Toronto professor keeps Gaza university alive by teaching students remotely

Ahmed Abu Shaban, a professor at Toronto University, remotely teaches students in Gaza, driven by a strong sense of responsibility and guilt.

Despite the global focus on Gaza's humanitarian crisis, he feels compelled to support students who are continuing their studies amidst overwhelming challenges.

"I feel guilty for leaving Gaza. It's like we just abandoned our country, our people, our institution," Shaban said with grief.

Shaban, who served as dean of Al-Azhar University's Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, saw much of the university, including its buildings, destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.

Anticipating massive retaliation to the Hamas attack, Shaban fled to Egypt soon after the conflict began.

"I felt compelled to help make Al-Azhar operational in some way," Shaban said.

"I wanted to send a clear message to the world: Yes, they’ve destroyed our infrastructure and buildings, but we are still here, and we will keep moving forward,” he added.

He continued, "This is a responsibility for our students, for our nation, and for our independent state in the future."

Before the war, Al-Azhar had 14,000 students enrolled, according to Shaban, who is also a board member.

When online course registration opened earlier this year, Shaban expected 1,000 students to sign up, but 10,000 registered.

"It was shocking for me, because just imagine: You live in a tent, have no electricity, no internet, and nothing at all. Yet, you still have the hope to sign up for online courses, walk five kilometers to get an internet connection, and even risk your life to search for the internet," Shaban said.

Shaban acknowledged that his schedule is "stressful," as he works across two time zones.

Last month, he woke up at 3:00 am to attend a workshop on Gaza's food system, followed by a 6:00 am board meeting for Al-Azhar.

Then, he went to his Toronto office to prepare a guest lecture on the Gaza war. Evenings and weekends are spent recording and uploading lectures for his Palestinian students.

Given the challenges of internet access, Shaban said the study plan is flexible. Students watch lectures and complete assignments whenever they can get online.

"Sometimes, it feels like students look to us to solve problems that are not actually solvable," he said. "I try to respond gently."

He also reminded himself that he lives comfortably in a city with electricity and stocked grocery stores while angry student texts flood in.

"I try to help in whatever way I can, but there’s a lot I can’t do," he remarked.

The thoughts of students who have passed away weigh heavily on him.

He recalled how five engineering students were killed while gathering online to complete an assignment.

Shaban will always remember his "star student," Bilal al Aish, who had been deciding between the American Fulbright and a scholarship in Germany just days before the war started.

"I saw hope in his eyes, not just for his own future, but for the future of our institutions as well," Shaban said.

Sadly, Aish was killed in an Israeli strike early in the war. "It felt like they were killing the future," the professor added, expressing his profound pain.