The University Announces the Establishment of the New Students' Competencies Development Council
Based on its mission to push the educational process in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Palestine</st1:place></st1:city> forward, the University announced the establishment of the new Students' Personal Competencies Development Program which will be dedicated to the development of the students' skills and personalities in the various fields of life. The new program was announced in a press conference that was held at the Trustees Hall at the Old Campus in which Prof. Jawad Fatayer, the University President Assistant for Graduate Affairs spoke about the new program.
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In the conference, Prof. Fatayer declared the launch of the new program and the establishment of the new Students' Personal Competencies Development Council which would take the responsibility of coordinating and controlling the work of this program. Prof. Fatayer went on to express his happiness to be in Palestine and be part of the University. After that, he spoke briefly about the new competency development program and described the various features and characteristics that this program has. He explained the aim of the program which is to develop the personal competencies of the University's students and improve their skills in different fields of life.
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He illustrated that there are different types of student intelligence which the student needs in order to be fully prepared to be involved in the work field. Since work field involves a variety of aspects, any employee must have several skills that when combined together produce a complete worker who can deal with different situations. In developing the University's academic level we should not focus only on the students' education, but also on developing them with respect to other aspects of their personalities.
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Prof. Fatayer explained that there are four types of intelligence, these are: social intelligence which means that the students must have social skills that would help him / her in dealing with different social contexts. Another one is the technological intelligence which refers to the student's ability to use modern technology effectively and to be able to employ his / her technological knowledge in the work field. A third type is the linguistic intelligence which means that a student must have adequate knowledge regarding English language since it is the lingua franca of our age and is needed in every field of life. The fourth one is the emotional intelligence which means that a student can control and direct his /her emotions in various situations and to behave adequately in response to different emotional contexts.
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Prof. Fatayer further said that if the student have full command of English he /she will be able to communicate effectively with different people inside and outside Palestine; however, he / she needs to have social skills in order to be an effective communicator and an active part of the society. Still, he /she must possess comprehensive knowledge regarding modern technology since most fields of work today depend heavily on technology.
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The new program will try to develop and instill those categories of intelligence into the minds of the students so that they become fully prepared to face different situations in the future. The world of today is a network of relationships that depend mostly on a mixture of technology, language, social relations and academic life which poses a great demand on the part of the students who are required to acquire specific skills in each of the above fields.
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Prof. Fatayer emphasized that students are the most important element in the educational process for they are the final product of this process; therefore, such product must be both effective and reliable. And through this program, which will be delivered to the students over the four years of their study, will equip them with the necessary skills and competence they need to act properly outside the University.
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He also explained that the program will take the form of compulsory courses that will be offered to the students. Those courses will try to focus on a specific field in education, development of social skills, enhancement of the student's practical experience, improving their communication skills, enhancing their language, providing them with technological experience, teaching them how to control their emotions and how to deal with other people in various contexts.
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The final stage of the program will be the development of the students' leadership skills. Prof. Fatayer further mentioned that the University will establish the Student's Personal Competencies Development Council which will consist of members from the different institutions in the society. Those members come from business, social, political, educational and technical backgrounds who will provide the council with feedback regarding the society's needs and the graduates' performance.
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Finally, Prof. Fatayer stressed that the Council along with its program will have the mission of developing the students' competencies in Palestine as its main focus and will coordinate efforts with the different departments and faculties at the University in order to achieve this goal. He also emphasized that the University should invest in the students because they are the main source of success and development.
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