Palestine Academy for Science and Technology PalAST and Higher Council for Innovation and Excellence HCIE held a meeting with the Julich Research Center FZJ in Germany to explore potential collaboration in the second phase of Palestinian German Science Bridge PGSB.
The meeting, conducted via Zoom, was attended by Eng. Adnan Samara, President of the Higher Council for Innovation and Excellence; Prof. Ghaleb Al-Natour, PGSB founder and the director of the Central Institute for Electronic Engineering and Analytics at FZJ; Dr. Rana Samara, a member of the Advisory Committee for PGSB Program; and representative from PalAST, along with Mr. Hazem Mara'ba, responsible for technical development at HCIE.
Eng. Adnan Samara emphasized that the forthcoming Center of Innovation and Excellence, that will be established by HCIE, will provide an enabling environment and the right framework for researchers and university students. This aligns with one of the goals of the PGSB program, which is to accommodate these competencies.
Prof. Al-Natour expressed his readiness to be part of the upcoming project proposal for the Palestinian-German Science Bridge to enhance the infrastructure of laboratories at the Center of Excellence through the acquisition of advanced equipment. He also highlighted that the Science Bridge program aims to prepare scientists in Germany for future work in Palestine.
Eng. Samara discussed future collaboration opportunities with Prof. Al-Natour, focusing on leveraging the outcomes of the program's first phase, executed by PGSB, and how to build upon it, particularly in terms of utilizing scientific expertise and providing future research infrastructure.
Prof. Rana Samara stressed the importance of continuing to develop the program and adding improvement-oriented aspects to enhance individual capabilities.
In contrast, Mr. Mara'ba highlighted the potential to benefit from the results of the previous phase of the Science Bridge by bolstering the research centers' infrastructure, especially at the Center of Excellence, which will host a range of practical disciplines that intersect with the content of the Science Bridge program.
The Palestinian-German Science Bridge program was launched in 2016 following an agreement between the Academy and the Julich Research Center, with support from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, as a joint research and education program. The project, spanning five years, provides grants for collaborative research projects in natural, engineering, technological, and health sciences between Palestinian and German researchers. Additionally, it offers scholarships for outstanding Palestinian students pursuing postgraduate studies (master's and doctoral) at Julich under joint supervision.
News in Arabic
