News of the Arab Region:
Unesco Condemns Attacks on Universities in Middle East
Unesco has expressed grave concern over recent developments affecting higher education institutions in the Middle East, strongly condemning attacks and threats targeting universities. In a statement released on Monday, the organisation said educational institutions must remain spaces for knowledge and international cooperation, rejecting their use as targets of retaliation under any circumstances.
The statement did not mention any specific attacks, but it came amid news reports that more than 20 Iranian universities and scientific research centres have come under attack in the U.S.-Israeli air war against Iran, and Iran’s military has threatened to attack Israeli universities and American branch campuses in retaliation. The developments have raised concerns that academic institutions are becoming a new frontline in the conflict.
Missile and drone attacks have already disrupted higher education in Lebanon, Qatar, and elsewhere in the region. U.S. institutions with campuses in the region have switched to online classes, and many universities have suspended all travel to the Middle East, the American news outlet Inside Higher Ed reported.
