Durham Palestine Educational Trust
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| Founded | February 2021 (1984 as the Durham Birzeit Studentship Fund) |
|---|---|
| Type | Charitable organization |
| Registration no. | 1085097 |
| Focus | To enable Palestinian residents of the West Bank of the River Jordan and the Gaza Strip to pursue educational and or training at the University of Durham |
Area served | Durham/ Palestine |
| Revenue | £166,858.84 |
| Endowment | £1,563,639.20 (Pauline Trust - Permanent Endowment) |
| Website | durhampalestine |
Durham Palestine Educational Trust (formerly Durham Birzeit Studentship Fund) is a British charity that offers scholarships to outstanding graduates in Palestine to take master's degree courses at Durham University.
History
The trust was established in 1984 as the Durham Birzeit Studentship Fund to support students at Birzeit University to come to Durham for a year of their undergraduate degree. In 2001 it became the Durham Palestine Educational Trust, supporting graduates of any Palestinian university to pursue a master's degree at Durham.[1]
Activities
In 2015, the British Council's Voices magazine reported that "gaining quality international experience and being able to bring it back will be vital to the sustainability and growth of the local higher education sector, and consequently Palestinian society". The Durham Palestine Educational Trust was identified as one of three funding opportunities for study in the UK at that time.[2]
Scholarships
Two or more scholarships are offered each year for master's degrees at Durham. One of the conditions of these scholarships is that the student should be "an active ambassador for Palestinians" while in Durham, leading the Times of Israel to say that Durham has "a checkered history on the Israel-Palestine conflict".[3] Other non-academic conditions of the scholarship include returning to the West Bank or Gaza after completing the course. The scholarship consists of two parts: a maintenance scholarship provided by the trust and a tuition fee scholarship provided by the university.[4][5]
Funding
Durham University contributes significantly by offering tuition fee scholarships to successful candidates. Funds necessary to cover the students' maintenance, travel and other costs are raised by voluntary donations from individuals, mainly current and retired staff of the University and other people in the Durham area. In 2021, the Trust was endowed by a bequest from Bryan Fortescue, known as Paul Fortescue. The bequest established a permanent endowment called the Pauline Trust from which only the income on the capital may be expended. The total value of the bequest as of 2021 was £1,859,561.74.
Fundraising has also included Easter book fairs on Palace Green, held annually since 2014.[6]
Patrons
The Trust's Patrons are Professor Chris Higgins, Professor Ash Amin, Professor Sarah Banks, Professor John Clarke, Professor Ann Moss, Professor Michael Prestwich, Professor Brian Tanner, and Professor Sir Arnold Wolfendale.
External links
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- ^ "Durham University Records: Faculties and Departments". Durham University Library. Durham Palestine Educational Trust.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|acces-date=ignored (help) - ^ Tim Sowula (7 January 2015). "Why Palestinian universities are looking abroad". Voices. British Council.
- ^ Jenni Frazer (16 February 2018). "Dan Meridor welcomed with shouts of 'Shame,' protests at London university event". Times of Israel.
- ^ "Durham Palestine Educational Trust Scholarship". British Council. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "Guide to scholarships for Palestinian students" (PDF). University and College Union. March 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ Rachel Conner-Hill (8 April 2019). "Durham charity to host giant book fair for Palestinian student fund". The Northern Echo.