The Deanship of Student Affairs at the Arab American University participated in the fifth annual meeting of the Association of Deanships of Student Affairs in the United Arab Emirates, which was hosted by Al Ain University in Abu Dhabi. The meeting was attended by Secretary General of the Arab Universities Association, Dr. General of the Association of the Deanship of Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. Ibtihal Rizk.
The Dean of Student Affairs at the Arab American University, Dr. Bshar Draghmah, and a group of deans from Palestinian and Arab universities from Lebanon, Egypt, Qatar, Oman and Jordan participated in the meeting.
Dr. Draghmah stated, "The meeting emphasized the importance of Deanships of Student Affairs and their central role in building the personality of the university student and refining him/her with the skills and capabilities that help them in their academic and practical university life, which results in a compatibility with the needs of the market."
The meeting discussed issues about the structure of the association and its statute. It is one of the branches of the Council of the Association of Arab Universities. The achievements of the association over the past five years were discussed. One of the most prominent decisions was to invite member Arab universities to an extracurricular student conference for the purposes of exchanging ideas, student models, and experiences, which is reflected on the student’s identity and personality. This is the first extracurricular student conference of its kind in the Arab world, which will be organized by the Association of Deanships of Student Affairs affiliated to the Council of the Association of Arab Universities.
At the meeting, the Executive Committee of the Association of Deanships of Student Affairs was elected. The deans of student affairs selected Dr. Bshar Draghmah, Dean of Student Affairs at the Arab American University, to represent the Palestinian universities in the Executive Committee, in addition to Jordan, Emirates, Lebanon, and Egypt. It was also agreed that Dr. Bshar Draghmah would chair the Basic System Committee of the Association.
The Palestinian delegation participating in the meeting gave a detailed explanation of the reality that Palestinian students suffer from and the challenges they face. The delegation also explained the role of the Deanships of Student Affairs in Palestinian universities in overcoming difficulties and opening up local and international horizons in order to achieve the mission of Palestinian higher education institutions and their aspirations towards leadership, creativity, and excellence.
