Attended by a number of faculty students, the meeting aimed at sharing the impact of Israeli occupation on higher education in Palestine and discussing possible means of academic cooperation.

Dr. Affouneh started with a brief introduction about An-Najah’s history, faculties, academic programmes, students and faculty members.

She mentioned that the An-Najah strategic plan is based on three themes; teaching and learning, scientific research, and community service. She also talked about the financial and political problems that hinder college education in Palestine.

Dr. Affouneh talked in detail about unemployment in Palestine which is an obstacle among Palestinian graduates, especially females. Then, she referred to the problems that faced Palestinian universities due to the Israeli occupation, most important of which is the repetitiveness of academic programmes throughout Palestinian universities because of student mobility issues between cities. She said: "An-Najah is trying to solve this problem by offering new academic programmes that match the labour market's needs and keep up with today's technological development."  

Finally, she talked about partnerships and academic cooperation between An-Najah and European universities and referred to the training and exchange programmes the University offers to its staff.

She added that An-Najah provides its top graduates with good job opportunities and offers support to those who want to establish their own startups.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. Affouneh and the participating students answered the delegation's questions about the obstacles that face them as students and graduates and their aspirations for a better future for Palestine.