Al-Istiqlal University organized a press conference on the occasion of winning “Yasser Arafat Award for Achievement” in the presence of HE Maj. Gen. Dr. Tawfiq Al-Tirawi, the President of the Board of Trustees, the members of the Board of Trustees, Prof Dr. Saleh Abu Osba, the President of the University, his deputies and deans of colleges. In addition to Dr. Nasser Al-Qidwa, the Chairman of Yasser Arafat Foundation, Dr. Nabil Qassis, the Chairman of the Yasser Arafat Award Committee, Mr. Walid Nimour, the Executive Director of Al-Mutlaa Hospital, Mr. Naser Abu Baker, the representative of the Palestinian Press Syndicate, journalists and correspondents, inside the campus of Al-Istiqlal University, on Monday 18th of November 2019.
Maj. Gen. Al-Tirawi welcomed the attendees, giving a brief introduction about the establishment and the development of Al-Istiqlal University, saying that “the University was constructed at the presidency time of the Martyr Yasser Arafat, and after his death we felt that we became orphans, but President Mahmoud Abbas continued to embrace the idea and support it by opening new faculties and colleges, mentioning his pride of all the members of the Board of Trustees for their efforts”.
Furthermore, he announced that the University, on the behalf of the Board of Trustees, donated the financial prize to Al-Mutlaa Hospital, praising the efforts of the Community Service and Continuing Education Center at Al-Istiqlal University in collecting the donations from the staff and the students for the Gazan patients.
In the context, Prof. Dr. Saleh Abu Osba explained the real value of this prize, saying “This prize is a fortune in which it embodies the achievements of Al-Istiqlal University over these years, however its short age, but it has achieved this success that we cherish because of the name of the Martyr Leader Yasser Arafat, who created the presence of the Palestinians through his life”.
Prof. Dr. Abu Osba added that Al-Istiqlal University has a security dimension, but also has an academic dimension and it has taken many steps towards progress, mentioning the new specializations and proposals which meet the needs of the Palestinian Security Institution, pointing out the opportunity to meet with the senior media professionals, to have the real and accurate information about the University.
For his part, Dr. Qassis praised the great steps which were taken by Al-Istiqlal University and its tangible progress, pointing out the nature of the Committee that chose the winners, expressing his happiness and pride of the Committee, which had the decision to give the price to Al-Istiqlal University.
Moreover, Dr. Al-Qidwa pointed out the step which was taken by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees through the event in donating the financial prize to Al-Mutlaa Hospital in Jerusalem.
And, Mr. Abu Baker said that Martyr Leader Yasser Arafat embodied the idea of the independence and was the founder of the different Palestinian institutions, mentioning that all the facilities of the University bear the names of the Palestinian revolution figures, greeting the presidency of the University as a great national and scientific edifice.
Finally, the President of Al-Mutlaa Hospital thanked the members of the Board of Trustees of Al-Istiqlal University for their donation, saying “What was done by Al-Istiqlal University is the dream of the Martyr Leader Yasser Arafat and there is a real value that cancer patients will benefit from”, adding “ This will increase our belief in the idea of supporting the different patients, and Martyr Leader Yasser Arafat does not distinguish between village and City, Gaza and the West Bank, praising the efforts of Martyr Yasser Arafat Foundation".
At the end of the event, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and the President of Al-Istiqlal University answered the questions of the journalists and honored the committees and the staff who completed the competition file.