Al Ghadeer Magazine Issue 1, Fall 2018 | Page 38

Students & facilitators reflect on Masari “ Masari… a name chosen as a motivation for students to begin charting their paths from their first day at the university, in line with their academic programs and extra-curricular activities, so that they will be ready to face life’s demands, challenges, and variables. Mirvat Bulbul, Former Vice President for Planning and Ahmad Barghouthi, a student in Masari “ As students, Masari helps us to explore ourselves, build our characters, focus on our distinguishing competencies, and allows us to enthusiastically enter the job market. I have noticed good interaction among the participating students, especially because the program contains no tests or a grading system like purely academic ones. A large number of students have been introduced, for the first time, to the basics of C.V. building and to exploring their own career paths. Omar Bakri, a student in Masari Eyad Jadallah, Public Relations Office Development (2016-2018) “ “ Masari is a one-of-a-kind addition to the personalities of students and graduates, as it emphasizes the learning of previously unattained life skills. Hani Ishtayeh, Director of the Samih Darwazah Institute for Pharmaceutical Industries “ 36 “ The program has contributed to building our personal and creative skills, and made us more confident in ourselves and our abilities. “ Masari is a life training program that covers facets not usually included in academic programs. It contributes to building the students’ life skills and a generation that has expertise, positive outlooks, and ethics, all of which will reflect on Palestinian society in the future. Sa’d Nimer, Professor in the Palestine and Arabic Studies Masari is a pioneering program and a source of pride and accomplishment, and I consider it the main source (if not the only) of future leaders that are capable of affecting change. I have all the respect for those who oversee this program. Masari has helped me to engage with the university community and introduced me to new colleagues and new personalities. Johnny Stiban, Professor of Chemistry Bahya Harbash, a student in Masari Al Ghadeer - Fall 2018 Program “ Our Story: An Exchange Experience of a Lifetime Living abroad, studying something different or in a different way is the core essence of the Erasmus+ Program, a European Union (EU) student exchange program. The program supports education, training and youth, providing learning opportunities for Palestinian students to study in European universities, or international students to study at Birzeit. Whether individuals have developed fresh perspectives on global issues, learned a new language, gained new information about their specializations, or found a new passion, Erasmus+ has produced many success stories. See what our students have to say about their Erasmus+ exchange: Birzeit University 37