In Memoriam: Dr Wiesam Essa

With great sadness, Cara and IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) recently learned that Cara/IIE-SRF Fellow Dr Wiesam Essa had been killed in Gaza.  

Wiesam was an extraordinary academic who was committed to improving conditions in the Gaza Strip, a dedicated father and spouse, and a kind man.  From 2019-2021, he completed Fellowships at the University of Manchester, achieving great success in his research that utilised urbanisation mapping to address environmental challenges in Gaza. 

He subsequently returned home and to his position at Al-Aqsa University.  Cara and IIE-SRF were in the process of securing him a further placement in the UK when the tragic news arrived. 

His wife, though injured, survived the bombing, as did their four children. We send our deepest condolences to Wiesam’s family and to the academic community in Gaza.