Prof. Naser Farhat, IUG president, received a delegation from Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) at his office. The delegation was headed by Dr. Yousef Khelfa, chairman and founder of PAMA, specialist in internal medicine, cancer, and tumor diseases at the US. The purpose of the visit was to sign a cooperation agreement for providing grants to medical students at IUG.
Prof. Farhat expressed his appreciation of PAMA’s visit, and extended his thanks for their relentless efforts in providing scholarships to medical students at Palestinian universities in general, and financially-troubled, academically-excellent students in Faculty of Medicine at IUG in particular.
Prof. Farhat underlined the impact of supporting destitute students, especially in medicine, on their ambition and aspiration form one hand, and on providing skilled medical crews the Gaza Strip needs from the other hand. As that contributes in mitigating the burdens on their families’ shoulders, and supporting medical faculties and medicine sector in Gaza.
Dr. Khelfa also appreciated the strong ties that have long connected PAMA with IUG’s Faculty of Medicine, commending its crucial role in endowing knowledge and science to its students, which goes on par with big European and international universities.
Dr. Khelfa highlighted the role of Faculty of Medicine in facilitating the procedures for its students through determining the most needy students for support. He also hoped to increase the number of scholarships to include more beneficiaries, noting that the Gaza Strip’s students will have a new share of scholarships because of the economic hardships they are going through. Moreover, Dr. Khelfa expressed his amazement of the well-set educational and managerial level IUG enjoys, which indicates wise and successful management that extends to include the Turkish Palestinian Friendship Hospital which gives hope to cancer patients in Palestine.
During the visit, the cooperation agreement between the two parties was signed stipulating that grants and scholarships are to be distributed to a group of financially-troubled medical students, who will be nominated by Faculty of Medicine and are applicable to all conditions of PAMA Education Fund Scholarship. Prof. Naser Farhat represented IUG party, and Dr. Yousef Khelfa represented PAMA party upon signing the agreement.
After that, the delegation toured in IUG museum, which embodies academic, civilizational, and architectural history of the university through highlighting cooperation and partnership agreements, founders, exclusive visits, constructing process through time, and paramount projects.
The delegation also toured in Irada center for training the disabled, viewed their handcrafts inside work areas, and took a notion of their craft nature and future opportunities after finishing training and mastering their profession.
At the end of the tour, the delegation explored labs and facilities of Faculty of Medicine, as well as departments of Turkish Palestinian Friendship Hospital at Alzahra City in the middle of the Gaza Strip.
