Holy Land: Bethlehem University plays key role in supporting Jerusalem and its institutions

Bethlehem University (BU), the renowned Catholic University in the Holy Land which was established in 1973, plays a key role in supporting as well as in enhancing the resilience of Jerusalem and its institutions, in addition to assisting the city’s students in their educational and social journey.

This attitude unveils the leading role BU plays which transcends its mission of providing needed higher education to new generations in the Holy Land, to the point of supporting Jerusalem and its institutions in an endeavor to maintain people's steadfastness so as to forestall emigration and to create a thriving  environment leading to a bright future  for the new generations.

Press reports indicate that Bethlehem University has signed a cooperation agreement with the Qatari Permanent Committee for the Support of Jerusalem during an official visit by the committee’s delegation to the university campus, which falls within the framework of its ongoing efforts to strengthen national partnerships and support the steadfastness of the city of Jerusalem and its people.

Supporting the Holy City of Jerusalem and its people is quite a timely achievement in light of the prevailing dire situations that encompasses various aspects of life resulting from the prevailing states of instability and uncertainty that engulf the prevailing situations.

At the outset of the meeting with the delegation, which was headed by Secretary of the Qatari Permanent Committee for the Support of Jerusalem Major General Bilal Al-Natsheh, Executive Vice President of the University Dr. Fadi Kattan emphasized the importance of this collaboration, especially given the difficult circumstances faced by students from Jerusalem in their pursuit of quality higher education. He pointed out that approximately 37 per cent of the BU's students are from Jerusalem which places a great national and social responsibility on the university. He thanked the Qatari Permanent Committee for its continuous support of the university, stressing that this support directly contributes to empowering students and enhancing their educational opportunities.

For his part, Major General Bilal Al-Natsheh noted that this cooperation is part of a comprehensive plan to support Palestinian institutions that serve Jerusalemite students and provide them with a safe and motivating educational environment.

With both parties discussing future prospects for mutual cooperation, they explored ways to expand support into broader areas. The meeting concluded with the signing of the agreement, which forms an institutional framework for future collaboration between the two sides.

This agreement serves as a new and important milestone in this partnership and represents a practical embodiment of the shared vision to reinforce the resilience of Jerusalem and its institutions, and to support the city’s students in their educational and social life. Both parties affirmed their shared commitment to continued cooperation in serving students from Jerusalem and in supporting Palestinian higher education amid current challenges.

BU is highly appreciated for its outstanding educational and national endeavors which consolidate higher education despite the challenges it faces, particularly with regard to its plans for academic, technological, and infrastructural advancement. This university deserves continued support in light of the pioneering role it plays in the Holy Land in particular and the region in general as it stands tall as a beacon of  advanced education that eliminates the darkness which overshadows the region.