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Iscte welcomed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, on 15 September, in a visit requested by the minister to learn about the Observatory for Palestine Studies (OPal), the only centre of its kind in the European Union, based at CEI-Iscte. She was accompanied by the Ambassador of Palestine to Portugal, Rawan Sulaiman.
The institutional meeting with Rector Helena Carreiras was followed by a symposium bringing together academics, researchers and students working on Palestinian issues.
The minister praised the creation of OPal, calling it "the initiative of this debate on the role of knowledge and scientific research on the Palestinian question, in an interdisciplinary way", according to Giulia Daniele, the observatory's director.
Discussions also focused on strengthening exchange programmes for students and researchers between Iscte and Palestinian universities, and on organising joint conferences, seminars and research projects, despite the obstacles posed by the ongoing Israeli military occupation. Participants stressed the need to protect Palestinian academic institutions and to guarantee Palestinian students' right to education, described by Daniele as "a fundamental pillar of resilience".
The minister also addressed the deteriorating situation in the region, citing worsening conditions in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank, a reality organisers said underscores the importance of OPal's work.
