Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: Gaza nurse’s obstacle-laden road to becoming a professor

South China Morning Post11 October 2026, 06:15 UTCHong Kong

On six occasions, Hammoda Abu-Odah, a Gaza nurse-turned Hong Kong scholar was offered an opportunity to study overseas. But each time, border closures and travel restrictions prevented him from taking them up. Abu-Odah had obtained a nursing degree in his native Gaza but set his sights on an academic career abroad. He kept working, teaching and conducting research, despite the many challenges that prevented him from leaving. Finally, on the seventh attempt, he made it to Hong Kong, where he...

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