The participants in the first national conference titled “The Improvement of Scientific Research Methodology for the Students of Medical Sciences and Social Sciences in Palestine” recommended the establishment of a national fund to support the different scientific research projects and development in the higher education institutions. They also called upon the difference educational organizations in Palestine to adopt the teaching of the principles of scientific research in schools, in addition to reinforcing cooperation between the different higher education institutions in the country.

Participants in the conference included Prof. Rami Hamdallah, President of An-Najah University, Professor Yunis Amro, President of Al-Quds Open University, Dr. Muhannad Khader, from the Arab-American University in Jenin, Dr. John Shumaker, President of AMIDEAST, as well as hundreds of university professors, school teachers and students of medical and social sciences.

In the opening speech, Dr. Iyad Al-Ali welcomed the participants and thanked those who sponsored and supported the event. Dr. Shumaker then delivered a speech in which he stressed the importance of scientific research in the academic and public life and called for more effort in order to improve scientific research in Palestine.

Prof. Hamdallah said in his speech that An-Najah University is deeply concerned with scientific research and provides all needed support to help researchers implement their studies successfully. He also spoke about An-Najah Research Award which the University offers to distinguished researchers in Palestine and the Arab world in appreciation for their great efforts.

Professor Amro emphasized the necessity to support scientific research and provide the needed tools to facilitate research and help researchers.

The conference consisted of a number of sessions in which the participants presented a number of research papers. Keynote speakers included Dr. Rubin Abu Ghazallah from Palestine Polytechnic University, Dr. Samar Musmar from An-Najah University, Dr. Aidah Al-Kaissi from An-Najah, Dr. Mariyam Al-Tal and Dr. Adnan Sarhan from An-Najah also.

After the sessions, the participants engaged in a discussion session in which they discussed how to improve the learning and teaching of scientific research methodologies in the Palestinian higher education institutions. Speakers in this sessions included Dr. Wa’el Abu Al-Hasan, Professor of Scientific Research and Psychology and Sociology at the Arab American University in Jenin, Dr. Thiyab Ayyoush, Professor of Sociology, Professor Hasan Al-Salwadi, Dean of Scientific Research and Higher Studies at Al-Quds Open University, and Dr. Maher Hashweh, Dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences at Birzeit University.

A workshop was also organized on how to write qualitative and quantitative scientific research papers in which Dr. Arwa Jaber, Professor of Industrial Chemistry (Polymers) at the Arab American University, and Dr. Ayman Yousef, Professor of Political Sciences and International Relations at the Arab-American University, in addition to Dr. Munther Zyoud, Professor of English at Al-Quds Open University.