RAMALLAH, February 10, 2010 (WAFA)- Academic Memorandum of Understanding was signed today between Italian Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on behalf of 4 Italian Universities and 7 Palestinian Universities .
The memorandum was set up by the University Cooperation Coordination Team of the Italian Cooperation - Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Italian General Consulate in Jerusalem and the UTL (Technical Local Unit) in order to promote new university cooperation programs between the Palestinian and the Italian Academic World, based on new strategies.
It has been in fact adopted an innovative strategic approach which involves a 'network' action between Italian and Palestinian Universities. It is primarily aimed at ensuring a greater effectiveness and capillarity of the intervention.
It is foreseen an initial phase focused on the deepening of the priorities for development in education, scientific research and technology transfer and then the parties will start specific university cooperation programs having an high scientific profile.
The Palestinian Universities presented at the meeting and the Italian side appreciated the initiative and the “network” action.
The Memorandum included three actions are Training for professors and for qualified researchers with Phd programs, Intensive short term courses (of a few months) for an advanced qualification of the specialists (learning of the medical techniques, softwares,…), Summer Schools for students and young graduates (of one week) for exchanges of the students on broad issues (for example environment-energy, development economics, entrepreneurships, health, etc.) and with a interdisciplinary approach.
Attended from the Italian side Cooperation and Italian Universities: Prof. Massimo Caneva, Coordinator Italian University Cooperation Team of the Italian Cooperation, Prof. Manuel Castello Sapienza, University of Rome and consulate team: Consul Francesco Forte, Communication Officer Maria Ilaria De Bonis, and Project Coordinator Ibrahim Taweal.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Universities who attended where : Prof. Br. Robert Smith, Vice-President of the Bethlehem University, Prof. Hassan Dweik, Rector of Al-Quds University, Prof. Kherieh Rassas, Assistant of the President of Al Najah University, Prof. Awini Katib, President of the Hebron University, Prof. Adnan Yaha, Vice-President of the Bir Zeit University, envoy of Arab American University Of Jenin, and Palestine Polytechnic University in Hebron.
Such document will put together both strategic lines of the University Cooperation and proposals for future university cooperation programmes.
