As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration, a delegation from the Yasser Arafat Foundation, led by Dr. Ahmad Soboh, Chairman of the Board, visited An-Najah National University in Nablus on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. The delegation met with University President Prof. Dr. Abdel Nasser Zaid.

The Foundation’s delegation included Dr. Awda Masharqa (Director General), Fares Saqr (Director of Media and Public Relations), and Mahar Abu Ein (Activities Manager). Representatives from the university included Dr. Naeem Salameh (Assistant Vice President for Humanities), Dr. Raed Al-Debei (Assistant to the President for Community Affairs), and staff from the Public Relations Department.

Dr. Soboh emphasized that the visit aimed to expand mutual cooperation and was part of a series of meetings between the Foundation and Palestinian universities. These efforts aim to promote national values among students and help shape well-prepared future leaders, especially amid current political challenges facing the Palestinian cause.

He added that the Yasser Arafat Foundation was established to preserve the Palestinian national and historical legacy, particularly that of the late leader Yasser Arafat. The Foundation is responsible for narrating the history of the Palestinian struggle, with its centerpiece being the Yasser Arafat Space (comprising the mausoleum, museum, and mosque). The museum houses many materials, artifacts, and multilingual films, making it accessible to a wide audience. It also features a specialized research room with Palestinian sources and scholarly references.

Dr. Soboh extended an invitation to the university’s leadership, faculty, and students to visit the Yasser Arafat Museum to deepen their national identity.

The Foundation presented the university with a set of audiovisual and written publications, including documentaries like  an Unforgotten Life, Companions of the Path, previous institutional activity footage, and bilingual books about Arafat’s life and the museum.

In response, Prof. Zaid thanked the delegation for their visit and for showcasing the Foundation’s programs and initiatives. He provided a brief history of the university, its academic offerings, and its mission.

Prof. Zaid stressed the university’s commitment to embedding the Palestinian narrative in its curricula, particularly in departments of politics, history, and media. He noted that An-Najah is the only university in Palestine offering a PhD in history, serving as a platform to uphold and reinforce the Palestinian story.

He also highlighted that the late President Arafat had visited the university multiple times, and expressed full readiness for joint collaboration with the Foundation, praising its vital cultural and national role.

The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming the importance of cooperation to serve students, researchers, and the Palestinian community, and to safeguard Palestinian identity and heritage.

The Yasser Arafat Foundation delegation also toured the An-Najah University Museum.