Amidst the persistent turbulence prevailing in the Holy Land, Bethlehem University continues to “stand tall” and remain steadfast in maintaining its noble message of providing advanced and high-standard education to the people who are athirst to receive qualified education that would extricate them from the era of hopelessness and mark a shining future, whereby the graduates would turn over a new leaf in life and start a new and promising future.

Bethlehem University takes us back some 50 years ago to recall measures leading to its foundation in its capacity as the only Catholic University in the Holy Land, west of the River Jordan, whose marks are printed in the heart and minds of its graduates who have been able to courageously make their ways in life armed with the knowledge acquired from this university that remains all the time a beacon of peace and resilience.

In 1964, Pope St. Paul VI traveled to the Holy Land. Having observed the precarious living conditions of the population, he expressed the desire to the establishment of a Catholic university to educate a new and well-prepared Palestinian leadership. Eight years later, his wish was fulfilled with the then-Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Pio Laghi, on behalf of the Holy See, initiated the creation of a Christian university in Bethlehem, entrusting it to the De La Salle Brothers, who had been present in the Holy Land since 1889.

Fifty years later, Bethlehem University has become one of the renowned universities in the Middle East with its qualified graduates demonstrating nonpareil excellence. It provides a variety of disciplines including tourism, arts, economics, sciences, business and engineering among others.

The Vatican media has interviewed Brother Hernán Santos González, FSC, who currently serves as the vice chancellor of Bethlehem university,  who spoke to L’Osservatore Romano about the university’s situation and its resilience in the face of continued tensions in the region.

He says that a total of 3,300 students are currently enrolled in the university, which is defined as “peaceful and resilient’ while providing education to students from Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and other areas of southern West Bank. He continues that the situation changed after October 7, 2023 which witnessed a regression in the economic situation that consequently affected the students’ ability to pay tuition fees that was concomitant with the collapse of tourism.

He concludes by stating that  a five-year plan has been presented that envisions the enrollment of an additional 800 students at a time when one of the top goals is the objective of preventing young people, especially Christians, from leaving as they are experiencing a significant exodus in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem University is a story of success. While serving as a beacon of progress and enlightenment, it lightens the dark and bleak nights of Bethlehem and neighboring areas with the bright light of promoting higher education. It provides quality higher education which forms the whole person in the context of a learning community that provides mind- and heart-touching transformative learning experiences through its academic programs, research, extracurricular activities, and community engagement.

The university fosters a dynamic teaching and learning environment, wherein curricula are regularly evaluated and global best practices implemented to ensure pertinence and excellence. Furthermore, it opens doors for students to enter careers in various professions with proficiency, confidence, and character; and fosters the development of students as committed citizens who, in their pursuit of the common good, are prepared to assume leading positions in their careers, in the Holy Land, and internationally.

The Catholic Church deserves appreciation and respect for the noble role it has been performing all the time in the service of humanity.