New IT building floor adds 1000 square meters of lecture halls, laboratories for student and faculty use

Birzeit University’s community celebrated the inauguration of a new floor added to the Munib Rashid Masri Building for Information Technology in a ceremony held on campus on Monday, March 28, 2022.

Attending the ceremony were Birzeit University Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Talal Shahwan, businessman and philanthropist Munib Masri, members of the university’s Board of Trustees and faculty and staff.

The floor adds 1000 square meters of space to the building, comprising three lecture halls, three laboratories, and nine offices for faculty members.

In his welcoming remarks, Shahwan thanked Munib Masri for his generosity in funding the construction of the floor, responding to the continuous need for expansion and development at Birzeit University. The university, he said, stands as a preeminent national institution in the face of relentless Israeli attempts to control and undermine education in Palestine, and this steadfastness, he noted, is bolstered by the help and contributions of generous Palestinians at home or abroad.

“Birzeit University purses excellence and works to advance knowledge and scholarship in the field of information technology,” Shahwan added. “We are committed to providing high-quality education and enabling world-class research  to address the unprecedented challenges and keep abreast with the ongoing developments in this field in the world.”

Shahwan emphasized Birzeit University’s focus on nurturing innovation and creativity in a multitude of areas and disciplines, giving students the space and tools to become leaders and innovators in their chosen fields. “As part of our ongoing efforts to provide leading education, the university has recently inaugurated a new Ph.D. program in computer science, which will offer students and researchers knowledge and skills in advanced artificial intelligence and software systems design,” he said.

Masri, in turn, highlighted his commitment to Palestinian higher education institutions, noting that supporting education is one of the main tools through which a free, independent Palestine can be attained.

The Munib Rashid Masri Building for Information Technology was inaugurated in 2013 with a total area of more than 4,000 square meters consisting of lecture halls, classrooms and laboratories designed to fit the needs of computer science and information technology students