Under the auspices of the President of the State of Palestine, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas "Abu Mazen", the Arab American University held on its campus in Ramallah the International Conference on Digital Transformation, which carried the slogan "Empowering the Digital Future", in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and with the main support of the Bank of Palestine Group in addition to the support of Al-Quds and the National Banks and Ooredoo, with the participation of local, regional and international officials as well as international experts.
The conference, which was held over two days, aimed to provide a meeting point for government and private sectors, academic institutions, regional and international organizations, and information technology companies to exchange ideas and insights through experts, and provide opportunities that help enable the digital future, inspire innovation, drive growth, and promote sustainability in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
In his speech, the President of the Arab American University, Prof. Dr. Ali Zedan Abu Zuhri, welcomed the attendees and participants, and said, "This conference constitutes an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences on the importance of digital transformation in the academic field and the future of education on the one hand, and to define the role of public and private institutions on the other hand." He explained that the Arab American University has invested heavily in the field of digital transformation over the past years, and these efforts have been appreciated locally, regionally and internationally, as the university was awarded the title of "Best Institution in Digital Transformation" by the global Laserfish Company. Also, an official case study was published on the website Microsoft International on the digital transformation of the Arab American University and its great efforts in this field.
Prof. Abu Zuhri emphasized the university's commitment to developing an advanced digital educational environment that contributes to improving the quality of education and enhancing access to knowledge. He continued explaining that the university works with all sectors to ensure compatibility of digital transformation strategies and the promotion of higher education in a way that meets the needs of the labor market and contributes to the development of society. Dr. Abu Zuhri pointed out that the University has implemented many projects, programs and events in this context, and that it is ready to work with all parties to exchange knowledge and experiences and promote innovation and development in this important field, and that the convening of the conference is a fruit of continuous efforts.
On its first day, the conference included four main sessions and concluded with a panel discussion. The first session was titled "Digital Inclusion: Bridging the Digital Gap". Dr. Muhammad Nawar Al-Awa, Regional Advisor for Technology in Development at ESCWA, Mr. Yacoub Saad, Digitalization Advisor for the INDIGO Project at the German Institute for International Cooperation, GIZ, and Rania Abu Ghabush, Director of Science and Technology Statistics, spoke. At the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Rania Jaber, Director of the Information Technology and Innovation Department at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and Saeed Zaidan, a national expert in digital transformation.
The reality of digital inclusion locally and internationally, strategies to promote digital technologies and services that are low-cost and easy to access, the role of partnerships between the public and private sectors in promoting digital inclusion, best practices to enhance digital literacy and develop the skills of different groups of society, and the benefits and possibilities of digital inclusion, including increasing access to Education, health care and financial services were all discussed in the session.
The second session was entitled "Digital Security and Privacy", the speakers were: Ayman Takrouri, Director of Microsoft in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Emreth Nawer, Director of Technology and Software Engineering at Oracle Corporation, Colonel Samer Al-Hindi, Director of the Cybercrime Department in the Palestinian Police, and Khaled Damra, Risk Officer. Information Security at Bank of Palestine, and Rabih Barakat, CEO of Cystack Company.
The session included key topics in the field of digital security and privacy: the reality of digital security and privacy locally and internationally, strategies to enhance digital security and privacy in a connected world, the role of partnerships between the public and private sectors in enhancing digital security and privacy, best practices to protect personal data and prevent electronic attacks, and the importance of digital security and privacy, which includes protecting personal information and preventing identity theft.
In the third session, entitled "The Institutional Role in Advancing Digital Transformation", Rasem Sawan, Director of Project Management at the Belgian Development Agency ENABLE, Andreas Plakitis, an expert at the International Federation, and Muhammad Atallah, Director of the Research and Monetary Policies Department at the Palestinian Monetary Authority spoke in addition to Eng. Rami Jaber, Director of the Consulting Department at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
The session topics included the role of government and institutions in ensuring that digital technologies are used ethically and responsibly, best practices for data protection and privacy in the digital age, the social and cultural implications of digital transformation, including concerns related to automation and job replacement, education and culture, and the impact of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning on Ethical, legal and educational frameworks, and strategies to enhance transparency and accountability in digital governance.
As for the fourth session, it was entitled: "The Role of Universities in the Future of Employment in the Digital Age", and focused on the expected role of universities in preparing students for the labor market in a rapidly changing future. Speakers discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with ensuring that students are provided with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their careers in the workplace in the digital age. They also discussed the potential role of universities in promoting entrepreneurship and innovation in the era of digital transformation.
Musa Abu Zaid, Head of the General Personnel Council, Dr. Muammar Shteiwi, Head of the Accreditation and Quality Authority, Dr. Adli Saleh, Advisor to the Board of Directors of the Arab American University for Planning, Development and Quality Affairs, and Dr. Saro Nakasian, Director of the Education for Employment Foundation, participated in the session.
The conference was concluded with a discussion session entitled "The Future of Education in the Digital Age", in which Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Abu Mowais, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Amjad Ghanem, Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, Mark West from UNESCO in the education sector, and Prof. Dr. Waleed Deeb, Academic Advisor to the Board of Directors of the Arab American University participated. The participants talked about the future of education in the digital age and ways to discover a mechanism that technology changes the way we think and teach. They also discussed potential opportunities and challenges associated with educational digital transformation, including issues related to access, justice and quality, and they also touched upon the potential role of emerging technologies such as Artificial intelligence and virtual reality in the transformation of education.
On its second day, the organizers of the conference arranged technical lectures targeting workers in the field of technology and digitization and those interested in various sectors. During the sessions, Ayman Takrouri, Director at Microsoft in Saudi Arabia, reviewed the new service launched by the company, which would help its customers build their plans and monitor their implementation in the field of digital transformation. Mohammed Al-Khatib, a strategic advisor in the field of technology in Dubai, also talked about employing artificial intelligence and digital transformation in banking services, and the importance of transferring successful experiences in banking and financial institutions to Palestine.
Emrth Nawar, Director of Technology and Software Engineering at Oracle, spoke about the company's ultra-protective security models, including authentication, data encryption, secure storage, auditing, monitoring, and secure application development. The last lecture was presented by the pioneer in the banking sector, Abdullah Abu Hashem, and dealt with the issue of digital transformation of banking services, as it discussed the effectiveness of existing digital solutions in responding to banking needs and the possibility of designing original solutions that contribute to the development of services provided by banks.
In the closing statement of the conference, the Arab American University announced its most prominent results and recommendations. It also announced the establishment of the National Center for Digital Transformation, out of its belief in the importance of digital transformation and the role of educational institutions in supporting national efforts in this context and to contribute to achieving the goals of the Digital Palestine Agenda.
