General information about the higher education system in the country
Palestine is home to 22 universities and 33 university colleges, many of which offer diverse study areas that might be of interest to international students and staff who seek inspiring experiences in coping with conflict as well as in building resilient, yet competitive education programmes.The higher education system in Palestine boasts a strong focus on practical, hands-on learning experiences, offering students the chance to apply their knowledge and skills in real-world settings. Many of the Palestinian universities have strong partnerships with local community organizations, allowing for valuable internships and networking opportunities.
There are 55 accredited institutions in the country including 16 traditional universities, two open universities, 4 technical universities, 16 university colleges and 17 community colleges. Annual student enrollments for the year 2023-2024 was estimated at 58,112 (35,008 female & 23,104 male). Total student enrollment for the academic year 2022-2023 was 225,975 (138,983 female and 86,992 male).
Information on recent policy updates, major reforms and related news
To promote market skills and profession oriented programs and to counter the alarmingly rise in unemployment rates, the MoHE is prioritizing vocational education and microcredential training in HEIs: Bylaws for Specialized Professional Diploma were endorsed in 2023 allowing for the accreditation oof double degree programmes with vocational focus.
In addition to vocational education, lifelong learning centers with focus on skilling and upskilling of graduates are promoted through accrediting short training microcredential qualifications. Business incubators in addition to other startup support ecosystem elements are now available to provide entrepreneurship support services on the campuses of many HEIs.
Information about relevant projects and initiatives
N | Project name | Objectives | Length of project | Keywords | Links |
1 | EPISODE: Enhancing digital Entrepreneurship | EPISODE aims to empower continuing vocational education and training providers to enhance the resilience, digital readiness, and growth of social entrepreneurship, micro- businesses, MSMEs, and early-stage start-ups in Palestine. | 2 years | Digital entrepreneurship, startup, self-employment |
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2 | PhD Governanace | The project aims at improving the national accreditation and quality assurance systems and standards to align with international best practices and endorse the internal PhD governance model at all Palestinian universities with focus Research 2 Market modalities. | 3 years | Doctoral research, Reasearch to Market modalities, governance |
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3 | SERMED | SERMED aims at promoting a new methodology to connect research, market and students and create networks and cooperation starting from the results of the research and aiming to meet the real needs of Mediterranean countries in terms of professionalization, modernization and innovation in a green deal prospective. | 3 years | energy, sustainable energy research, market |
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4 | BREEDTECH | BREEDTECH aims at building the capacity in plant breeding and biotechnology education and research in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe and to involve African and Palestinian higher education institutions in the research movement related to plant breeding and biotechnology in Europe and to encourage researchers and academics to take an interest in the concept, domains, tools, and digital technology of plant breeding and biotechnology. | 3 years | agriculture, biotechnology, Africa, Europe, Middle East |
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5 | PSYCHO- PRAC | PSYCHO-PRAC aims at improving Psychological Education for responding to societal challenges and labour market requirements. | 3 years | Psycho-social support, social distress, psychology education |
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6 | Digital Labs | The project aims at supporting startup incubation through building digital business capacities and skills. | 2 years | Digital business, business incubation |
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Other relevant links
https://erasmus-plus.mohe.pna.ps/