by Fred Byrne & Innes Paton.
University of Aberdeen (UoA) is supporting a small number of students from Palestine, but it has failed to deliver on some key commitments to support Palestinian academics.
Students have only been appointed to some of the scholarships presented as available to displaced and at-risk applicants. Further, UoA has failed to follow through on joining a nationwide scholarship programme for Palestinians called HESPAL.
University management had committed to both schemes in summer 2024 in response to a Pro-Palestine student encampment and a vote to support Palestinians in University Senate.
In March 2024, Senate called upon the University to promote and extend scholarship arrangements for Palestinian students and to commit to further ways of extending support to students, academics, and knowledge workers in Gaza.
Responding to mounting pressure from a student-led encampment on Elphinstone lawn, University bosses had committed to the At-Risk & Displaced Persons Scheme and to joining the Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL).
Data released in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by The Gaudie shows that the University never finalised arrangements with the British Council to join HESPAL.
The figures also reveal that three out of four scholarships advertised under The At-Risk & Displaced Persons Scheme did not have any students appointed to them since October 2023, and the remaining scholarship only accepted one person over a two year period.
The Undergraduate At-Risk Scholarship is supposed to help undergraduate offer holders seeking sanctuary in the UK, and “eligible offer holders are contacted directly by the University.” However, the University has not invited any offer holders to apply for the scholarship since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Aberdeen is part of the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA) programme which focuses on helping individuals in immediate danger. While the University aims to admit “at least one” at-risk academic per year, the FOI response showed that only one academic had been appointed between October 2023 and 2025, with two applicants rejected. In a statement, the University said one appointment had recently been made for the At-Risk CARA Fellowship.
According to the FOI request, zero students were accepted to the At-Risk (Postgraduate Student) Fellowship Scheme in the same time period even though the University committed to supporting “at least one” fellow per year. However, in a more recent statement a University spokesperson wrote: “there is one individual currently in receipt of our At-Risk (Postgraduate Student) Fellowship Scheme.”
Zero students are on the George and Lilian Adam Smith Scholarship, advertised as supporting PGT (postgraduate taught) offer holders seeking sanctuary in the UK. It has only been offered to one student over the last two years. The University’s website says the scholarship is currently unavailable.
University of Aberdeen had announced plans to join the HESPAL scholarship scheme in summer 2024, and reaffirmed those plans at the start of 2025. HESPAL is run by the British Council, pairing students from universities in Palestine to UK Universities, getting them away from the rubble for an opportunity to progress their studies. Its website says it aims to support “the capacity-building of academics and the institutional development of higher education institutions in Palestine.”
In February, a University spokesperson had told The Herald that “we anticipate that this scholarship will be available for the September 2025 intake.” However, information uncovered by The Gaudie’s FOI request shows that UoA has not yet joined the HESPAL scholarship programme.
After publicly promoting that UoA would join the scheme, a spokesperson had told The Herald: “we are committed to supporting these individuals as demonstrated by our Inclusive theme within our Aberdeen 2040 Strategy and our commitment to becoming a University of Sanctuary.” Campaigners, activists, and University Rector Iona Fyfe highly praised the University for making the announcement.
The HESPAL scholarship has funded places for over 250 Palestinian-born students since 2010 – the scholarship for MA and PhD students currently has 28 partner universities including Dundee, Glasgow, and Stirling.
Now, University bosses have admitted that they did not complete agreements on time to join HESPAL in the 2025/26 academic year, but they still aim to join soon. A UoA spokesperson explained:
“Due to challenges around the selection timelines, the University was unable to complete agreements with the HESPAL scholarship scheme to support students for our September 2025 intake but we remain in contact with HESPAL and hope to use the scheme to support Palestinian students in future. Our recently established Response to Gaza Working Group aims to finalise these arrangements soon.”
However, The Gaudie understands that several Palestinians are being supported outwith the official scholarships advertised on the University website. A UoA spokesperson shared:
“The University of Aberdeen have provided support to a small number of Palestinian students during the September intake” and “The University provides a wide range of support including stipends, accommodation and wellbeing assistance to Palestinian students who joined us recently through a scheme separate to HESPAL.”
According to a verified source, as many as four Palestinian postgraduate students across the medical and business schools are being supported by the University with tuition and accommodation fees waived. Some of the students are understood to have been evacuated from Gaza by the British government in recent months and one is believed to be from the West Bank.
A displaced Palestinian student is also studying at UoA on the Chevening Scholarship programme. This scheme is funded by the British government for international students to take a one-year master’s degree in the UK.
More Palestinian students have been accepted to join the University from January. Many have received a partial tuition fee waiver, with some potential students turning to online fundraising to fund the rest of their degrees and reach Scotland.
A pharmacist from North Gaza shares her story on a fundraising site, chuffed.org:
“I earned an acceptance to pursue my studies at University of Aberdeen. […] Severe banking restrictions and the collapse of Gaza’s financial system make it impossible for me to fund my tuition or pay the required deposit.”
A head nurse at Ahli Arab Hospital is also seeking funds to study in Aberdeen. Via chuffed.org, he pleads: “I need financial help to cover my university tuition and living expenses.”
They and other such students have gotten in touch with Jill, a doctor who helps organise Aberdeen Healthcare Workers for Peace. Jill shared:
“Several students from Gaza have been accepted to study at University of Aberdeen in Masters programmes that commence in January. Getting tuition fees, visa expenses etc. together in Gaza is a challenge. These young people have lost so much, yet still they are filled with the desire to study and return with skills to help them rebuild their communities.”
A University of Aberdeen spokesperson shared: “We will be advertising more of our scholarship opportunities in the new year.”