The Office of International Academic Relations at Al-Quds University organized a series of meetings under “Unity in Diversity” project: Building the Culture of Living Together with Differences within Erasmus Plus program.

A total of 5 groups shared the meetings that extended over 5 days and included 28 participants from Al-Quds University, Harran University in Turkey, Haridim Foundation in Ankara, Turkey, University of Münster in Germany, and University of Milan in Italy.

Al-Quds University Executive Vice President, Prof. Hassan Dweik, welcomed the participants in the inaugural meeting. He highlighted the academic relations and the various partnerships that bring the partner universities together. He noted that the university supports the exchange opportunities with Europe and has many relations with Turkey and Italy, in addition to training opportunities in Germany.

Prof. Dweik presented an overview of the university’s faculties, its academic and research achievements, and the work of its human rights, social, and professional centers in the city of Jerusalem in particular.

The Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Issa Manasreh pointed to the legal and cultural importance of the visit to Al-Quds University in particular, especially that the city of Jerusalem is an incubator of multiple cultures. He noted that the university offers the visiting students the opportunity to learn about the university, its programs and centers on the main campus and in Jerusalem, which enables them to eyewitness the challenges the Palestinian students face.

The project coordinator, Professor Hakan Gularjieh, from the Turkish University of Harran, explained that Jerusalem is the rights place that offers the opportunity to talk about different cultures and bring them together.

The first day of the program featured a presentation by Mr. Sameh Erekat under the title ‘The Arabic’. On the second day, the German students will raise the issue of differences and building a culture of living together through a workshop and a cultural exhibition. On the third day, Al-Quds University will present videos under “Art Unites Us”. On the fourth day, the Turkish students will present the topic of ‘immigration and ways of living in a multicultural world through interactive activities and games.

On the last day of the program, the participating students will take a tour of the city of Jerusalem, which will include two lectures in Al-Aqsa Mosque by Dr. Mustafa Abu Sway, and architecture in Jerusalem by Dr. Director of the Center for Jerusalem Studies, Dr. Yusuf Natsheh.