Executive Bureau:

Chairperson
*Prof. Manuel Hassassian
Executive Vice- President
Bethlehem University
Tel. ++972-2-2741241
Fax.++972-2-2744440
mhassass@bethlehem.edu

Vice-Chairperson
*Prof. Gianni Vaggi
Director-Center for
International Cooperation
and Development
University of Pavia

Secretary General
*Prof. Luc Francois
Director of International Affairs
Universiteit Gent
Luc.Francois@rug.ac.be

Treasurer
*Prof. Rami Hamdallah
President-An Najah National
University, Nablus

Members:
*Prof. Radwan Barakat
Dean of Graduate Studies
Hebron University

*Prof. Edward Jennings
President Emeritas
Ohio State University

*Ms. Monica Margarit
Director -International Relations
University of Barcelona

*Prof. Jan Peters
President -International
Federation of Catholic Universities

Prof. Mohammad Shubair
President
The Islamic University, Gaza

Prof. Annick Suzor-Weiner
Director
International Relations
Université Paris-Sud
_____________________

Prof. Dumitru Chitoran
Adviser

U N E S C O
Bonvin Building
Room B.6.43
1. Rue Miollis
F-75732 Paris,Cedex 15
Tel. (+ 33 1) 45.68.41.55
Fax. (+ 33 1) 45.68.58.14

E-mails: D.Chitoran@unesco.org

URL:
http://www.unesco.org/
general/eng/Programmes/
peace-palestine/index.html

February 21, 2005

Press Release

Bethlehem University will be hosting the Sixth General Assembly of the PEACE (Palestinian-European-American Cooperation in Education) programme on February 26-27, 2005.

The PEACE Programme is a network of European and North American Universities, committed to promoting international co-operation with, and extending assistance to the Palestinian Universities in various forms, including scholarships for study abroad.

Although it is not a foundation with a substantial budget of its own, the PEACE network has been able, with the strong support of its member-universities, to provide opportunities for study abroad for a number of Palestinian graduate students and young academics.

This conference will dwell in a systemic way on Human Resources Development and Academic Mobility, in addition to Capacity-Building and Quality Assurance at Palestinian Universities, and how all the above will impact the development of Palestinian civil society.

Part of its Assembly, the PEACE Programme along with Bethlehem University are hosting a conference on “University Cooperation for the Progress of Civil Society in Palestine”. The speakers are from various European and Palestinian countries including the United States.

It is worth mentioning that the PEACE Programme had institutionalized in Palestine a culture of Higher Education and Research, that engulfed within its parameters the defense of basic human rights, academic freedom and university autonomy. The PEACE programme also had bolstered the Palestinian Universities academic programmes and opened avenues for international co-operation through garnering support of various European and American Universities.

Furthermore, the PEACE programme had fostered co-operation in joint research and faculty exchanges- not to mention professional development of Palestinian Universities faculty, staff and students which is considered to be one of the distinctive achievement of the PEACE Programme, that is driven by the vision, commitment and resilience of the founding members as well as of the current Steering Committee members.

Thank you.

The Steering Committee of the P.E.A.C.E Programme
and Bethlehem University Administration