The Arab American University, represented by Dr. Bara Asfour, Vice President for Administrative and Financial Affairs, and the Palestinian Telecommunications Company Jawwal, represented by Mr. Bahi Sawalha, Director of Human Resources Department, signed a memorandum of understanding for the sake of exchanging knowledge and experiences as well as providing training and employment opportunities for AAUP students.
The agreement was signed on the University campus in Ramallah with the presence of Professor Dr. Mohammad Asia, Vice President for the Ramallah Campus, Mr. Mohammad Sabaaneh, Director of the Student Affairs Department, Mr. Qais Obaid from the Student Affairs Department, and on behalf of the Palestinian Telecommunications Company, Jawwal, Mr. Alaa Hijazi, Head of the Business Support Department, and Mr. Thaer Abu Baker, Business Sector Manager.
This step comes within the framework of the Arab American University’s efforts to enhance cooperation with local companies to provide job opportunities for students, stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship, and develop students’ skills to facilitate their entry into the labor market. It is also consistent with the mission of the Palestine Telecommunications Company, Jawwal, to achieve broader participation in the educational sector, attract student competencies, provide them with training opportunities, and raise students’ capabilities.
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Asia stressed the importance of this agreement, confirming that this partnership comes within the framework of the University’s commitment to providing the highest levels of education and training to students in Palestine. Prof. Dr. Asia said: "We are committed to providing a stimulating educational environment that enables students to develop their skills and gain practical experiences in line with the trend towards fifth education. The University looks forward to strengthening partnerships with local community institutions by offering bilateral programs in the future."
For his part, Dr. Bara Asfour said: “The University offers modern programs that keep pace with the technological and digital developments. We seek to qualify our students to successfully face the challenges of the labor market.” "The Arab American University and the Palestine Telecommunications Company agree on the approach of pioneering in the field of technology and digitization, and we are keen to always be at the forefront", Dr. Asfour added.
In turn, Mr. Bahi Sawalha stressed the company’s interest in developing students’ skills and raising their efficiency, and its focus on partnerships with Palestinian universities. He said: “This agreement is considered an important step towards building bridges of cooperation between the academic and private sectors, and we are confident that this cooperation will contribute to enhancing student competencies and developing their capabilities in all fields, the most important of which is information and communications technology. This will also enhance innovation and development in Palestine.”
It should be noted that under the agreement, Palestine Telecommunications Company Jawwal, will provide paid training opportunities for AAUP students and graduates, and the University will also provide scholarships to the company’s employees for master’s degrees.
