Birzeit announces journalism award, scholarship fund in memory of Shireen Abu Akleh

Birzeit University has launched the “Shireen Abu Akleh Award for Outstanding Achievements in Media” on May 12, 2022, dedicated to Palestinian journalists and reporters covering life under the Israeli occupation. The award was established in honor of renowned Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was murdered in cold blood by the Israeli occupying forces in Jenin on May 11.

The award will be presented annually on May 11 in memory of the impact Abu Akleh made on journalism in Palestine and the Arab world and her efforts in highlighting the Israeli occupation’s human rights violations against Palestinians.

In addition to the award, Birzeit University has also launched a scholarship fund in honor of Abu Akleh. The scholarship will be awarded annually to high-achieving female journalism students at Birzeit University, providing them the opportunity to complete their education and produce stories that highlight Palestinian culture, history, and traditions.

Abu Akleh was born in Jerusalem in 1971. She studied journalism at Yarmouk University in Jordan and returned after graduation to Palestine, where she worked for several media outlets including Voice of Palestine. She joined Al Jazeera in 1997 and was one of the earliest field correspondents during the second Palestinian Intifada in 2000.

Details about the scholarship and the award will be announced soon.