The Friends of Bir Zeit University, from the UK, visited the university and met with its President, Prof. Rami Hamdallah, who briefed his guests on the latest developments in higher education in Palestine and at An-Najah National University. The delegation also met with Dr. Nabil Alawi, who discussed with his guests recent twinning agreements and the international relations the university is developing at the moment with some European Universities. Guests were taken on a tour of the new campus where they were able to view firsthand the latest developments at the university.

A presentation about the right to education was given by Ala Yousef, the Coordinator of Zajel Youth Exchange Program, and Lucy Royal, the Coordinator of the Right to Education Campaign at Zajel, where guests were briefed on the problems facing the university and its students in many different aspects.

A tour was organized through Balata refugee camp by the Yafa Cultural Center where guests saw first hand the troubles of the refugee’s daily lives in this over crowded refugee camp. Tayseer Nasrallah, the Head of the steering committee at the center, spoke to his guests about the right to return and the living conditions in the camp.

Another tour was organized through the old city of Nablus where guests saw the destruction caused by Israeli invasions in the old city. They also visited some of the sites which mark the cultural heritage of this very old city: architectural sites, markets, and Turkish baths.