جامعة بيرزيت | |
Motto | Building a Better Palestinian Future |
---|---|
Type | Public |
Established | 1924 |
President | Abdul Latif Abu Hijleh |
Academic staff
|
617 |
Undergraduates | 8,465 |
Postgraduates | 1,388 |
Location | Birzeit, Palestine |
Campus | Urban 800 dunums (200 acres) |
Affiliations | UNIMED |
Website | www.birzeit.edu |
Birzeit University (Arabic: جامعة بيرزيت), often abbreviated as BZU, is a non-governmental public university located in Birzeit, Palestine, near Ramallah. Established in 1924 as an Elementary School for girls, Birzeit became a University in 1975 .
Birzeit University, with the highest admission averages among other Palestinian universities, offers graduate and undergraduate programs in information technology, engineering, sciences, social policy, arts, law, nursing, pharmacy, health sciences, economics, and management. It has 9 faculties, including a graduate faculty. These offer 47 B.A. programs for undergraduate students and 26 M.A. programs for graduate students.
Birzeit School for Girls was founded in 1924 by Nabiha Nasir (1891-1951) as an elementary school for girls from Birzeit and the surrounding villages. It was one of the first schools in the region. In 1930, it broadened its scope to become a co-educational secondary school, and in 1932, it was renamed Birzeit Higher School. In 1942, the name was changed to Birzeit College. In 1953, a freshman higher education class was incorporated, followed by a sophomore class in 1961.
The year 1948 was a turning point in the history of Birzeit College. By the spring, the political situation looked precarious, and Birzeit administrators worried that the school year which normally ended in June would be interrupted by events connected with the withdrawal of British forces and the end of the British Mandate lasting since 1917. The administrators decided to complete the semester curriculum by April, scheduling the graduation ceremony for April 30, 1948 and to be held under the auspices of Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni, the chief commander of the Army of the Holy War. However, he was killed on April 8 at the battle of Al-Qastal by the Jewish paramilitary force Haganah, who were defending positions on that hill on the outskirts of Jerusalem.