The project, which is taking place in partnership with An-Najah, sees three early career researchers with expertise in civil society and citizenship join Northumbria’s expert research team for a year. The initiative is being led by Professor Matt Baillie Smith, Director of Northumbria’s Centre for International Development and draws on the research of Dr. Mark Griffiths, Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellow at Northumbria University.

Dr. Griffiths' research in Palestine focuses on the embodied aspects of the occupation in the West Bank. His collaboration with Dr. Sanaa Al-Sarghali, Constitutional Law Assistant Professor at An-Najah's Law Faculty was a key factor in making this exciting project possible.

He said: "We're particularly pleased to be awarded this grant because it gives research mobility and capacities to Palestinian academics. I'm excited at the prospect of bringing three capable scholars to come to work alongside us at the Centre for International Development at Northumbria."

The three scholars that got awarded this prestigious fellowship are: Dr. Kefah Barham, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Educational Sciences and Teacher Training, Dr. Rabeh Morar, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences and Dr. Fayez Mahameed, Head of the Humanities Department at the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

On this occasion, Professor Maher Natsheh, Acting President of An-Najah said: "We are very pleased with this new collaboration with Northumbria University. This achievement indicates that the University has a strong track record in developing academic careers in universities and research institutions. This prestigious fellowship falls with our strategic plan in having more international links in terms of research, and Northumbria is a delightful addition to those links."

He added: "An-Najah has established strong relations and partnerships with different U.K institutions to develop academic standards, enhance cultural understanding and create ‎more opportunities for the University academic and administrative staff. Our goal as a leading Palestinian university is to work on facilitating opportunities for our scholars to expand their knowledge and network."

Dr. Mohammad El-Amleh, Vice President for Academic Affairs, commented: "This new partnership is a platform for our fellows to develop their research skills. The University administration is working hard to develop scientific research as it is one of the pillars of University internationalization."

Professor Matt Baillie Smith, Director of Northumbria’s Centre for International Development, said that the award was a reflection of the University’s world-leading expertise in volunteering and development.

He added: "We are delighted to have been awarded funding from the Rutherford fund to support our highly valued collaboration with An-Najah."

"Despite the critical role volunteering can play in shaping citizenship, there has been limited research that addresses how this works outside Europe and North America, nor work done in partnership between scholars in global South and North."

"The Rutherford fund’s award of this grant will support the development of a hub of expertise on volunteering and citizenship in the Occupied Palestinian Territories which brings together academics, practitioners and policy makers, and which will help shape new global agendas on volunteering and citizenship."

Notes:

Northumbria’s Centre for International Development is a dynamic group, bringing together academics, practitioners and students on issues of global poverty and inequality. The Centre’s specialist areas of focus include governance, environmental resources and sustainability, volunteering and civil society as well as participatory design and digital civics.