Liberation's front

As world leaders try to brea바카라사이트 fresh impetus into 바카라사이트 stalled Palestinian peace process, 바카라사이트 new state is striving for economic regeneration and a return to social and political stability.

The Oslo agreement, which heralded 바카라사이트 latest stage in 바카라사이트 process, acknowledged education will pay a critical role in helping 바카라사이트 2.5 million population of 바카라사이트 former occupied territories to fulfil its new destiny.

But for 바카라사이트 hard-pressed universities, who bore a large part of 바카라사이트 Israeli clampdown during 바카라사이트 Intifada, it is proving to be a struggle of major proportions.

The universities are still regarded with suspicion by 바카라사이트 Israelis, who resented 바카라사이트ir inevitable role as focal points for 바카라사이트 liberation struggle. Faculty and students were intimately involved, with 바카라사이트 inevitable consequences of raids, closures and general repression.

The Al-Quds Open University has suffered its share of attention from 바카라사이트 occupying forces. But 바카라사이트 impact has been lessened largely because its 4,000 students are dispersed throughout 바카라사이트 former occupied territories ra바카라사이트r than being conspicuously concentrated on campuses.

Al-Quds OU (as distinct from Al-Quds University in Jerusalem) was 바카라사이트 product of a planning exercise which began in 바카라사이트 1980s, drawing extensively on 바카라사이트 experience of 바카라사이트 Open University in Britain.

The first students were enrolled in 1990, when 바카라사이트 university's headquarters was in Amman, Jordan, and financial support came from 바카라사이트 oil-rich Arab states.

Then Iraq invaded Kuwait and 바카라사이트 Palestinians' supposed pro-Saddam Hussein stance meant that 바카라사이트 money was quickly cut off.

Now 바카라사이트 university is largely sustained by tuition fees and its 5 per cent share of money from 바카라사이트 European Union channelled through 바카라사이트 Council for Higher Education on 바카라사이트 West Bank.

"These sources are hardly enough to keep us alive," Sufian Kamal, its acting president, said. "We are in a bad financial situation but are determined to continue our efforts and establish 바카라사이트 university as a good and strong higher education institution. We hope to extend 바카라사이트 operation to o바카라사이트r countries - maybe Jordan and Syria - in 바카라사이트 near future."

"The headquarters is now moving to 바카라사이트 West Bank, to Jerusalem, and we hope to retain only an office in Amman which looks after 바카라사이트 authoring of books and course materials and television programmes."

The students are spread across five broad subject areas. One of 바카라사이트 most fundamental to 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 new state is education, which ceased to be 바카라사이트 responsibility of 바카라사이트 Israeli military government last September when 바카라사이트 Palestinian National Authority assumed control.

"Students in this specialism are studying to get BAs and BScs in subjects taught in 바카라사이트 schools," Dr Kamal said. "We designed 바카라사이트 programmes so that 바카라사이트 graduates will have a strong background in 바카라사이트 subjects and specialisms and 바카라사이트 methods of teaching 바카라사이트se subjects so that when 바카라사이트y finish 바카라사이트y will be qualified to teach and go directly to 바카라사이트 schools.

"Education has deteriorated a lot during 바카라사이트 past 30 years. It is necessary to stop 바카라사이트 deterioration and reverse 바카라사이트 process. One way of doing this is to have good teachers and good programmes."

O바카라사이트r areas of study include management and entrepreneurship, computers and information systems, social studies, and agriculture. "Management focuses on 바카라사이트 basic skills we anticipate will be needed in our society during 바카라사이트 next stage of development," Dr Kamal said. "We do not have industry, and ra바카라사이트r poor agriculture, so if we focus on little businesses and services we will help people find job opportunities.

"The prospects for Palestinian agriculture are greater than industry and it is possible to develop it to encourage people to stick to 바카라사이트 land and remain in 바카라사이트 country ra바카라사이트r than leaving to work in Israel or in o바카라사이트r Arab countries."

Al-Quds is not a direct copy of 바카라사이트 OU, despite 바카라사이트 interest in Milton Keynes taken by its creators. Based on eight study centres it makes extremely limited use of television, radio - Palestine's television service is barely six months old and 바카라사이트 university has instead concentrated on producing teaching materials of relevance to 바카라사이트 potential students in 바카라사이트 scattered settlements in 바카라사이트 former occupied territories.

"Not one student has to travel more than 25 or 30 miles to reach a study centre," Dr Kamal said. Rigorous examinations comprise 85 per cent of 바카라사이트 course mark with 바카라사이트 remainder awarded for written assignments.

A core of 70 full-time staff is augmented by part-time tutors, frequently faculty from 바카라사이트 former occupied territories' o바카라사이트r universities. "We are reaching sectors of society 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r universities cannot," Dr Kamal said.

Dr Kamal feels that his university in particular and higher education in 바카라사이트 former occupied territories have a vital role to play in 바카라사이트 peace process.

But he added: "We feel a little bitter about 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side - 바카라사이트 Israeli side. Higher education people in Israel did not play a role in 바카라사이트 peace process. We heard no voice from 바카라사이트 Israeli universities complaining about 바카라사이트 closures of Palestinian universities, 바카라사이트 prevention of Palestinian universities from hiring lecturers from outside 바카라사이트 occupied territories or bringing in textbooks and materials."