The AAUP Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Bara Asfour as Acting President of the Arab American University as he competently, distinctly and loyally assumed several central positions at the University.

Dr. Bara Asfour was appointed at the University in 2015 and played a major role in enhancing administrative, academic and research work, building partnerships with Arab and international universities, as well as attaining many achievements at the national and international levels in all the positions he held over years.

Dr. Yousef Asfour, the founding Chairman of the University’s Board of Directors, on behalf of the Board, congratulated Dr. Bara on his appointment to perform the duties of the University’s presidency, wishing him good luck and success during the next stage, and to lead the University at a steady pace to enhance its position to advance the reality of higher education in Palestine in a way that achieves the ambitions and aspirations of Palestinian youth yearning for freedom and independence as well as building a state of institutions.

The former university president, Professor Dr. Ali Zedan Abu Zuhri, praised the Board of Directors’ decision to appoint Dr. Bara Asfour as president of the University, wishing him good luck and success in continuing the journey. He also wished the University family, academic and administrative staffs, to continue on the path of excellence to raise the name of AAUP.

For his part, Dr. Bara Asfour thanked the Chairman of the University’s Board of Directors and all members of the Board and the University’s Board of Trustees for their trust. He stressed that the Arab American University is the university for all Palestinians, founded by a group of Palestinian businessmen to be the first private university in the nation and an example of belief in the capabilities of Palestinians for the sake of building and investing in the power and creativity of young people in the higher education sector.

 “My appointment to head AAUP is a great responsibility, and I am confident that we will continue what we started 25 years ago to keep the University distinguished in various fields and to meet the ambitions of young people who want to receive modern education”, he added.  Dr. Asfour continued saying that the secret of the University’s success and distinction is that it works as one family, academic, administrative staffs, and students, with sincerity and belonging in an environment that supports creativity and does not believe in the existence of impossibilities.

Dr. Bara Asfour concluded saying “Being Palestinians requires us to make great efforts and to be more than one step ahead, and to always think outside the box. This is because we all have a responsibility to build a homeland and a trust that we received from generations that left and paved the way to education as a basis for freedom, as well as the responsibility of the current generation and generations to come.” We are also responsible for paving the path for the coming generations to pursue the journey that was not easy and will not be so. This is a slogan adopted by the Arab American University, the University of All Palestinians, that since its establishment it knows very well that it is entrusted to lead the segment of Palestinian youth with education and knowledge to draw the map of Palestine among the countries of the developed world.”

The University’s acting president, Dr. Bara Asfour, holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from New York University, a master’s degree in business administration from New York University, where he worked in the field of scientific research and academic teaching during and after his studies, and a Ph.D. in business from Indiana University in the United States in the joint program with the Arab American University.

Dr. Bara Asfour had assumed several positions, including a technology consultant in many economic institutions and companies. He also worked as Assistant Dean of Admissions and Registration, Assistant to the University President for Administrative and Financial Affairs, Assistant to the University President, and Vice President for Administrative and Financial Affairs for the University’s campuses in Jenin and Ramallah.