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They will soon start fellowships at Edinburgh University and Cambridge University.
One rescued academic will start his PhD in management at Edinburgh University. Thanks to support from Cara and the university, she managed to travel to Scotland with her four children and her partner.
Cara said a further 13 academics will soon follow, including some taking up fellowships at the University of Glasgow.
The new academics have been made anonymous for their protection.
Another who will arrive soon is Mr FH, who used to work at the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza. He was forced to relocate his family several times in Gaza, before finally escaping at the Rafah crossing between Palestine and Egypt and connecting with Cara.
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The new Palestinian academics are the first to be rescued from the region by Cara since October 2023.
Cara was founded in the 1930s, when it worked to save German academics from Nazi persecution. Since then, demand for Cara’s help has increased, with the charity reporting a record number of requests since 2021.
Having helped at-risk academics escape Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria and more, the war in Gaza is the latest global conflict to create a dangerous environment for academics. UN reports have found that 80% of schools and universities in Gaza have been destroyed in the war, and there are estimates that at least 105 Palestinian academics have been killed.
Since 2017, 14 Palestinian Fellows have completed or are in the process of completing placements, excluding those who have arrived since 2023.
Two of the Cara Fellows who completed their placements returned to Gaza shortly before the war started in October 2023.
Cara reported that one had been killed since returning.
The fellow survivor said they face a daily battle.
“We are still alive in a horrible situation moving from place to place. We are sleeping on the sand near the sea with little food, water and power under continuous fire attacks.
“We still hope for peace.”
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A spokesman for Cara said the Israel-Hamas war had directly led to a recent spike in demand for the charity’s support. Since 2021, Cara has reported a 400% increase in applications compared to the previous three academic years.
This is the biggest demand since the charity was founded in the 1930s, with the Palestinians accounting for the highest number of academics in need or urgent help.
The charity relies on fundraising and funding from universities to help rescue and settle refugee academics, including their families where possible.
Seven universities in Scotland are home to current Cara Fellows:
- University of Edinburgh (10 Fellows)
- University of St Andrews (Three Fellows)
- University of Glasgow (Three Fellows)
- University of Dundee (Three Fellows)
- University of Strathclyde (Two Fellows)
- University of Stirling (One Fellow)
- Heriot-Watt University (One Fellow)
Stephen Wordsworth, Executive Director of Cara, said the charity was at a “crucial moment” in its history.
“The desperate pleas for help from scholars facing persecution and danger – in Gaza and around the world – have increased to levels not seen since our establishment almost a century ago.
“Despite relocating more academics at risk than at any time in our history – thanks to the generous support of our university partners – the sheer number of academics now at risk is a major challenge.
“To meet this challenge and continue this essential work, we must secure additional funding. With more support, we would be able to give even more scholars the chance to rebuild their lives and importantly, their shattered societies, when it is safe for them to return.”
Cara has launched a fundraising roadshow tour around UK universities in response to growing demand. Cara has already visited Edinburgh, Glasgow and Durham Universities and will now visit London School of Economics (24 October), University of St Andrews (30 October), Cardiff Metropolitan University (14 November) and Loughborough University (28 November). .
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