British university academics on 10-day visit to Gaza Strip

University of Bradford has a highly-ranked Peace Studies department A delegation of British academics from the University of Bradford has entered the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, sources have confirmed.The group, comprising 25 British and Palestinian professors, is on a ten-day trip to Gaza.Sources in Rafah told Arabstoday that the academics' visit is an expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people and in protest against the Israeli blockade.
The delegation has been invited to attend several Palestinian universities by the Palestinian Education Authority.
University of Bradford, in the north of England, has a floundering reputation among higher education institutions in Britain. The university is renowned for its Conflict Management and International Politics and Security Studies courses.
Chief Palestinian negotiator and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) official Saeb Erekat completed his PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies at Bradford University in 2003.
In April 2012, students at the university visited institutions in Gaza as part of a project to run workshops, help share best practice and forge long-term links.