Project Name:
Reforming the Governance of PhD Programs at Palestinian Higher Education Institutions
Project Acronym:
PhDGov
Project Coordinator:
Arab American University, Palestine
The PhDGov project aims to enhance the governance and management of PhD programs across Palestinian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) by leveraging European expertise in this area. This initiative seeks to reform and modernize the doctoral education system in Palestine, ensuring that PhD programs are aligned with international standards and are responsive to the needs of industry and society.
The project has four key objectives:
Capacity Building:
Develop essential academic foundations for world-class PhD programs, including clear goals, curricula, admission policies, supervision processes, and quality management systems.
Industry Partnerships:
Establish sustainable industry-university collaborations to foster research that meets industrial, scientific, and societal needs, boosting competitiveness and employment rates in Palestine.
Scientific Collaboration:
Strengthen interdisciplinary research through enhanced networking between Palestinian PhD students and their European counterparts.
Governance Reform:
Work with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to develop a national governance framework for PhD programs, improving the accreditation system and standardizing PhD governance across Palestinian universities.
By addressing these objectives, PhDGov aims to empower Palestinian universities to produce high-quality, research-oriented PhD graduates who can contribute significantly to the country’s socio-economic development. The project’s outputs will include the creation of a national doctoral council, the establishment of PhD governance frameworks at partner institutions, and the formation of research groups to foster international collaborations.
PhDGov is a collaborative effort between five Palestinian universities and three prestigious European universities. Together, they will work on modernizing PhD governance, improving research output, and establishing enduring partnerships with the private sector.
Partner Institutions:
From Palestine:
- Arab American University (AAUP)
- Al-Quds University (AQU)
- An-Najah National University (ANNU)
- Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie (PTUK)
- Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR)
From Europe:
- RWTH Aachen University, Germany
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium
- Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH), Sweden
The project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus Plus Program under Key Action 2: Capacity Building for Higher Education, with a special focus on structural reform projects. The project duration is 36 months, starting on April 1st, 2024, and it seeks to create long-term impact through sustainable improvements in doctoral education and research practices in Palestine.