Birzeit University's Board of Trustees elects Dr. Hanan Ashrawi as Chairperson of the Board

Birzeit University’s Board of Trustees has announced the decision made on September 3, 2022, to elect Dr. Hanan Ashrawi as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees. Dr. Ashrawi will be inaugurated on August 15, 2023, following the resignation of the current Chairperson, Dr. Hanna Nasir, on the same date.

The Board of Trustees welcomes Dr. Ashrawi and recognizes the remarkable achievements of Dr. Nasir, one of the key founders who played a significant role in the development of Birzeit College in 1974, leading it to become the first Arab university in Palestine. Over the past 60 years, Dr. Nasir has contributed academically, administratively and structurally to the university.

Acknowledging her competence, the Board of Trustees elected Dr. Ashrawi to head the Board with a firm belief that she will enrich the university with her experience in academia, politics, community engagement and public service.

Dr. Ashrawi joined the Board of Trustees in 2016 and became a member of the Board’s Administrative Committee in 2022.

Dr. Ashrawi served as Chair of the Department of English Language and Literature and Dean of the Faculty of Arts until 1995.  During her time at the university, she founded the Birzeit University Legal Aid Committee defending university detainees in Israeli prisons. Dr. Ashrawi was appointed the Palestinian Authority Minister of Higher Education and Research and was a member in the Palestinian Central and the Palestinian National Council. Dr. Ashrawi was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council in 1996 and 2006. She was elected as member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 2009 and served as head of its Department of Culture and Information until her recent resignation.

In 1998, Dr. Ashrawi founded MIFTAH, the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, and she continues to serve as head of its board of directors to this day. Dr. Ashrawi founded the National Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN) and the Citizen’s Rights Committee, which later became the Independent Commission for Human Rights. She also serves in the advisory committee of a number of organizations, including the Institute of Palestine Studies and the International Human Rights Council.

Dr. Ashrawi is the recipient of eleven honorary doctorates and numerous local and international awards in recognition of her work in areas related to women’s rights, peacebuilding, international relations and human rights. She has published many literary and political works, including her book This Side of Peace: A Personal Account.

The Board of Trustees extends their best wishes to Dr. Ashrawi, as she takes on the responsibility of leading the University Board.