Description

To provide short and long-term learning opportunities to Palestinian university faculty in order to: 1) upgrade their knowledge in specialized subject matter, 2) train them in student-centered approaches to teaching and learning, and 3) contribute to improving the quality of education at institutions of higher education in the West Bank and Gaza. The Open Society Institute (OSI) is a strategic partner in implementing the Palestinian Faculty Development Program. OSI was involved in the program from conception and has, for the last seven years, been actively involved in its implementation. Under this partnership, the OSI: 1) works with its network of partner universities in the United States to place Palestinian students in PhD programs and waive tuition costs in part or in full, 2) provides mentoring for PhD scholars in the U.S. and reports on the progress of each scholar, 3) covers the costs of short-term fellows visiting the U.S. for academic research, and 4) provides support to cover costs of university faculty to attend workshops and seminars on university administration at the Central European University in Budapest (a member institution of the George Soros Foundation). USAID supports university tuitions, board and travel for the Palestinian scholars in addition to program management costs for the implementing partner.