Recordings available: Studies in Survival - Science and Conflict in Gaza and Beyond
Catch up with a recording of this ABSW online event and the presentations that speakers made available to participants.
ABSW hosted an online panel on February 27, 2025, to examine how research and education institutions shape social landscapes during times of conflict and war. The discussion explored news angles and expert perspectives on how these institutions contribute to stability and progress, focusing on the latest dramatic developments.
It has been discussed cases where science has survived adversity or been re-established in difficult circumstances and the impact on their communities. Now the event recordings are available here. Hope you make the best use of it.
The session was chaired by Andy Extance, ABSW chair and freelance science writer.
Meet the speakers
... and check their presentations
Asmaa Abusamra serves as the head of Community Service and Continuing Education Center at University College of Applied Sciences, Gaza, Palestine. Asmaa is currently based in Oslo, Norway under a fellowship through the Scholars at Risk (SAR) network, where her research focuses on education reform and resilience in higher education, particularly in regions impacted by conflict. Asmaa led the committee responsible for developing life skills curricula for higher education institutions in Palestine and has designed numerous online course modules. Additionally, she has coached many training courses for academics in fields such as research methodologies, curriculum development, instructional design, education leadership, and life skills.
Find Asmaa's presentation below and here is a link to the video shown during the session.
Bothina Osama is a science editor and regional coordinator for SciDev.Net, managing the Middle East & North Africa region and its MENA edition. Bothina launched Sharara podcast (or Spark in English) in November 2024. The podcast produced by SciDev.Net’s MENA edition in Arabic language. It explores the role of science in conflict zones through storytelling and expert interviews. It highlights how scientific research, innovation, and knowledge shape the lives of people in crisis-affected regions. Bothina is a co-founder of the Science Journalism Forum (SJF) and the Arab Forum for Science Media and Communication, and she is a board member of the Arab Science Journalists Association.
Find Bothina's presentation below.
Asmaa Abusamra presentation
Bothina Osama presentation
Miryam Naddaf is a science reporter at Nature. She covers biological sciences, research integrity and news from Africa and the Middle East. She studied biomedical sciences (BSc) at King’s College London. She has also worked as a freelance journalist, Arabic translator, and interview coordinator for a documentary series.
Nisha Gaind is Nature’s European Bureau Chief, where she leads coverage of science news in Europe, including the war in Ukraine. She has reported from places including Israel–Palestine and Rwanda. Her latest feature was on the science conducted into the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Find Nisha's presentation below.
Nisha Gaind presentation
