Bridging Academic Worlds: A Gaza Scholar's Reflective History of Education from the “Zone in Between”

In this Voices: Reflective Accounts of Education article, Mona Jebril reflects on her longitudinal personal history in education, including her experiences studying and teaching in Gaza's public schools and universities, as well as pursuing postgraduate studies at two elite institutions in the United Kingdom. Drawing on these experiences and insights from her extensive research on the Gaza Strip, Jebril highlights the challenges faced by students and educators under decades of occupation and underscores the urgent need for sustained international support for Gaza's universities—support grounded in an in-depth understanding of the Palestinian context and lived experience. Through these reflections, which include her own poignant poetry, Jebril introduces the concept of the “zone in between,” raising awareness of the long-standing struggles of Palestinian education and the systemic gaps in education globally. She documents elements of Palestinian education that, although occasionally noted in the literature, are rarely conveyed through lived experience or examined through reflective stance. By weaving personal narrative with scholarly insight, the article offers a distinctive contribution to the literature on Palestinian education, and education in conflict zones, while providing critical perspectives for advancing equitable higher education and bridging academic worlds.