His Excellency the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Prof. Amjad Barham, met with members of the Steering Committee of the project on the governance of doctoral programs in Palestinian universities, ahead of the launch of the project’s national workshop.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister, Dr. Basri Saleh; the Head of the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission for Higher Education Institutions, Dr. Muammar Shtayyeh; and advisors to the Minister, Dr. Ihab Al-Qabaj, Dr. Alia Al-Assali, and Dr. Samir Hanna.

The delegation included representatives from the Palestinian universities participating in the project: the Arab American University, Al-Quds University, An-Najah National University, and Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie.

During the meeting, Minister Barham expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the Steering Committee in implementing the project, emphasizing the importance of such national initiatives aimed at improving the quality of doctoral programs in Palestinian higher education institutions, in alignment with international standards and best practices.

The Minister stressed the importance of benefiting from global expertise, particularly European experiences, in building an advanced national model for the governance of doctoral programs. Such a model would contribute to enhancing the quality of scientific research, improving higher education outcomes, and strengthening their alignment with societal needs and the labor market.

For his part, the Project Director, Dr. Sami Sader, presented an overview of the project’s objectives and activities, expressing his gratitude to His Excellency the Minister for his support and endorsement of the project’s vision and goals, as well as for the support and cooperation of the Ministry’s teams and the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission, and their active participation in implementing the project, especially at the national level.

Dr. Sader also extended his thanks to the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, to the Director of the Erasmus+ National Office in Palestine, Dr. Amir Khalil, and to the European partner universities for their role in supporting the project and enhancing opportunities for the development of doctoral programs in Palestine.

This meeting comes within the framework of the Ministry’s support for strategic projects aimed at developing the higher education system and enhancing the quality of academic programs, particularly at the postgraduate level.