UUniCORN hybrid: Resilience in times of war and crisis

In line with UUniCORN’s focus on addressing complex global challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration, this seminar brings together perspectives on how geopolitical crises intensify ecological and societal vulnerabilities. It examines how higher education institutions, as key societal actors, sustain their functions under prolonged disruption.

With a particular focus on Gaza, the seminar highlights lived experiences and institutional practices during continuous crisis. Together, these insights invite reflection on how reconstruction, academic practices, and international support can contribute to more sustainable and resilient futures.

This seminar can be joined on campus and on Zoom.

Please register no later than 14 April.

Programme

Date & Time: 15 April 2026 at 12.30–15.00
Venue: Brunörten, Segerstedtshuset, Uppsala

12:30 – 12:40 | Welcome & Introduction

Macro Level: Society

12:40 – 13:00 | Dr. Mats Målqvist

UUniCORN – focusing on goal conflicts in societal transformations, from conflicts of interest to wicked problems

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Meso Level: Organizations

13:00 – 13:20 | Dr. Tahani Aldahdouh

Three dynamics saved Gaza’s higher education institutions from collapse during the 2023-2025 war

13:20 – 13:40 | Dr. Savo Heleta

Scholasticide in Gaza and the importance of international solidarity and support
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13:40 – 13:50 | Break

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Micro Level: Individuals

13:50 – 14:10 | Dr. Nazmi Al-Masri

Sustaining academic practices in Gaza: Lived experiences from higher education in crisis

14:10 – 14:30 | Dr. Helena Lindholm

Solidarity in practice: A Swedish researcher’s experiences with Palestinian higher education

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14:30 – 14:55 | Open Q&A (25 min)

14:55 – 15:00 | Closing (5 min)

Dr Mats Målqvist is professor of global health and the director of UUniCORN - Uppsala University Conflicting Objectives Nexus. He also leads the Centre for Health and Sustainability at the medical faculty. His research focuses on social sustainability, equity and empowerment. He has published 130+ scientific articles within the areas of implementation science, SRHR, maternal, newborn and child health, and health systems delivery.

Dr Helena Lindholm is professor in peace and development research at the University of Gothenburg. Her research has covered Palestinian identity and resistance; Palestinian refugees and the diaspora, especially in Sweden. Currently she is initiating research on the higher education sector in Palestine. She is also the head of the Department of Applied Information Technology at the University of Gothenburg.

Dr Savo Heleta is a Bosnian researcher with almost two decades experience in South African higher education. His research focuses on decolonisation of knowledge, international and comparative education, higher education policy analysis, foreign aid flows to higher education, and rebuilding higher education after violent conflict. He is a research associate with Nelson Mandela University’s Chair for Critical Studies in Higher Education Transformation (CriSHET) in South Africa.

Dr Nazmi Al-Masri is a professor of language and higher education at the Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine. With over 30 years of local and international experience, his work advances inclusive education, education in crisis contexts, multilingualism, intercultural communication, and e-learning. He has led and co-led more than 20 international research, capacity-building, and academic mobility projects, strengthening institutional resilience, employability pathways, and global academic collaboration in challenging contexts.

Dr Tahani Aldahdouh is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Tampere Institute for Advanced Study, Tampere University, Finland. She is an active member of the Professional Growth and Learning (PGL) and Higher Education in Transition (HET) research groups at the Faculty of Education and Culture. She is also a member in Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE). As a Palestinian-Finnish researcher originally from Gaza, she is deeply committed to promoting education equality and contributing to global sustainable goals. She has over 20 publications on topics related to university teachers’ professional development, with a focus on the applicability of Western theories in diverse, often overlooked contexts in global academia.