About Us

About Us

Patrons: Prof. Sarah Banks, Dr Susan Frenk, Prof. Robin Humphreys, Prof. Karen O’Brien, Prof. Sana Salous, Prof. Brian Tanner, Prof. Justin Willis

Aims of the Trust

Our main aim is to contribute to the social, economic and political development of Palestine through scholarships for Palestinians to study at Durham University.

How are scholarships financed?

Durham University contributes by generously awarding tuition fee scholarships to each of the students we select. These are worth an average of £16,000 per student.

The costs of each student’s travel and maintenance (about £13,000 a year) are raised by membership subscriptions, voluntary contributions and fund-raising events.

Long history

Starting in 1984, the Trust has brought students from the West Bank and Gaza to study in a variety of departments, including Applied Social Studies, Durham Business School, Archaeology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, English, Geography, Government and International Relations, Linguistics, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Physics and Psychology.

Our scholarships are open to outstanding graduates of all Palestinian universities.

Our focus is now on Masters’ courses. These, we are assured, will contribute effectively to the development needs of Palestine and Palestinians.

Who benefits?

The skills gained by Palestinians taking a Master’s degree at Durham have an importance far beyond the students’ personal and professional development.

The practical and research experience they gain will transform the lives of countless Palestinians when they return home.

Their newly acquired skills and knowledge will also help to develop the economic, technical and social infrastructures needed in Palestine.

Trustees and Executive Committee

All members of the Trust are eligible to be elected as a Trustee. The Executive Committee consists of all the Trustees.
All Trustees serve for one year, until the following Annual General Meeting. No payment is made to officers or other Trustees.

Elected at AGM November 2021

Kamal Badreshany (Assistant Secretary), Fadia Faqir, Nathan Griffin, Neil Griffin, Dave Harrop, Elaine Malcolm, Vin McIntyre, Roger Reeve, Valentina Tumolo, Bill Williamson (Student Welfare Officer), Diane Williamson (Student Welfare Officer), Eileen Williamson (Treasurer), Justin Willis (Chair), Penny Wilson (Secretary), Martin Wood.

Join us

 
Membership of the Trust is open to all who agree with its aims.

Benefits

• Members receive newsletters and invitations to meetings and events.
• All members are eligible for election to the Trust’s executive committee.
• The Trust is a democratic organisation, so an active and interested membership is important to its functioning.

Subscription

• The minimum annual subscription is £10, or £5 for unemployed or student members.
• To pay your subscription, please go to the Donations and Support webpage and use any of the payment methods described there.