On Friday 30 May 2014 the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) launched the Community Based- Learning Conference, with wide Palestinian and international participation. The Conference aimed at disseminating teaching experiences and students’ training, linking higher education with the local community needs.
At the opening session Prof. Natsheh gave a speech welcoming the attendees. He pointed out that An-Najah National University is constantly trying to work and communicate with different institutions in developing quality standards and raising performance at the University. He stressed that the University’s mission strives to incorporate the latest technologies in science to improvements in quality higher education, and provide an independent learning environment to stimulate communication between students and faculty members and the Palestinian community.
Prof. Natsheh further added that this conference is a product of the constant efforts of An-Najah to establish partnerships with local communities and institutions. These basic fundamentals are embodied in three themes: working on involving companies and institutions in teaching and training university students; integrating important projects in curricula to meet the needs of companies and institutions, particularly small companies; and provide the Palestinian community with qualified alumni and trainers who are ready to emerge into labour market and have the qualifications, competencies and capacities to contribute fully and independently to the Palestinian economy.
Dr. Knight said that: “I am honoured to attend this important conference, which is held in An-Najah in partnership with the AUC”. He also added that this conference is one of the projects of interest to the AMIDEAST in the framework of the support to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and An-Najah National University, which is committed to always introducing new and innovative methods of learning and teaching to improve the students’ professional life through CELT. He further added that higher education in its modern forms is conducted through a balanced relationship between universities and societal institutions, not in a traditional way where the university produces knowledge irrelevant to the community context.
For example, CELT was successful in implementing a crucial project for the municipality of Beit Wazan, where a design of the e-maps showing the lands and distribution over the area of the town was created.
Dr. Knight went on saying that partnership between An-Najah and AUC has reached an advanced level in the field of community based-learning.
Dr. Switzer talked about the role of AUC in employing education to serve the local Egyptian community. He finally thanked An-Najah for hosting this conference.
Dr. Daraghmeh thanked the attendees and participants adding that the conference aims at producing new teaching and training methods that aim to link university courses with surrounding local community. This includes emerging real projects from governmental, societal and private sectors, hosting representatives of these parties and following up on university students’ efforts in these projects.
During the opening session, a documentary film was screened on projects implemented by An-Najah students and instructors for the University Hospital, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Consumer Protection Society and others.
The participants over the two days will offer ten projects as part of An-Najah National and AUC, for example: designing an enrichment curriculum of English for grades 1-4; web design for private sector companies; designing public relations materials for non-governmental institutions; and preparing and implementing a study to evaluate the primary care services programme in the Ministry of Health.
The conference has allocated a session where local community representatives can discuss their cooperation experiences; visions for mechanisms and ways of possible future cooperation; and universities and local community institutions expected roles.
Afterwards, Prof. Natsheh inaugurated the “Community based-Learning” exhibition, where projects of both An-Najah and ACU students’ were displayed.
Notes:
- The Conference was held in Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz theatre and continued until Saturday 31 May.
- The opening session was presided over by Professor Maher Natsheh, Acting President of An-Najah; Dr. John Knight, Director of the Palestinian Faculty Development Programme PFDP in AMIDEAST; Robert Switzer, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the Arab American University in Cairo (AUC); Dr. Abdulkareem Daraghmeh, Director of Centre of Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) and Director of the Conference Steering Committee; Dr. Pandeli Galvanis, Director of the Community Based- Learning at AUC; representatives of AUC; and the participation of representatives of all the universities in Palestine and local community institutions.