1. Teaching and Research in Astronomy at Al Aqsa and other Palestinian Universities

Al Aqsa University, Gaza, has asked PEACE for support to develop an academic and research program in astronomy through:

-         Setting up an undergraduate (and subsequently a Master) program on Astronomy at Al Aqsa University, with the possibility to extend it to other Palestinian universities. The Master course will be taught in close cooperation with foreign universities (72% Palestinian staff, part of which will have to be trained  through studies abroad, 30% exchange foreign staff);

-         Developing research in Astronomy, mainly through joint exchange projects with foreign universities and a space laboratory at Al Aqsa University;

-         Further developing the outreach activities already launched to teach astronomy to children and adults.

Promising international support has been secured for this project, notably from the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Dr. Suleiman Baraka of Al Aqsa University was in Paris in June 2010 for talks with the universities of Paris 6, Paris 7 and the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris (IAP) for future cooperation and support. A meeting with representatives of relevant UNESCO units was organized in June 2010 where Dr. Baraka presented the Project. The participants welcomed the initiative and recommended its support. Concretely, it suggested that the project proposal be further elaborated for submission to potential funding agencies. It was also suggested to submit a proposal to UNESCO to set up a UNESCO Chair on Astronomy at Al Aqsa University which will serve as the focal point and academic backstop for the Project.

Several PEACE member universities responded positively to the request for donation of telescopes and other equipment for the space lab. Prof. Robert Williams, of the Space Telescope Institute, Baltimore, President of the International Astronomical Union, has donated a telescope and designated Prof. George Miley of Leiden University, Vice President of IAU, to attend the International PEACE Conference n Barcelona where he will speak about the support of IAU to the project.

The joint efforts of UNESCO, the International Astronomy Union and PEACE could turn this worthy initiative into a successful, self-sustainable scientific undertaking.

2. ALLEA Project

ALLEA, (the Federation of 53 National Academies of Sciences and Humanities in 40 European countries) has initiated steps to strengthen cooperation in research and higher education between Palestine and Europe. A meeting was organized in Oslo on 7 June 2010 by ALLEA and the Norwegian Academy of Science, in order to plan activities. PEACE was invited at the meeting where it presented proposals as to how its member universities could be associated with and contribute to the envisaged plan.

Details are still to be worked out but very interesting proposals emerged from the discussions at the meeting. Thus, ALLEA took note of the provisions of the PEACE Scholarship Scheme which requests its member universities to offer at least one PhD grant to Palestinian graduate students. ALLEA will help by seeking thesis supervisors/co-supervisors for the candidates. It was also recommended that ALLEA and PEACE member institutions support the Palestinian universities to have free access to research journals.

Staff exchange will be encouraged. They will involve European academics for lectures at Palestinian universities, particularly during their sabbaticals and Palestinian researchers who would be invited to ALLEA meetings. ALLEA could convey to the Israeli member universities reports of obstacles regarding travel of Palestinian or international researchers to/from Palestinian universities, asking them to bring reports on such infringements of academic freedom to the attention of authorities.

Cooperation between ALLEA and PEACE will be discussed at the forthcoming 7^th International PEACE Conference and the 8^th session of the General Assembly of PEACE to be held on 22^nd- 23^rd November 2010 in Barcelona.