On Wednesday, 27th Oct. 2021, Israa university hosted the information day for the new call of the European Erasmus+ program for the period 2021-2027, in the conference hall “Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hassaina" at the university main campus in Al-Zahra City.
The opening session was attended by Prof. Nidal Al-Jayousi, Director of the Palestinian-European Cooperation Mission Office for Higher Education, and Director of the Erasmus Office in Palestine, Prof. Dr. Abdel-Khaleq Al-Farra, President of Israa University, Dr. Ahmed Al-Hassaina, Vice President for Administrative and Financial Affairs, Dr. Alaa Matar, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and an Elite group of university presidents, academics and researchers.
The information day came to announce the start of submission for the new call for the proposals of European Union projects to support higher education "Erasmus Plus", and to present all the information and guidelines for the new call.
In his speech, prof. Al-Jayousi expressed his sincere thanks to Israa University for hosting the event and he welcomed all honorable attendance of academics and researchers, expressing his happiness with this visit to the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Jayousi emphasized the role of the Erasmus Programme in supporting the Palestinian higher education institutions and developing the higher education system through providing new opportunities, fostering partnerships between higher education institutions, bridging the gap between local and global higher education systems, and enhancing the quality of higher education system on various levels.
Dr. Jayousi pointed out that the new Erasmus Call will focus on youth and vocational training and expand the existing actions, highlighting that there will be a significant increase in the budget amount in the next call.
For his part, Prof. Dr. Abdel-Khaleq Al-Farra welcomed Prof. Dr. Al-Jayousi and the attendance of academics and researchers, pointing out that this day establishes what comes after, as there will be real partnerships between Palestinian universities and Arab and international universities in the coming days.
Prof. Al-Farra confirmed that Erasmus Plus program will benefit Palestinian universities by obtaining support for development and educational projects, especially in light of the complex and critical situations at the political and social level.
He said, " At Israa University, we are looking forward to establishing effective partnerships with our Palestinian counterparts as well as with European universities in order to enhance the role of this university and its engagement with the Palestinian society, for the benefit of students and faculty members ".
He also added, "We have a team capable of preparing and formulating many development projects that suit the university environment, and developing many laboratories that will benefit students and researchers in Palestine."
Prof. Al-Farra thanked the European Union for the pioneering Erasmus+ project, and Dr. Nidal Al-Jayousi for his great efforts in supporting the higher education in Palestine, which was evident in the high rate that Palestine wins among the advanced projects.
