The event took place at the Prince Turki Bin Abdul Aziz Theater in the New Campus and was attended by Professor Mahmoud Abu Mwais, the Minister of Higher Education representing President Abbas, Mr. Sabih Al-Masri, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Prof. Rami Hamdallah, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, members of the Board of Trustees, Professor Maher Natsheh, President of An-Najah, An-Najah’s vice presidents and assistants, faculty deans and heads of departments as well as other notable guests and attendees.

The ceremony started with a speech by Mr. Al-Masri, followed by a speech by Prof. Natsheh, then the Minister of Higher Education, and finally the valedictorian, Noor Abdullah. The ceremony also included two performances by An-Najah’s choir with maestro Dr. Ghawi Ghawi.

In his speech, Mr. Al-Masri welcomed the attendees and addressed graduating students with valuable pieces of advice for succeeding in their future careers, stressing that success requires persistence, hard work and passion.

With words combined with pride and gratitude, Prof. Natsheh congratulated the graduates and wished them a prosperous future filled with achievements and success.

He also talked about several achievements of An-Najah over the past few years including being ranked the most productive university in Palestine with regards to scientific research. During the second semester 2019, the university published 310 research papers in prominent international journals in 180 different fields.  

He mentioned that An-Najah has recently obtained accreditation for 3 PhD programs, jurisprudence in cooperation with Al-Quds and Hebron universities, teaching and learning, and Arabic language and literature. The university now offers 5 PhD, 56 MA and 97 BA programs.

Prof Natsheh also noted how An-Najah ranks among the best 301+ universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings, which assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An-Najah is the only Palestinian university on the list.

He concluded his speech with a brief about An Najah’s Center for Bioequivalence Studies, which was the first to be established at any University in Palestine focused on conducting ‎bioequivalence studies following international standards.‎

Prof. Abu Mwais shared President Abbas’s best wishes for the graduates and referred to the rich journey of An-Najah which has become a beacon of entrepreneurship and sustainable development.

The last speech was delivered by this year’s valedictorian, Noor Abdullah, who graduated with a 3.99/4 GPA. Noor expressed her great joy and pride and thanked her professors and family.