Support Of Palestinian Universities Through Long Distance Learning Systems

As part of an international educational project aiming at the support of Palestinian universities, the Centre for Third World Studies (University of Ghent, Belgium) has set up a website. The general objective of the project is the deepening of the democratic view on stability, regional co-operation and sustainable development by setting up an exchange and educational program between the University of Ghent and universities in Palestine. This program wants to establish an international and intercultural dialogue between students of the participating universities and to give students the opportunity to gain a clear understanding (of the complexity) of the main topics. The final result has to be the creation of a durable computerised network between the participating universities.

The purpose of the website is the creation of at least 'virtual' mobility for Palestinian students, thus helping to break down their relative isolation. Internet communication offers them the opportunity to discuss relevant items both with students and staff of other Arabian institutions and Flemish universities. Al Quds University (Jerusalem) has been selected as anchor university for the Palestinian universities, with CTWS as its Flemish counterpart. Institutional links have been laid with the American University in Beirut and the American University in Cairo.

The website is focusing on development, with three majors: peace and stability, sustainable development and regional co-operation. The long distance educational module consists of two parts: an electronic textbook and a closed discussion group. The use of the discussion group will be restricted to the partner-institutions. CTWS will select papers on the global context of the topics, universities in Palestine will provide the students with papers focusing on the Palestinian context. The information thus provided will enable graduate students and junior staff-members at both European and Middle East universities to start relevant discussions on the sustainable development theme and confront their opinions. Non-Palestinians will be able to build up in depth knowledge on the Palestinian question, while Palestinians can get a broader view on their specific problems.

This textbook will also provide links to existing information on the World Wide Web and become a reference guide for the topics concerned.

The program will at its start be supported by mutual visits of Flemish and Palestinian academics. Professors of the CTWS have lectured in Palestine, Professors of Al Quds and Beit-Lahem University will lecture in Flanders from November 18 until November 21. On November 18 there will be an introduction of the initiative, attended by both representatives of the University of Ghent and Palestinian universities. From November 24 the website is to be operational.

More information is available at the following address:

Stefan.Deconinck@rug.ac.be
Marleen.Renders@rug.ac.be
Koen.Vlassenroot@rug.ac.be

The access to the website is free. You can find it at: http://dewey.rug.ac.be/Dome/VP.html

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