By Nasser | Fundraising Consultant
This reporting period, Mada al-Carmel – The Arab Center for Applied Social Research continued to invest in Palestinian scholarship at two crucial levels: collective research reflection through the Research Agendas Workshop, and hands-on mentoring through the launch of the 11th Graduate Seminar.
Research Agendas Workshop: Rethinking in a Time of Rupture
The Research Agendas Workshop was created in response to the war on Gaza and the profound political and intellectual rupture it has caused. Palestinian researchers gathered not simply to comment on events, but to ask deeper questions: Are the analytical frameworks we have long relied on, such as settler colonialism, still sufficient to explain this moment? What shifts are taking place within Israeli politics and society? And what new questions must Palestinian scholars now raise?
Early sessions focused on the meaning of October 7 and the unprecedented scale of Israel’s response. Participants debated whether the war signals a structural transformation in the Zionist project, and what this means for Palestinians living inside the Green Line.
By August and September, discussions expanded to critically examine Israeli and Western intellectual production about the war. Researchers analyzed books and essays by prominent Israeli thinkers, exploring how these works frame the crisis- often seeking to “manage” rather than resolve it. A recurring theme was the growing reliance on religious legitimacy and existential rhetoric within Israeli discourse.
The workshop concluded its recent cycle with a forward-looking session, “Towards New Palestinian Agendas.” Rather than offering immediate answers, the goal was to cultivate sustained dialogue and develop research priorities capable of responding thoughtfully to this historic moment.
Launch of the 11th Graduate Seminar – December 2025
In December, Mada launched the 11th round of its Seminar to Support Academic Research Skills, welcoming sixteen graduate students from diverse fields ranging from health sciences to political theory.
The seminar provides structured mentorship over a series of sessions. Students presented draft abstracts of their theses and engaged in detailed peer review discussions. The emphasis this year is on strengthening research design: clarifying core questions, identifying gaps in existing literature, refining hypotheses, and ensuring that methodology aligns with research goals.
A significant development in this round is the deeper involvement of alumni. Former seminar participants now return as discussants and advisors, creating an intergenerational learning environment and reinforcing continuity within Mada’s academic community.
Together, these initiatives reflect Mada’s evolving approach: responding to urgent political realities while steadily building long-term academic capacity. By supporting both collective research reflection and individual graduate development, Mada continues to cultivate a growing network of Palestinian scholars equipped with the clarity, skills, and confidence needed for sustained knowledge production.
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