A team of students studying in their fifth year, from the University’s Chemistry Department, won the International prize of Mondialogo, offered by the Mercedes Company in co-operation with UNESCO, at a festival organized in Berlin, 27th-31st May 2005. The students were: Khalid Khalili, Suha Abu Wazeh, Hibah Baroq and Imad Issa; the supervisor of their project was Prof. Hasan Arafat from the Chemical Engineering Department.

Students made their research on the usage of dairy whey produced by a local dairy product called “labaneh” - cheese that is not used in producing any financial income. This research will help the Palestinian dairy industry, which will positively impact upon the local economy in general. The research was conducted in co-operation with another student from the Canadian University of Dalhousie.

One thousand students from 79 countries competed for the prize in ten different fields of development, which were defined by the organizing committee of the award. Palestine and Lebanon were the only two Arab countries to have won in this contest. Apart from this prize, another prize was granted to the team of An-Najah by the German Producer, Wim Wendors.

The festival was under the shared patronage of UNESCO and the Mercedes Company, attended by a good number of international personnel including the former President of Island, Ambassadors and Deputy of the UNESCO and the General Director of Mercedes. The festival included a presentation of the best winning projects including the one from An-Najah. It is also worth noting that the Chemistry Engineering Department won some other prizes on a national and international level; one of them is the St. Androse as well as the Hisham Hijawi Prize.