Palestinian-German Science Bridge

Satisfied interim results and many plans for the future

Scientific contacts and partnerships can be bridges between countries. This is demonstrated not least by the successful Palestinian-German Science Bridge (PGSB), which has a founding pillar at Forschungszentrum Jülich. It is a cooperative science bridge that makes it easier for researchers to broaden their horizons in the other country. After seven years, Prof. Ghaleb Natour, head of the Jülich Institute of Engineering and Technology and founding father of the PGSB, and Dr. Caitlin Morgan from Corporate Development at the Research Center jointly take stock of what has been achieved so far. Their summary and an outlook on future plans have now been published in a paper in the journal Nature Reviews Materials.

Since the end of 2016, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has been funding the Palestinian-German Science Bridge, which is being jointly organized by Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Palestinian Academy for Science and Technology (PALAST). The aim is to develop a joint research and education program in Palestine and to create long-term conditions for university education and research in the STEM field.

In an interim evaluation according to OECD-DAC criteria, the project has now received top marks. So far, 21 bachelor's, 25 master's and 40 doctoral projects in Germany have been supported, as well as four internships for doctoral students at An-Najah National University in Nablus. Five postdoctoral fellowships were awarded through the PGSB returnee program. In addition, Palestinian and German universities exchanged, among other things, more than 50 teaching staff, which led to new cooperation projects, joint supervision of students and joint research projects. This close cooperation resulted in 65 scientific publications in professional journals.

However, the coordinators do not want to rest on their laurels and have developed further plans for the future. "The lack of infrastructure, resources and stability in the Palestinian territories are major hurdles," Caitlin Morgan reports in the Nature Reviews Materials article. "Ultimately, these fall outside the scope of the project. However, early indications are that the PGSB is making an important contribution, beginning with the returnee program, which will hopefully have a lasting impact on the higher education and research system in the Palestinian territories and on international collaborative opportunities for Palestinian researchers, even beyond the PGSB." Future efforts should build on this to support and advance the necessary transformation of Palestinian universities from mere teaching institutions to teaching and research institutions in the long term.

The PGSB relies heavily on collaborative work on projects. By focusing on collaborative projects, the scientists increase sustainability and create more space for innovative ideas. Participating Palestinian PostDocs can gain leadership experience; upon their return home, this experience serves as a foundation for continuing existing and new projects. In the future, alumni, as well as faculty members, will be further empowered to help shape the scientific landscape in their home country. In addition, another focus will be on knowledge transfer, innovation and entrepreneurship.

"The cornerstones of cooperation in the PGSB are mutual respect and understanding, but also hard work and commitment. Only in this way is it possible to make a lasting difference," says Ghaleb Natour, summing up his impressions. "The success in this science diplomacy project shows us that we are on the right track and encourages us to strengthen and expand this bridge. Moreover, the PGSB can be a blueprint for building other similar bridges to use science as a peacemaker." Cooperation at eye level is a proven tool for the future and can, not least, contribute to international understanding, Natour said.

Original publication:
Natour, G., Morgan, C. The Palestinian–German Science Bridge: building bridges through research and innovation. Nat Rev Mater (2023).
DOI: 10.1038/s41578-023-00557-x