Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies

The Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies at Birzeit University was established in 1975. Historically, the department played a leading role in introducing students to intellectual and cultural issues that proved to be of paramount importance for the critical development of their thinking.

From it's early days, the department consisted of many prominent philosophers, political scientists and historians, who strove to influence the intellectual environment, especially at a time when the university as a whole participated in both, resisting the Israeli occupation as well as playing a role in the emergence of institutions that were essential for the Intifada and  the building of a Palestinian state.

Apart from its academic role which sought to introduce students to ideas that would broaden their intellect and encourage them to seriously engage in critical and constructive thinking, the department managed to shape the university's intellectual and political atmosphere. The forum with which the department provided the students enabled many of them to become the intellectuals and political actors of the future, and empowered them to influence their society's political and social conscience.

The department puts great emphasis on exposing the entire student body of the university to  ideas that  will actively enable them to engage in the emergence of a civil society and a more plural and democratic society. Recent activities at the University have shown the results of this.