestina.
Read the whole interview with Rawia Awadallah at oslomet.no.
