Dr. Nazmi A. Al-Masri, a faculty member of the English department at the Faculty of Arts at the Islamic University of Gaza, has completed a scientific and research visit that lasted for five months. During his visit, he achieved several qualitative academic and research accomplishments and partnerships with a group of British, Finnish, and Norwegian universities.
In Norway, Dr. Al-Masri participated in a joint project on early childhood education and made several field visits to schools and kindergartens to see the latest educational methods used to develop children’s thinking, linguistic and human communication skills, exploration skills, self-learning, self-reliance, and building personality and identity.
In Scotland, Dr. Al-Masri delivered lectures on the role of Palestinian higher education institutions in promoting the values of steadfastness, dignity, and stability for students under the siege, crises, and multiple challenges in Palestine. He also participated in the closing ceremony of the “Welcoming Languages Including a Refugee Language in Scottish Education” project, which involved training a group of Scottish teachers and educational workers in elementary schools in Scotland to create a friendly and welcoming learning environment for Arab refugee children.
As part of the Erasmus Plus project for academic exchange between the Islamic University of Gaza and Tampere University, Dr. Al-Masri visited Finland and established coordination and cooperation with the University of Helsinki and Tampere University to offer two quality projects. The first project was in the field of developing remote work skills for academic staff and students of humanities faculties at the Islamic University, in partnership with some Palestinian universities. The second project aimed to develop the skills of university professors and school teachers in the field of special education for students with special needs and learning difficulties.
Dr. Al-Masri also delivered specialized lectures at the top education colleges in 4 prestigious British universities, including the University of London, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Durham. He discussed the role of higher education, languages, and technology in cultural and academic partnerships in building the seeds of stability and peace in Palestine, as well as the importance of equipping Palestinian university students and graduates with 21st century skills and remote work skills to enable them to work independently in global markets.
Overall, Dr. Al-Masri’s visit was a great success in terms of academic and research accomplishments and partnerships with universities in Europe. His experience will undoubtedly contribute to the ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of education in Palestine and build strong academic partnerships between universities in the region and across the world.