Fall term begins with 15,000 students, new programs in supply chain management and computer science

Birzeit University welcomed more than 15,000 students as the 2021–2022 Fall Semester kicked off on March 16, 2022. Undergraduates as well as graduates returned to their campus across 119 academic programs offered by the university’s nine faculties.

Dr. Beshara Doumani, president of Birzeit University, congratulated the students on their accomplishments in the spring term, wishing them more success and even greater achievements in the coming weeks and months. “We all are excited to begin this semester,” said Doumani. “I hope that you continue to accomplish great things, and I wish you all a semester full of achievement and personal and academic growth.”

In his address, Doumani highlighted the core values that distinguish Birzeit University as the foremost educational institution in Palestine and the region. The university, he said, offers world-class education guided by a strong and continued commitment towards bolstering academic and societal progress and producing engaged scholarship in an atmosphere that encourages pluralism and diversity.

Dr. Talal Shahwan, the vice president for academic affairs, highlighted the university’s newly established programs offered in the 2022 spring term, including a bachelor’s program in interior design, offered by the Faculty of Art, Music and Design. Additionally, the university is offering a unique master’s program in supply chain management, which is designed to provide students with the analytical tools to improve logistic flows and apply technological solutions to address supply chain needs in local and international contexts.

Shahwan also introduced the PhD Program in Computer Science, the university’s second doctoral degree program. The program, Shahwan said, will offer students specialized skills in artificial intelligence and software systems, giving them the tools to analyze, design and build complex software systems and contribute to the latest advances in artificial intelligence.

Ending his address, Shahwan encouraged Birzeit University’s community to continue pivoting, innovating collectively to advance the university and the broader Palestinian community.