Musa Nasir was awarded a degree in physics from the American University of Beirut in 1914. Nasir opened a school for teaching public administration at his home in Jerusalem, and was forced to close it after 1948.
After the Nakba in 1948, Nasir initiated a preliminary census of the refugees with the help of students and relatives living in Birzeit. Nasir collected data on refugees, which included their original towns, and handed it over to the International Red Cross, aiming to help in providing them with assistance. This preliminary census was the first operation in collecting such data, and Nasir received a certificate of appreciation from the Red Cross.
In the 1950s, he was elected twice to the Jordanian parliament and took on ministerial positions in the Jordanian government. In 1959 and 1960, he became minister of foreign affairs. In that capacity, Nasir gave speeches before the United Nations General Assembly on Palestine and the refugee issue. After being disappointed by the political status quo, Nasir retired from politics in 1961. He dedicated his time and energy to the development of Birzeit College and education in general, and to defending the Palestinian cause in various forums, focusing constantly on the moral aspects of the issue.
