The signing ceremony was attended by His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. The agreement was signed by His Excellency Mr. Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Kuwari, Director General of the Qatar Fund for Development and Dr. Abdullatif Abu Hijla, President of the Birzeit University.
The $12,500,000 grant aims at expanding the University’s capacity and providing scholarships to low-income students, under the Qatar Scholarships Program, which will provide Palestinian students with the best standards to complete their studies, as well as an opportunity to pursue their graduate studies within the recognized universities of the Qatar Scholarships Program. In addition, part of the grant has been allocated for the development of the campus infrastructure including the internal and external roads network of the university, which will benefit around 15,000 students, faculty and staff of the university.
H.E. Mr. Khalifa bin Jassim Al Kuwari said: “This agreement is a continuation of Qatar’s active role through the Qatar Fund for Development in contributing to the development of the education sector. In addition, the State of Qatar is committed to support the Palestinian people. This agreement is driven by the Fund’s interest in ensuring the provision of quality and inclusive education.”
“Our brothers in Palestine have the right to access good education in order to benefit from a decent life and a promising future,” he added.
Dr. Abdul Latif Abu Hijla, President of Birzeit University, said: “This agreement represents an additional milestone in the supportive role of the State of Qatar towards Birzeit University. Since 1996, the State of Qatar has contributed significantly to the development of education capacity and facilities in the Birzeit University. Previously, the State of Qatar has contributed to the construction of the Institute of Law’s building.”
It is worth mentioning that this agreement is a continuation of the previous agreement signed between the State of Qatar and Birzeit University in 2013, which lasted for five years, and provided university scholarships and infrastructure development.
