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AUG President participates in U.S-Palestinian Higher Education Dialogue
Oct 15, 2016 – Prof. Dr. Abdul khalik El Farra, President of AUG, participated in the first ever U.S.-Palestinian Higher Education Dialogue as a representative of Al Azhar University-Gaza (AUG).
The dialogue is an initiative from the U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem to discuss means of fostering robust university partnerships, linkages with the private sector as well as fostering research and development, and best practices in higher education management, like accreditation and fundraising.
Prof. Dr. El Farra pointed out that before heading to Washington, DC for the dialogue, a series of meetings conducted at Yale University in New Haven on 12th October. These meetings held together with the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) group of Palestinian educators in order to discuss the best practices for fostering university partnerships.
The two-day dialogue, held in Washington, DC on 13th and 14th October , examined university linkages and international support for Palestinian education, university capacity building , public-private partnerships, and strengthening institutions through research and development.
AUG President, Prof. Dr. Abdulkhalik El Farra discussed the main obstacles that impede higher education in Gaza, especially the siege imposed and its adverse repercussions, including hindering faculty members and students' travel abroad, lack of resources, preventing entry of scientific laboratories and materials needed for the development of scientific research, particularly those related to graduate studies.
The dialogue attended by the State Department Assistant Secretary Anne Patterson, USAID Assistant Administrator Paige Alexander, Palestinian Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Sabri Saidanl, U.S. Consul General Donald Blome, and Palestinian Ambassador to US Maen Areikat, in addition to representatives of the Palestinian Universities; Palestine Technical University Khadouri, Al Quds University, Abu Dis, Birzeit University, Bethlehem University, Palestine Ahliyeh University College, Arab American University in Jenin, An-Najah University.
The dialogue is expected to yield fruitful and viable partnerships between American and Palestinian institutions of higher education and the private sector.
