Usim Palestine PhD student aces exam amid turmoil

Unwavering determination: Abdallah sitting for his examination on his laptop in Gaza. — Photo courtesy of Usim

SEREMBAN: Despite enduring the destruction of his hometown amid Israeli aggression in Gaza, Palestine, Abdallah Abuajwa, 40, a PhD student at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (Usim) persevered with unwavering determination and triumphed in his qualifying examination held online on Friday.

In a video shared by Usim, Abdallah, who is currently located in northern Gaza, appeared neatly dressed, sitting in a tent in an open area surrounded by the rubble of buildings destroyed by Zionist forces, as he sat for the examination.

The Palestinian student in the PhD programme in human resource management at the Leadership and Management Faculty, was determined to sit for the qualifying exam despite the constant risk of being bombed at any moment, Bernama reported.

At the end of the exam session, Abdallah expressed gratitude to the faculty members, particularly the supervisory committee led by Dr Ali Nasser Ali Al-Tahitah, who tirelessly provided moral support and guidance throughout his studies.

“I will continue until my studies are completed, no matter how difficult the circumstances.

“These extremely challenging conditions have made me stronger, and I will continue to pray for Allah SWT to grant me beneficial knowledge for religion and Palestine,” he said in a statement issued by Usim yesterday.

Abdallah recounted that despite the destruction of communication infrastructure in Gaza, he managed to secure an Internet connection to proceed with the qualifying exam, using solar power to charge his laptop and mobile phone.

Usim stated that Abdallah’s research focuses on the impact of digital leadership on change management in higher education institutions in Palestine.

Meanwhile, his primary supervisor, Ali Nasser, lauded Abdallah’s remarkable resilience in successfully passing the qualifying exam, enabling him to progress from the current seventh semester towards completing his PhD.

“Abdallah faced various challenges, including financial difficulties and the health issues of his child, who suffers from cerebral atrophy, all aggravated by the war in Gaza.

“Despite disruptions and delays Abdallah remains committed to continuing his education,” he said.

Usim said that Abdallah’s wife and three children are currently in Southern Gaza, while he and another one of his children are in Northern Gaza.

His house and vehicle in Northern Gaza were destroyed, and many of his relatives have been killed since the Israeli regime’s attacks began last October.