Associations
Palestine Academy for science & technology
Enacted by presidential decrees no. 114 in 1994 and no. 13 in 2004, as a national independent self-governing institution, the Palestine Academy for Science and Technology acts as a catalyst for the advancement of science, technology and innovation in Palestine, and for their effective deployment as levers for economic, social and human development. Towards this purpose, the Academy works in sync with all partners from academia, government and business at home and abroad. Synchronizing and streamlining national efforts is especially important in light of the scarcity of available resources and the magnitude of the challenges at hand. The Academy headquarters is in Jerusalem with offices in Ramallah and Gaza.
An-Najah National University (ANNU)
An-Najah National University is dedicated to promoting understanding, providing the highest quality undergraduate and graduate education, and serving as a leader in scientific research. An-Najah acts as a base for sustainable development by encouraging students and the University community to assume leadership roles and to participate in serving society.
Palestine Young Academy (PYA)
PYA aims to provide a voice for young Palestinian researchers, encourage young researchers to engage in cross-disciplinary research and communicate with different Arab and international institutions interested in science, empower researchers to participate in the decision-making process, and enhance Palestinian resilience through science and technology.
Deanship of Scientific Research at Al-Quds University (AQU)
Al-Quds University (AQU) is one of the leading universities in research in Palestine. It ranks number one in the impact of its scientific production among the Palestinian universities. AQU has many specialized research centers and laboratories that encourage partnerships among various disciplines, as well as with other educational institutions, private enterprises and government agencies. AQU has 13 specialized labs and 5 multidisciplinary research centers that reflect the strategic growth in the university’s research enterprise
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT)
An-Najah National University is taking many steps towards achieving its vision in improving the educational opportunities in Palestinian tertiary education. The establishment of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) represents a major step forward towards improving the quality of higher education in Palestine. The Center seeks to achieve excellence in the education processes, which will maintain our position as a leading higher education institution in the country. The Center provides a rich environment for academics from different disciplines to exchange innovative experiences and ideas and to collaborate with researchers and trainers from internationally renowned centers of excellence. The Center will give An-Najah faculty and researchers greater opportunities to participate in distinguished professional development programs.
Regional Experts
Dr. Nisrine Machaka-Houri
Nisrine Machaka-Houri, PhD (Lebanon) is a Regional Head Trainer for DIES ProGRANT courses in the Middle-East and an Honoree of the Women in Science Hall of Fame Award from the Department of State in 2015. She is an environmental scientist and researcher who has several books, papers and chapters published. She teaches plant biology and environmental health at the university level as well as an environmental consultant for national and international organizations. For more information please click here.
Dr. Samer Raddad
Samer Raddad, Ph.D. (Palestine) is a Regional Expert for the DIES ProGRANT proposal writing courses in the Middle East. He is an urban planner with Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning. Currently, he is a lecturer and researcher at Al-Quds University, Palestine. His Academic, Research, and Development interests focus on Geographical Technologies, Urban and Regional Planning, Land Use Land Cover Modelling, Urban Agriculture Development, GIS & Remote Sensing Applications in spatial studies, Public Services Planning, GIS for Heath, Spatial Analysis, Sustainability Development, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Environmental Policy and Planning Process, Public Participation, GIS, and Planning Education. Logical Thinking, Spatial Thinking, Innovation teaching and research methods in Higher Education, Strategic Planning for higher education, and Development. Also, as a Principal Investigator (PI), he led several research projects in strategic planning, urban development, higher education, urban agriculture development, and geopolitical studies. As a practitioner, Samer worked as a consultant and expert with several governmental and non-governmental organizations in urban development and scientific research issues such as the Ministry of Local Government, GIZ, UN-Habitat, and DAAD. His greatest passion is in life is using his knowledge and practices on how to benefit other people and organizations. For more information please click here.
Invited Speakers
Dr. Amjad El Qanni
Amjad El-Qanni received his B.Sc. degree in Chemical Engineering from An-Najah National University (ANNU), Palestine, in 2009, M.Sc. in Urban Environmental Engineering from École Centrale de Nantes (ECN), France, in 2012, and Ph.D. in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, specialization of Energy and Environment, from the University of Calgary (U of C), Canada, in 2018. Owing to his excellent academic records, El-Qanni has won many national and international awards and scholarships. Between 2015 and 2018, he has been awarded the prestigious Werner Graupe International Fellowship in Engineering. As one of only two candidates in Canada to receive this fellowship, it has been recognized as a distinct honor. El-Qanni has co-authored 20+ peer-reviewed journal publications, conference and symposia papers. In addition to his academic roles as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering for 3 years now, he is also the Scholarships Office Coordinator at ANNU. For more information please click here.
Dr. Suha al-Madbouh
Dr. Suha Al-Madbouh is a Palestinian-German health and environmental scientist. She is a senior researcher and lecturer at Cologne University of Applied Sciences/ Institute for Technology and Resources Management in the Tropics and Subtropics (ITT), Germany, and an Executive Committee member at Palestine Young Academy (PYA). She received the degree of Doctor of Public Health (Dr.PH) from Bielefeld University, Germany, with focus on environmental health. Since 2017, Dr. Al-Madbouh has established the Palestinian-German research collaboration for the first time at the ITT through conducting different research projects joining the ITT in partnership with the Palestinian universities and governmental organizations, and coordinating a team of scholars from both countries. Her research projects target mainly the Palestinian communities and focus on institutional frameworks and social and health perspectives associated with water, wastewater, and wastewater reuse; public participation in waste(water) management; and impacts of climate change on the livelihood and well-being of farming communities. She has received four scholarships, two fellowships, and four research grants. Dr. Al-Madbouh is also a trainer in the subject of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and has conducted several SEA training courses in Palestine, Jordan, and Germany. For more information please click here.
Dr. Abdelkareem Daragmeh
Abdelkarim Tawfiq Daragmeh has a PhD from Southern Illinois University, USA. With over 20 years of classroom teaching experience in higher education and 15 years in higher education administration, 10 years of education projects management experience, Dr. Daragmeh works currently as the director of the Center for Continuing Education at An-Najah NAtional University. For more information please click here.