Gaza – On January 5, the Palestinian Faculty Development Program (PFDP), an AMIDEAST-implemented project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Open Society Institute (OSI), hosted a ceremony via videoconference between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to celebrate the granting of over 2,000 scholarships to Palestinian students for a four-year undergraduate degree program at Al Azhar University in Gaza.
PFDP’s Chief of Party Dr. John Shumaker welcomed the distinguished guests and stressed that students are the ultimate objective behind improving the higher education system in Palestine. Mrs. Lamis Al Alami, Palestinian Minister of Education and Higher Education, noted, “We greatly appreciate the support received from USAID and AMIDEAST. I have been active in PFDP activities for the past two years and have participated in most of their activities aimed at developing Palestinian higher education.”
Mr. Michael Harvey, USAID Mission Director, expressed pride over the close partnership between the Ministry of Education and USAID. He further noted that many of the current professors in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank were themselves recipients of USAID scholarships that allowed them to earn their PhDs in the U.S. during the 1970s, and that [PFDP] will continue to support Palestinians seeking higher education.
Al Azhar University Vice President Dr. Ali Al Najjar noted, “Al Azhar University greatly appreciates the support it has received from USAID and AMIDEAST and hopes to continue receiving such support in order to continue its mission of solving problems faced by the university and students who are unable to cover their own tuition fees.”
The event included a Palestinian Dabkeh performance and concluded with a speech by Ms. Rana Safi, one of the scholarship recipients, who talked about the effect this scholarship will have on her life and on the lives of other Palestinian students in light of the current situation in Gaza.
The PFDP supports the revitalization and reform of undergraduate teaching within Palestinian higher education institutions and promotes a culture of teaching and learning. |
