Taawon Talks, UK edition: scholar and former student discuss the value of education and ISNAD

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On Monday 9 of February, Taawon UK hosted an event marking two firsts for the podcast series Taawon Talks: the first episode to be recorded in the UK; and the first episode to be recorded in front of a live in-person audience. Scholar Zahira Jaser and recent graduate Kholoud Abuhjayyer engaged in conversation about academic solidarity, censorship and futures in the context of the struggle for liberty and life in Palestine.

They explored the reality for higher education students in Gaza trying to access education in an environment where every university has been destroyed; the challenges facing efforts within UK academic institutions to oppose Israel’s relentless assault; and, crucially, what more can be done to support Palestinians’ right to education. The event will include multiple dedicated question sessions where audience questions can guide the discussion.

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Discussant profiles:

Zahira Jaser

Zahira Jaser is an Italian-Palestinian academic. Her research focuses on leadership, power dynamics and the role of technology in worker relationships in particular with regards to voice and silence. She is committed to fostering ethical, sustainable, and just business practices. Her work has been featured in prestigious outlets such as Science, the Financial Times as well as several academic journals. Lately, she has focused on informing and shaping the dialogue around anti-Palestinian racism within academic and broader societal contexts.

Kholoud Abuhjayyer

Kholoud Abuhjayyer is a psychologist with over seven years of field experience in Gaza and an MSc student in Applied Child Psychology at the University of Sussex. She arrived in the UK in October 2025 directly from Gaza to pursue her master’s degree. She has worked with the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme and, during the current war, served with Médecins du Monde France and the World Health Organization, focusing on emergency mental health and psychosocial support.