Parma, 24 April 2024 – The University of Parma forcefully calls for an immediate “ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip and carries out a concrete act of solidarity towards Palestinian researchers: the financing of two annual research grants, for a total of 50 thousand euros as the first action, similarly to what has already been done in recent years for scholars fleeing from Afghanistan and Ukraine.
With unanimous resolutions of the Academic Senate and the Board of Directors, the University thus welcomes the appeal promoted in recent days by some Unipr teachers and currently signed by over 400 people from the University of Parma.
“The drama of the situation is there for all to see and is absolutely uncommentable”, explains the Rector Paolo Martelliwho adds: “We felt it was our duty to make a gesture of solidarity by accepting the appeal that was addressed to us. On the one hand, therefore, in line with the recent resolution of the UN Security Council, the request for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages, and on the other, at the same time, the establishment of two research grants for Palestinian researchers who can be hosted in our University: a helping hand towards colleagues in deep difficulty. In fact, I remember that the Palestinian education and training system has been heavily affected, with the destruction of schools, universities, laboratories and libraries, and that many researchers have been killed. Ours is a gesture of help and support, concrete and symbolic at the same time, which we are pleased to take place on the eve of a crucial date for the history of our country and our democracy such as April 25th, with all the fundamental values that this date brings with you.”
