Ashraf Hamad
Founder and Chairperson
80 PLUS is a UK-based non-profit organisation dedicated to helping talented students from Gaza continue their education through fully funded one-year taught master’s scholarships at UK universities. At a time when Gaza’s entire higher-education system has been devastated, we work to ensure that learning, hope, and opportunity do not disappear for a generation of young people.
Our name reflects both our model and our mission.
80 PLUS brings together 80 people or more, each giving £30 a month for 12 months, to fund one full scholarship. It also stands for Palestine Learning United Scholarships, highlighting our belief in collective responsibility and solidarity through education.
Since 2023, Gaza’s entire Higher Education system has been devastated – all universities severely damaged or destroyed, academics and students killed, and thousands displaced. The extent of the destruction has led United Nations specialists to express grave concern that this pattern of attacks indicates an attempt at the ‘systematic destruction of the Palestinian education system’ (UN, 2024), also referred to as ‘scholasticide’. As opposed to the situation in other conflict zones, this scholasticide has been occurring across historic Palestine for decades, under various guises (Wind, 2024), but has recently intensified in Gaza as part of the current genocide.
It is against this backdrop that we are launching 80 PLUS to attempt to meet some of the urgent needs for Palestinian students in Gaza to continue their higher education which will enable them to contribute to rebuilding education in Gaza. At the same time, we recognise the equally urgent need to support universities in Gaza to continue to operate in whichever way they can; for this reason, we have also built into our model a mechanism for supporting students currently studying at their home universities in Gaza.
Our mission is simple but powerful:
Bringing people and institutions together to rebuild education in Gaza.
We aim to place at least one scholarship in as many UK universities as possible, creating a nationwide movement of support, connection, and shared responsibility.
A future where talented students from Gaza have equal access to world-class education, empowering them to rebuild their communities and inspire hope for generations to come.
We believe every student deserves the right to learn, dream, and grow with dignity. Our work protects this right and ensures scholars are supported with respect and care at every step.
80 PLUS is built on collective responsibility. We stand with Gaza’s students and communities, bringing people and institutions together to rebuild what has been lost.
We are committed to openness in how we raise, allocate, and manage funds. Donors deserve clarity, and students deserve trust, so we share our processes and decisions with honesty.
We prioritise students who face the greatest obstacles to education – those experiencing hardship, displacement, and barriers beyond their control. Fairness guides our selection and support.
We do more than fund degrees. We create opportunities for students to gain skills, confidence, and networks so they can uplift themselves and contribute to rebuilding higher education in Gaza.
Our strength comes from people working together – donors, volunteers, universities, and scholars. We value every contribution and believe change is possible only when we act collectively.
The Board of Directors of 80 PLUS provides strategic leadership, governance, and oversight to ensure the organisation remains true to its mission of rebuilding education in Gaza. The Board is responsible for setting the organisation’s direction, ensuring transparency and sound financial management, upholding safeguarding and ethical standards, and supporting partnerships with universities and communities across the UK. Through collective leadership, the Board works to protect the integrity, impact, and long-term sustainability of 80 PLUS.