Selected Faculty and University Awards

- Dr. Ansam Sawalha, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, became the first Palestinian woman to enter the Women in Science Hall of Fame. The Women in Science Hall of Fame is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State. U.S. Embassies and Consulates throughout the world evaluated the CVs and accomplishments of hundreds of women working in different scientific and educational areas. Dr. Sawalha was selected based on her professional achievements and scientific research, 2011.

- Dr. Riyad Abdel Kareem of An-Najah’s Department of Civil Engineering won the Academic Excellence Award for Palestinian Universities. Dr. Kareem was joined by distinguished colleagues from Birzeit University, Bethlehem University, Al-Quds Open University and Al-Azhar University who were also award recipients, 2009.

- Mahmoud Jamal Muhammad Judeh of the Faculty of Educational Sciences claimed the British Consulate General Website Competition Award, 2008.

- Dr. Nimer Khraim of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine won the Merial Gustav Rosenberger Memorial Prize for his research on spinal cord anesthesia and on advanced abdominal cavity and back surgeries. The award is granted to one individual every two years in recognition of his/her scientific research and excellent field and academic contributions in surgery, anesthesia and veterinary internal medicine, 2008.

- An-Najah was offered membership in the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Expertise (IAESTE). IAESTE is a well-known international organization working in the field of student training. An-Najah students will benefit from increased opportunities for practical training and partnerships with universities around the world, 2009. 

- An-Najah’s Faculty of Medicine was added to the International Medical Education Directory (IMED), an international list that contains the world’s accredited medical schools and faculties. With An-Najah’s inclusion in the IMED, graduates of the Faculty of Medicine are eligible to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), 2009. 

- UNDP gave An-Najah’s Electrical Engineering Program its highest rank according to the UNDP ranking program, 2008.

-An-Najah’s Financial Department obtained a superior ranking for its internal auditing and control system conducted by the Palestinian Financial and Administrative Bureau in accordance with international public sector accounting standards, 2008. 

- The UNDP gave An-Najah’s academic performance control system a superior ranking and recommended the publishing of An-Najah’s experience in control and quality systems for the benefit of other institutions, 2008. 

-UNDP awarded An-Najah’s Faculty of Educational Sciences the highest rank out of 23 Arab universities for the faculty’s assurance of quality across its programs and courses, 2007. 

Selected Student Awards

- Hiba Daraghmeh, Aseel Kittaneh, Abeer Jawabreh, Ibat Ghazal and Sami Bustami of the Department of Architectual Engineering received the International Award for the Development of Urban Spaces in Birzeit sponsored by the Riwaq Center for Architectural Conservation in Palestine, 2011.

- Dima Shawahneh and Ayat Yaseen from An-Najah’s Computer Engineering Department won first place in the graduation projects competition of the Third Annual Palestinian International Conference on Computer and Information Technology for the project they completed under the supervision of Mr. Anas Tu’meh, 2010.

-Maher Shtayyeh and Mohammad Farraj of the Faculty of Media won third place in the Freedom for Detainees Award Contest for their documentary film entitled, Memory. Their documentary film was produced through cooperation with MIFTAH (The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy) for An-Najah’s 2009 Documentary Film Festival sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund, 2010.

-Ala’ Simon Sa’ada of the Department of Architectural Engineering won first place in an architectural competition run by the Rawabi city project for his city design project  which included design of a mosque for the community, 2010.

- Yusef Jawad Al-Adham from An-Najah University won the third place in the Palestine Securities Exchange Trading Simulation Contest, 2009.

- An-Najah Students won three awards in the Made in Palestine Contest of 2009 organized by Al-Nayzak for Supportive Education and Scientific Innovation. Ra’ed Hijjawi, Anas Barq and Qais Samara took the first place award for their Electronic Trainer project. Ayman Arandi and Ahmed Rabi won second place for their Multi-Touch High Definition Screen. In the Professionals and Specialists category, Ashraf Sal’ous and Mu’ath Jihad Ibrahim took an award for their Automatic Stone Carving Machine. The Made in Palestine Contest is part of the Made in the Arab World competition which encourages Arab youth’s involvement in scientific production and their participation in industrial innovation, 2009. 

- Majdoleen Hassouneh from the Faculty of Media at An-Najah won the Inquirer Award as the best investigative reporter in the Youth Category (25 years old and younger). Majdoleen received the award for her winning report entitled, “Medicine in Palestine…..A Test Field and Crimes without Evidence” during an award ceremony held in Amman, Jordan under the auspices of Princess Reem Ali, the Jordanian Minister of Information, Nabil Sharif, and the Chairman of the Thomson Foundation, Lord Norman Fowler, 2009.

- Students from An-Najah’s Department of Business Administration won first place in the “Ana Jawwal” competition, a student training program competition, 2009.

- An-Najah students from Hisham Hijjawi College of Technology won a number of awards at the National Exhibit for Technical and Vocational Training. The awards included: first place for the project “Concentrating Solar Energy Using Concave Mirrors”; second place for the project  “An Educational Model for a Car” ; and fourth place for the project “Creating a Drainage System using Solar Energy and Aerial and Solar Antennas,” 2009.

- An-Najah students, Sana’ Sarghali, Shafeeq Jamous, Ammar Jamous, Hana’ Aslan, and Rasha Asawreh, obtained a second place award for the promotion of human rights in the West Bank for their documentary film, “No Comment.” Their film deals with the rights of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons and examines the torture and harsh treatment to which such prisoners are often subject, 2009. 

- Zahran Hamed Hasan Bsharat from An-Najah’s Department of Geography won the As-Sabq Society for Creative Thinking Award. Zahran appeared before the evaluation committee and answered all the committee’s questions in the field of geography. In particular, Zahran responded to questions on the Geographic Information System (GIS) which is a new and developing field of specialization in Palestine. Zahran also responded to questions regarding agriculture and the effects of the Apartheid Wall on water basins and underground water resources, 2009.

- A research team from An-Najah under the supervision of Dr. Samar Al-Shunnar composed of Fairouz Marahil, Phalastine Musa, and Diyan Hanani obtained an award in the 11th Annual Creative Students Forum held in Latakia, Syria. The winning research was titled “The Role of the Palestinian Written Press in Supporting the Workers’ Issue Inside the Occupied Territories,” 2008.

- Ashraf Al-Sal’ous, Mu’ath Ibrahim and Muhannad Ahmed from An-Najah’s Department of Mechanical Engineering took the third place award in the distinctive experiment category of the Palestine International Award for Excellence Competition. The winning project introduced a new stone carving machine that can produce a challenging carving pattern called the exploded pattern which was previously very difficult to produce, 2008.

- Najah graduates, Ayat Ma’moun Shahin, Yasmeen Muhammad Ghassan Sha’ban, Allam Al-Aghbar, Allam Al-Qada’, took First and Second place in the International Conference for Computer and Information Technology organized by the Palestine Polytechnic University in Hebron. The winning projects were a design for an electronic map of Nablus and a design for academic registration software, 2007.

- Nihad Al-Taweel of the Faculty of Media won fourth place in the Best Press Photograph Competition in Tunisia organized by the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR), 2007.

An-Najah National University’s Medical Doctor Program is Included in the GMC’s List (2011)
Based on its strategy to seek international adoption of the Human Medicine Program at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, the Faculty’s Deanship at An-Najah National University has worked on registering the Medical Doctor Program in the British General Medial Council’s List (List of Registered Medical Practitioners).This is a major step as it enables graduates from An-Najah to specialize in and practice medicine as a profession in the United Kingdom. It is also an indication of the Faculty’s commitment to the international standards of students’ education and training.

First place in the “Best Business Plan” competition 2012
Dr. Ansam Sawalha, Director of the Poison and Drug Information Unit at An-Najah National University, was awarded first place for Best Business and Best Idea in the “Best Business Plan” competition which was organized by the Business Women Forum and in cooperation with the BID Network and Spark. Dr. Sawalha’s plan was centered on the establishment of a specialized recycling center and was nominated to represent Palestine in the International Business Conference which will be held for the developed countries later on.