Palestine in photos: a look at education, universities and campus life in the region

Introduction : Palestine rarely makes news in the Indian media. When that is the case, it is usually because "clashes" or "hostilities" have erupted once again. Knee-and-thrown feelings are often quick to attribute "terrorists" to Palestinians. The reality is that Palestinians are an exceptionally warm and welcoming people.

Perceptions about Palestine are too often shaped by lack of information or propaganda. It is easy to dehumanize those we do not know.

This 10-part series on Palestine is composed of photographs of East Jerusalem and the West Bank taken by the author during a visit in early 2018. They carry various aspects of natural beauty of Palestine. , its ancient and unique history, Palestinian art, education and culture, and the grim realities of their life under Israeli military occupation.

In the fourth part, we examine university life in Palestine.

[Below: A map of West Bank, Gaza and Israel (L); the West Bank (R). Courtesy: palestinett.org]

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Education is very popular in Palestine; the numbers speak for themselves. Despite immense suffering under military occupation, the literacy rate is 97% (male literacy of 99% and literacy of women 95% and high enrollment rate.)

There are several major universities in the West Bank with more than 10,000 students and The largest of them – the An-Najah University – has more than 20,000.

Look on University Campuses in Palestine

The campus of the University of Bethlehem:

Faculty of Engineering of Al-Quds University in the city of Abu Dis.

Students at a cafe on the campus of Al-Quds University

A seminar on sustainability at Al-Quds University:

The new campus of the University An -Najah in the city of Nablus. The largest university in the West Bank with 22,000 students and 19 faculties

The spacious library of An-Najah University:

Braille printer at Birzeit University Students receive credits for translating Braille textbooks for the benefit of their students.

High school students attending a seminar on climate change at the Museum of Natural History of Palestine in Bethlehem

A lecture at the Hebron University in Hebron city:

Professor at the University of Hebron for a local television channel.