JERUSALEM | Effective Saturday, March 14, Al-Quds University (AQU) transitioned classes to remote instruction, following the declaration of a state of national emergency by the Palestinian National Authority in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The university offered students and faculty intensive online training in the use of the e-learning tools adopted in its remote instruction program, such as Zoom, BBB, and other platforms already in use for similar but more limited purposes. This is the first time that AQU moves all its curriculum to remote instruction.

Al-Quds University President Professor Imad Abu Kishek said that the university is now ready to resume classes in this mode of instruction; thanks to the efforts of AQU’s IT specialists and academic counselors.

He added that the e-class system adopted by the university is well-developed and of advanced infrastructure, which allows the professors to livestream their lectures and to interact directly with students and engage in realtime discussions.

AQU students who are now requested not to attend to campus due to the coronavirus outbreak can as of Saturday March 14 resume their studies. Courses are made accessible over mobile phone and laptops to avoid disruptions in the educational process, and classes will be offered  through online live-streaming, with the option of recording the lecture  to which students can return for review and preparation of their assignments.

AQU’s decision to close down all its campuses and centers across the country and make classes accessible through remote instruction demonstrates the university’s sense of collective responsibility in the face of a pandemic that threatens humanity everywhere.

The e-class platform at Al-Quds University was first introduced in 2003, and is continuously updated to respond to the ever-evolving needs of the academic life.  As it stands, the self-developed e-class platform is on par with some of the world’s most advanced platform systems used by prestigious universities around the globe, such as Canvas and Moodle.