Birzeit University wins 4 Erasmus+ capacity building projects in higher education
Birzeit University has won funding for four capacity building in higher education–projects through the EU-funded Erasmus+ program. The university is leading two of these projects and serves as a strategic partner in the other two.
These projects competed against 276 projects submitted by Arab higher education institutions and were among the 34 final contestants.
Amir Khalil, the director of the Office for Grants and Contracts, said that this accomplishment is part and parcel of the office’s mandate: “Our responsibility is to provide assistance to our academics, researchers and staff members. We help them obtain supportive documents and information that enables them to find opportunities to support and nurture their ideas and projects,” he explained.
Khalil expressed his appreciation of the National Erasmus Office in Palestine for their ongoing role in supporting and building the capacities of higher education institutions in Palestine.
The project titled “Empowering teachers for inclusive education in Palestine,” led by the Faculty of Education, won support valued €999,960. This project aims to develop a new master’s program in inclusive education at four Palestinian universities―Birzeit University, Al-Quds University, An-Najah National University and the Islamic University in Gaza―in partnership with two European universities, namely Humboldt University of Berlin, and the University of Vienna. The project will be implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education, represented by the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission (AQAC.)
“A Competence Center for Smart Grid Applications and Technologies” is the second winning project. Led by the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, it is funded with the amount of €861,513 Euros. The project aims to improve competencies in smart grid technologies among Palestinian students by enabling them to learn from European partners and experts. It seeks to provide participants with the essential tools required to excel in their professions and find better job opportunities.
The first project in which Birzeit University is a strategic partner is titled “Towards a national network that manages scientific research outcomes.” The goal is to build a national platform to manage and maintain the outcomes of Palestinian scientific research according to international standards through open-source repositories. The university is collaborating with the Islamic University in Gaza, Al-Quds University, and the Ministry of Higher-Education and Scientific Research through the Scientific Research Council and AQAC. European partners are Vienna University of Technology, Austria; University of Minho, Portugal; Bielefeld University, Germany; and the Lithuania-based international not-for-profit institution Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL).
The final project is titled “A Startup Academy Building Capacities for the Future” and aims to build the competencies of Palestinian and Tunisian university graduates and enhance their self-employment skills. The project is led by the University of Siegen, Germany, and Birzeit University in partnership with Utrecht University, The Netherlands; Roskilde University, Denmark; University de Sousse and University of Sfax, Tunisia; the Tunisian Techno Park; Leaders International, Al-Quds University, and the Higher Council for Innovation and Excellence, Palestine.
Learn more about Birzeit University’s Erasmus+ funded projects and their impact.
