- Youth and education
Vision:
An-Najah University is facing unprecedented challenges in a rapidly changing political, educational and institutional environment. Standing at the doorsteps of an independent Palestine, the university should be the leading higher education institution that provides Palestine with the educated and well-trained human recourses, which are needed in the building process of a new state. The university will continue to make important contributions to the technological, scientific, environment, infrastructure, and social and economic welfare of Palestine. However, the university must be able to quickly and effectively adapt to the changing conditions it will face in the coming years. An-Najah National University graduates must be given the knowledge, skills, and innovative thinking that will allow them to address future needs and challenges. The university research must also be relevant and pioneering, especially in applied and technological fields.
2. Mission:
The university has three primary missions; instruction, research, and service. The instructional mission is arguably the most important and complex. In instruction, the university seeks to provide the highest quality of undergraduate and graduate education. Furthermore, the university is committed to research and integration of research into its instructional mission. The university has conducted and will continue to conduct both applied as well as basic research, the university’s services mission is one of contributing to the community and providing specialized knowledge to assist in solving the problems facing the Palestinian society. This includes the obligation to identify new and evolving societal problems as well as providing the time and effort needed to address existing problems, especially as Palestine is entering a new era towards independence.
3. Objectives:
3.1 Instructional Mission
- Pursue excellence in undergraduate and graduate instruction.
- Establish an ongoing process for curriculum evaluation and improvement.
- Improve access to the university and establish a process for responding to changing student demographics and needs.
- Pursue new instructional opportunities.
- Strengthen the university graduate programs.
- Increase the practical aspects of instruction.
- Establish procedures to ensure consistency and quality in undergraduate and graduate admissions.
3.2 Research Mission Objectives:
- Conduct research that's responsive to the needs of the Palestinian community and state.
- Conduct high-quality applied and basic research that ensures the university’s role in development.
- Promote faculty and student publications in archival journals.
- Pursue multidisciplinary involvement in research efforts.
- Improve the integration of the university’s centers into its research mission.
3.3 Service Mission Objectives:
- Improve outreach to the local professional community.
- Increase student and faculty involvement in the community developmental affairs in Palestine.
- Encourage involvement in national committees and editorial work.
3.4 Quality Improvement Objectives:
- Identify university’s areas of excellence and a corresponding strategy for hiring distinguished faculty.
- Establish a process for continually improving administrative efficiency.
- Improve mentoring of junior faculty.
- Strengthen the bonds between the university and its alumni.
- Increase current use and endowed funding.
- Improve university visibility.
- Exploit World Wide Web technologies.
An-Najah National University is a fully independent, non-governmental university, run by the Board of Trustees and the University President. It is a secular institution that does not discriminate based on religion, gender, or race. The structure of the administration is composed of the University President, Assistant and Vice Presidents, University and Deans Council, Administrative Departments, and the University Comptroller. The academic structure divides Faculties into Departments, which are made up of Units.
An-Najah seeks to provide as many opportunities as possible to its students, through providing each Faculty and Department with a computer lab for student use. This has created a ratio of three students to each computer. Physically challenged and visually impaired students are welcomed at An-Najah. A special computer lab designed for the visually impaired converts all Microsoft Office files to Braille to allow students to share lectures, submit assignments either by email or through the Braille printers available. The University also allocates special cars to transport physically and visually impaired students between campuses.
Of the 16 Scientific Centers, the Community Service Center is involved in numerous projects to help the people of Nablus and the Northern West Bank. Harnessing solar power, the CSC was able to provide electricty to Attouf Village for the first time. They collect blood from the community for transfusions and also provide hot meals to the eldery and needy families in Nablus. The Housing Program in the CSC in 2008 partnered with the YMCA, the UN, and the community of Nablus to help a young girl in need. Lara lived with her family on the 3rd floor of their apartment building, which did not have a lift. She is physically challenged and this required one of her family members to carry her and her wheelchair up and down the stairs to be able to attend school. The solution the Housing Program hit upon was to build a ramp and a bridge that would run from the flat out to the hillside road next to the building. The success of this project has allowed Lara to wheel herself down the ramp directly onto the road without the assistance of her family.
To connect to the community, An-Najah has its own radio station, and a soon to be completed satellite television station. Both these programs provide practical training for An-Najah's students as well as provide an avenue to connect to the community of Nablus and soon the international community through the satellite station. To reach more students, videoconferences and e-learning lectures are both organized at An-Najah. The e-learning lectures are available for free on the school's website. Videoconferences have been organized between other academic, non-profit, and private institutions to communicate the academic and political situation to outside parties