Portuguese delegation visits Birzeit University

A Portuguese municipal delegation and representatives from the Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation visited Birzeit University on March 30, 2019, and met with university president Abdullatif Abuhijleh to discuss possibilities for academic cooperation.

The delegation, headed by Palestine’s Ambassador to Portugal Nabil Abuznaid, was composed of heads and members of the municipalities of Évora, Fundão, Cuba, Ponte de Sor, Moita, and Olhos de Agua. The delegation also included a number of representatives from the Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation, a non-governmental organization that was established to mobilize public opinion for the defense of peace and seeks to pursue international security and cooperation, friendship and solidarity amongst peoples.

Birzeit University president Abdullatif Abuhjileh received the group and explained the challenges higher education faces in Palestine, including measures imposed by the Israeli occupation that violate the students’ and faculty’s academic freedom and right to education.

Abuhijleh gave an overview of the university’s history, academic programs, and community engagement projects, and asserted its commitment to providing quality education through networking and by building solid ties with its peers in numerous countries around the world. “Portugal has always believed in the justice of the Palestinian cause and always supported our independence and right of self-determination. We, at Birzeit University, are keen to establish networks with institutions of higher-education in Portugal and to open new frontiers for academic and research cooperation,” Abuhijleh asserted.

Assistant to the President Aziz Shawabkeh, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics Samia Botmeh, senior researcher at the Birzeit University’s Institute of Law Mustafa Mari, Officer of the External Academic Relations Office Amir Khalil and the Chair of the Public Administration Department Nour Matour also met with the delegation.