Al-Quds University ‫جامعة القدس‬

Fundraising Unit ‫وحدة اجتذاب التمويل‬

Capability Statement 2022

Foundation and Establishment:

Al-Quds University has earned the reputation of a pioneering educational and research institution in the State of Palestine and
has attained a position of great importance in the history of this nation. The university is distinguished by the peculiarity of its
place and time: It is located in the city of Jerusalem—considered to be one of the oldest cities in history and a lead in the field
of science and culture. As for the time, it was established in 1948 as a humanitarian initiative by the Jerusalemite Hind al-
Husseini to provide a kindergarten for the orphan girls who lost their families during the Deir Yassin massacre. As time went
by, the kindergarten developed, expanded, and multiplied its centers until it became one of the largest universities in Palestine
and the most present in the Holy City of Jerusalem, which the Palestinians aspire to become their nation’s capital city. The
university now embraces more than 13,000 male and female students, and it employs 330 faculty members, 71.8% of whom
hold a doctorate degree. It includes 15 academic colleges distributed over five branches in Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Hebron,
in addition to 30 educational and cultural centers and institutes, 10 of which are located in Jerusalem. Al-Quds University
carries a significant responsibility towards enabling the Jerusalemite community, as it allocates around $5.6 million of its budget
to open and maintain its community and academic centers in Jerusalem, such as the Social Work Center and Center for
Jerusalem studies.
University Milestones:
Since its inception, Al-Quds University has used the slogan “Excellence and remarkable performance for the advancement of
the Palestinian Society,” and this slogan was translated to action by providing distinctive educational and research services to
meet the Palestinian needs. The university distinguished itself with its focus on applied sciences and modern technology,
creating specialized programs that aimed to meet the needs of the labor market and alleviate the emigration of Palestinian
youth. In this context, the university pioneered in the construction of the first medical college in Palestine in 1994. In parallel,
the university established the first law school in Palestine as well, and followed it with many majors and programs that included
electronic engineering, computer science, materials engineering, dentistry, and science and technology. The university is now
waiting for the approval of the Ministry of Education to accredit its unique majors including those in nanotechnology, solar
energy, cosmetology, mathematics and financial technology, and landscape design. Moreover, Al-Quds University is was the
first Palestinian university to offer PhD programs in law, information technology, public health, and jurisprudence.
The university went not only beyond the limits of leadership and expansion of the educational fields but also strengthened its
partnerships with the best international universities and showed flexibility in its work approach in order to improve the
educational system and lead the change in the labor market. For example, the university signed a partnership agreement with
Bard College in the United States, where they launched liberal art teaching programs, which is the first of its kind in the Arab
world focusing on providing students with critical thinking skills. Moreover, to bridge the gap between the academic education
outcomes and the requirements of the Palestinian labor market, the university took the lead in introducing a “dual studies”
system, which combines theoretical study at the university with practical application in the workplace, similar to the German
approach.
In terms of research, the university distinguished itself by its prominent role in producing and disseminating knowledge; in the
year 2020-2021, the university contributed more than 158 scientific publications in various fields, which led to its being ranked
 Al-Quds University ‫جامعة القدس‬
Fundraising Unit ‫وحدة اجتذاب التمويل‬

Capability Statement 2022

first in Palestine in the Research Impact Index, according to the QS International University Rankings. In addition, to encourage
scientific research, the university has allocated 9% of its general budget to develop the research capabilities of its students and
teaching staff, as the university works continuously to organize workshops and conferences and actively participates in
international conferences. As for its library, today it contains more than 163,000 books and 120 manuscripts, in addition to its
subscription to 19 paid databases and more than 50 free databases. The university launched the Al-Quds University Journal for
Academic Research, which is a multidisciplinary, open access, and peer-reviewed journal that publishes the results of the
university’s scientific research on a large scale.
The university is also well known for it being a national incubator for social responsibility that continuously responds to the
needs of the community in Jerusalem and tries to provide solutions that contribute to strengthening their resilience. For
example, the university has provided protection for 10 buildings that were at the risk of Israeli confiscation and turned them
into different service centers. In addition, to support the less fortunate, the university has worked to establish a school for
orphans and a residence for them on the university’s campus. Furthermore, it contributes in providing quarter scholarships for
students from Jerusalem, as the poverty rate in the city has reached 84%. As a result, the university was awarded as the Best
University in Community Impact for the year 2017.
Governance:
Al-Quds University created an exclusive administrative body called the Councils Authority. This council meets at least once a
quarter to discuss strategic issues and general policies of the university and formulate recommendations that enhance
academic and administrative performance at the university. The General Secretariat of the Councils Authority is formed every
three years; it is the highest authority in the university and is made up of eight experienced and competent members, entrusted
with the authority to issue university regulations, amend the primary laws, and approve the reports of external auditors.
Important Networks:
Al-Quds University has extensive and broad relations at all local and international levels, and it is a member of a number of
Arab and international federations and coalitions. Most notably, it is a member of the following bodies: Association of Arab
Universities, World Federation of Universities, Association of Islamic Universities, Union of Arab Engineers, International
Pharmaceutical Federation, Academic Network of the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean Countries, Mediterranean Network
of Engineering Faculties, Complex Digital Systems, International Federation of Medical Students Associations, World
Federation for Medical Education, World Directory of Medical Schools, and Association of Public Health Schools in the
European Region.

Contact Info:
Hiba Al-Jibeihi
Fundraising Manager
Al-Quds University- Jerusalem- Palestine
M: 00970592059963
E: hibajibeihi@alquds.edu