In a world where education is often taken for granted, pursuing a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy in Gaza is an act of defiance. My name is Ali Mahmoud, and I am a Palestinian scholar from Gaza—where every diploma is written in ink and blood.

I have taught refugees in Gaza for 11 years, served as an education supervisor for 12 years, and currently support education efforts in tents and displacement centers. I chose this field because education is our last fortress—a tool to rebuild minds when airstrikes reduce our schools to rubble. Yet, the same siege that destroys our buildings fuels my determination to one day lead the restoration of Gaza’s education system through bold, transformative policy reform.

My passion for educational leadership stems from witnessing how political violence weaponizes ignorance. I’ve seen students recite Newton’s laws by candlelight during blackouts—while policymakers oceans away decide their fate. I realized that pedagogy without agency is futile. My research focuses on decolonizing educational leadership, crafting policies that empower marginalized educators and students alike. Donor support would allow me to amplify Gaza’s unheard voices in global education forums—turning survival into strategy.

Pursuing a doctorate in Gaza is nearly impossible. The blockade restricts access to academic journals; electricity shortages disrupt online learning; and trauma lingers in every classroom. In 2023, my home—and my books—were buried under debris. Financial instability often forces me to choose between buying textbooks or feeding my family, who currently survive on UN rations. And yet, these hardships only affirm my mission: if education can thrive here, it can thrive anywhere.

A donor’s contribution is not merely a grant—it is a lifeline. Funding would allow me to secure research tools, stable internet, and the opportunity to attend international conferences, where I can advocate for Gaza’s educational crisis. Most importantly, it would ease the guilt of prioritizing my studies while my family struggles to survive. With this degree, I plan to establish a Center for Education Policy in Gaza, training leaders to rebuild our shattered system and take part in rebuilding Palestine’s education sector.

One moment that continues to guide me happened a week after the 2014 war. I wat ched a farmer plant an olive sapling beside his bombed home. “They destroy, we rebuild,” he said. That tree now bears fruit—and his words have become my mantra. Every time I document a destroyed school or mentor a student who has lost their parents to war, I remember resilience is our curriculum.

Gaza’s children deserve leaders who understand that education is resistance. By supporting my PhD journey, you are not just funding a student—you are investing in the architects of Gaza’s intellectual liberation. My story is Gaza’s story: broken, but unyielding. Together, we can write the next chapter—in the language of justice and light.

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Ali Mahmoud Saleh Mahmoud | Gaza, Palestine

Major: Education Management