Lokman Hekim University highlighted the challenges facing health sciences education in Gaza, the importance of scientific solidarity, and opportunities for academic collaboration through the event “From Gaza to Ankara: A Bridge of Science and Solidarity.”
Lokman Hekim University brought together faculty members and students at the “From Gaza to Ankara: A Bridge of Science and Solidarity” event, held on September 22, 2026, at the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality’s Zafer Youth Academy. Organized as part of the Science Café series, the program addressed the challenges in education and healthcare in Gaza, the future of health sciences education, and the importance of rehabilitation services under crisis conditions.
Voices from Gaza Echoed in Ankara
The program began with an opening speech by Lokman Hekim University Rector Prof. Dr. Fatih Gültekin.
This was followed by the “Voices from Gaza” segment, during which Lin Abu Safiya from Al-Azhar University’s Faculty of Medicine, Ali Muhammed Al-Maghrabi from Al-Aqsa University’s Faculty of Nursing, and Tasnim Badr from the Islamic University’s Faculty of Health Sciences shared their experiences regarding the fields of education and health in Gaza.
The Future of Health Sciences Education in Gaza Was Discussed
Later in the event, Dr. Muhammed Riyad Muhammed Zuaghbur, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, participated via video link in the session titled “The Present and Future of Health Sciences Education in Gaza” and offered his insights.
The session addressed the sustainability of medical and health sciences education under crisis conditions, the importance of academic solidarity, and the future of the trained workforce in the health sector.
The program, moderated by Ula Alkhuffash from Lokman Hekim University, also featured Dr. Ali Hasan Mustafa Al-Khatib, Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS), who joined the participants.
The Role of Rehabilitation and Occupational Therapy in Crisis Conditions Was Highlighted
In the final segment of the program, a session titled “The Role of Rehabilitation and Occupational Therapy in Crisis Conditions: A Palestinian Graduate’s Perspective” was held.
Zahi Thoqan, who participated in the event online, discussed the importance of rehabilitation and occupational therapy in crisis conditions from an alumnus’s perspective.
The event, which concluded with a question-and-answer session, laid the groundwork for the exchange of scientific knowledge and experience between Gaza and Ankara, while once again bringing to the forefront the role of universities in the fields of education, health, and social solidarity.
