Strathclyde students win after occupation

Students at Strathclyde University have ended a 24 hour occupation after wining a series of promises from the University administration:

• The Eden Springs contract has been CANCELLED
• Scholarships will be provided for 1-3 (and potentially more, funded by money that would otherwise have been wasted on Eden Springs) Palestinian students
• The DEC appeal will be publicised on campus and on the University homepage
• The University will re-establish its link with the University of Gaza
• The University denies that it has any links with BAE systems beyond the company funding one student to the sum of £5000 in the engineering department. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen, and we shall investigate this further.

Press Statement from Strathclyde University

Dr Peter West, Secretary to the University of Strathclyde, said: "The University expresses its deep concern about the plight of the people of Gaza. We are particularly aware that the infrastructure of Higher Education has been damaged, making it particularly difficult for Palestinian students to pursue their studies.

"The University has made a number of undertakings: it will fully support the students in their efforts to raise funds for the rebuilding of Gaza and it will set up a scholarship scheme for Palestinian students, similar to the scheme already offered to students from Rwanda. It will encourage universities across Scotland to take part in this scheme.

"The University’s support for the area is not new. In 2005, the University won a £2.8m contract from the European Commission to develop e-learning with partner institutions in Gaza and the West Bank, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and Lebanon.The two-year project aimed to reach people who have no access to universities because of either cultural or actual physical barriers.

"We have also committed to developing a sustainable approach to providing water to our staff and students which does not involve buying bottled water on a large scale. For this, and other operational reasons, the University will no longer be purchasing water from Eden Springs."