Project Investigators
Dina Kiwan
Principal Investigator, University of Birmingham
Anthony Downey
Co-Investigator, Birmingham City University
Itab Shuayb
Co-Investigator, Centre for Lebanese Studies
Nazmi Al-Masri
Co-Investigator, Islamic University Gaza
Rita Giacaman
Co-Investigator, Birzeit University, West Bank
Maha Shuayb
Co-Investigator, Centre for Lebanese Studies
Sarah Benson
Co-Investigator, University of Birmingham - Dubai
Ruth Gilligan
Co-Investigator, University of Birmingham
Kate Woodcock
Co-Investigator, University of Birmingham
Programme Co-ordination
Vera Kubenz
Project Manager, University of Birmingham
Sarah Martin
Project Administrator, University of Birmingham
Project PhD Students
Bobby Beaumont
PhD Student, University of Birmingham
Giada Costantini
PhD Student, University of Birmingham
Kathy Al-Jubeh
PhD Student, University of Birmingham
Advisory Board Members
Ibrahim Abdullah
President of the Arab Organization of Persons with Disabilities (AOPD)
Ola Abu Al Ghaib
Manager - UN Partnership on Persons with Disabilities Fund at UNDP
Hadeel Abu Soufeh
Disability Activist and Consultant, Jordan
Leila Atshan
Consultant, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) - West Bank
Matthew Broome
Youth Mental Health Director of the Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham - UK
Angharad Beckett
Associate Professor of Political Sociology. Co-Director, Centre for Disability Studies, Leeds University - UK
Abir Hamdar
Professor and Deputy Director of Research (Impact), School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Durham University - UK
Naim Kabaja
Director, Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children - Gaza
Julia McGeown
Education Technical Advisor, Humanity & Inclusion at Global Partnerships for Education - UK
Jasbir Puar
Professor and Graduate Director, Women’s and Gender Studies, Rutgers University - USA
Network Partners
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
The project is led by the University of Birmingham in the UK, a world top 100 university founded in 1900 as the first civic University in England. For over 100 years, innovative academic research at the University has influenced society and impacted people’s lives.
Centre for Lebanese Studies, Beirut, Lebanon
The Centre for Lebanese Studies is a research center that aims to produce relevant research in a collaborative, respectful, critical, valuable, equitable and transparent manner.
Birzeit University, West Bank, Palestine
Founded in 1972, Birzeit University is a leading educational institution and an intellectual hub that attracts top students and faculty, offering a wide range of academic programmes and professional development opportunities. It is an academic powerhouse with a clear focus on excellence that has secured it national and international recognition unparalleled with other established institutions. Birzeit University is a vibrant community of scholarship and learning that stands in the service of the country and the community.
Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK
With around 24,000 students from 80 countries, Birmingham City University is a large and diverse place to study. The University has an enviable reputation for providing quality, student-focused education in a professional and friendly environment. Its superb courses, state-of-the-art facilities, first-rate staff and focus on practical skills and professional relevance is producing some of the country’s most employable graduates.
Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza, Palestine
The Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) is an independent academic institution supervised by the Ministry of Higher Education. IUG provides its students with an academic environment that adheres to Islamic principles as well as Palestinian traditions and customs. It is an academic institution that strives to raise the educational, cultural and civilization levels in the Palestinian society, to keep up with current trends in higher education and technology advancements, to encourage scientific research, and to contribute in building future generations and developing the society in a framework of Islamic values.
Action on Armed Violence, London, UK
Action on Armed Violence is a charity which seeks to reduce the impact of armed violence through monitoring and research of the causes and consequences of weapon-based violence. They have a specific focus on the impact of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas and have been running a global monitor of explosive violence since October 2010.
Al Ma'Mal Foundation for Contemporary Art, Jerusalem
Al-Ma’mal is a non-profit organisation founded to promote, instigate, disseminate and create art. Founded in 1997, Al-Ma’mal serves as an advocate for contemporary art and a catalyst for the realization of art projects in Jerusalem.
A M Qattan Foundation, UK & Palestine
The A M Qattan Foundation (AMQF) is an independent, not-for-profit developmental organisation working in the fields of culture and education, with a particular focus on children, teachers and young artists. The Foundation is an independent institution, working in the knowledge and creativity sectors, using an integrative approach and targeting a variety of social groups, particularly children, teachers and young artists. It seeks to empower free individuals within a dynamic Palestinian and Arab culture, through a long-term, participatory developmental ethos.
Edraak, Jordan
Edraak is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform, that is an initiative of the Queen Rania Foundation (QRF). QRF is determined to ensure that the Arab world is at the forefront of educational innovation. As such, QRF has capitalised on regional Arab talent to leverage technology developed by the Harvard-MIT consortium, edX, to create the first non-profit Arabic MOOC platform. The new MOOC platform will present the Arab world with unique and vital opportunities that can be part of a necessary revolution in education and learning.
Tammey For Youth Development, Jordan
Tammey was founded in 2010 by a diverse team with over 20 years of experience in the field of youth development, grew into a passionate community committed to genuine development, and now runs through a core strategic management team in addition to affiliate experts around the world.
