Al-Quds University President Prof. Imad Abu Kishek, along with a delegation from the Ministry of Education, inaugurated the 2022 Math Teaching Aids Production Exhibition for Palestinian school students. This marks the third consecutive year for the exhibition, which also included announcements of the winners in the exhibition and in the “Super Pi Palestine” and “Poly Up” competitions. These annual national competitions are supervised by the university’s Math Museum.
The competitions aim to highlight students’ and math teachers’ scientific talents by transforming abstract mathematical theories into interactive tools that enhance educational development. The event was attended by the Assistant Undersecretary for Education, Mr. Ayoub Alian, Dr. Abdeljaber Al-Houdali, Director of Rafah Foundation for Mathematics, Mr. Jawad Abu Aoun, Director of Partners in Development, Fr. Mario Hadchiti, Director of Terra Sancta Schools, along with education directors, school principals, math supervisors, and teachers from various regions.
During a tour of the exhibition, Prof. Abu Kishek emphasized the university’s commitment to innovation, excellence, and student capacity-building in partnership with the Ministry of Education. He added, “The establishment of the Math Museum has realized these goals, embodying the university’s vision and supporting creativity based on imagination.” Prof. Abu Kishek praised the exhibited teaching aids, which were evaluated by judges from both the university and the ministry, for their successful integration of theory and practice to make math more accessible for students.
Prof. Hassan Dweik highlighted that the Math Museum organizes annual scientific competitions like Super Pi and Poly Up with the Sustainable Development Partners Foundation, as well as the Math Teaching Aids Exhibition, which provides tools that simplify math for students. He commended the efforts of those organizing the exhibition and competitions.
Ayoub Alian emphasized the importance of math in everyday life and the necessity of such exceptional student competitions organized by the museum. He praised the collaborative relationship between the ministry and Al-Quds University, which has led to various activities for different curricula, noting that universities are essential for advancing the educational process.
The Math Museum Director, Mr. Jihad Abu Kabbash, explained that the aim of these competitions is to break the rigidity surrounding the math curriculum, establishing productive strengths in math education through interactive tools that make understanding math easier for students. These competitions also allow teachers and their students to create products that serve as foundations for broader, more comprehensive projects in the future.
The ceremony included a video presentation showcasing the competition stages, objectives, and future vision of the Math Museum, along with artistic performances and a musical segment by the university band. Prof. Hassan Dweik and Mr. Alian honored the judging panels from Al-Quds University and the Ministry of Education, followed by the awarding of Super Pi Palestine winners. Among the winners were Nidal Khaled Hasan Tarayreh from Bani Naim Primary School in Hebron, the youngest Palestinian contestant of 2022, and Yara Abd Al-Rahman Mahfouz from Al-Aroub Secondary Girls’ School in Hebron, who memorized 20,316 digits of Pi to claim the 2022 Super Pi Palestine title. Other winners included Raghad Mohammed Jaouni from Terra Sancta Secondary School in Jericho and Sundus Hani Shuqeir from Al-Zawiya Primary Girls’ School in Salfit.
In the Poly Up competition, the first place went to the “Water Problem in Palestine” project team from Broqin Girls’ Secondary School in Salfit, guided by teachers Tahani Khaled and Najah Ayyoub. The second place was awarded to the “Fuel Alternative” project team from Beita Girls’ Secondary School in South Nablus, and third place went to the “Environmental Deterioration in Palestine” project team from Husni Al-Ashhab Boys’ School near Jerusalem.
The winners of the 2022 Math Teaching Aids Production competition were also honored, with the first place awarded to Nablus Directorate, South Girls’ Secondary School in Awarta, for the “Nested Cube Sequence” teaching aid. Second place went to Amateen Girls’ Secondary School in Qalqilya for their “Learning Algebra through Play” project, and third place was awarded to Dr. Hafez Abd Al-Nabi Al-Natsheh School in Hebron for the “Volume of the Square Pyramid” project.
The Bethlehem Directorate won awards for Best Design and Best Presentation, with Ms. Heba Allah Al-Abed and students from Al-Abyat Girls’ School receiving the Best Design award for their project on matrices, and Ms. Aziza Khair Bardoubel and her students from Al-Freir School winning Best Presentation for their project on calculating shaded areas in circles under specific conditions.
All financial awards were sponsored by Birzeit Pharmaceutical Company, while material prizes were provided by the Partners in Sustainable Development Foundation.
The Math Museum organizes numerous annual educational activities and competitions for students across all age groups and regions, drawing thousands of students each year who enjoy engaging, fun experiences with mathematics. Notably, the Super Pi Palestine competition, in which participants memorize the highest possible digits of the irrational number Pi (π), is unique in the region and the first of its kind in the Arab world, aiming to identify extraordinary mental abilities among Palestinian students nationwide.
