Bulletin: Prince Sultan U. Unveils AI Initiative; 5 Tips for Women Who Aspire to Be Doctors
Standing in Solidarity with Palestinian Women
On International Women’s Day, March 8, the Stop the War Coalition, based in the United Kingdom, urged British workers to observe a “Workplace Day of Action” in support of Palestinian women.
The group encouraged participants to gather outside their workplaces for 30 minutes or during lunchtime, holding signs reading “Ceasefire Now”. The coalition also suggested holding lunchtime protests inside workplaces, providing a space for colleagues to assemble and hear a speaker discuss the situation in Gaza.
The event occurs at a highly sensitive juncture, in light of the recent escalation of the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, following the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, casualties in Gaza have soared, with 30,717 reported fatalities and 72,156 individuals wounded. A significant portion of these casualties are women and children.
The British coalition’s day of action and other events signify the presence of supportive voices in the Western world, which we can leverage, invest in, and unite with in solidarity. This represents just one aspect of the ongoing efforts to aid and uplift Palestinian women in their struggle.
Mohammad El-Hawary
Al-Fanar Media editor-in-chief
From the Region:
Prince Sultan U. Unveils Groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence Initiative
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan University has unveiled an expansive artificial intelligence initiative that seeks to consolidate the institution’s academic leadership in the field of AI. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the initiative aims to equip students, researchers, and entrepreneurs with essential resources across three main tracks: education, research and development, and innovation.
The education track is designed to furnish students with the requisite skills and knowledge to meet the evolving demands of artificial intelligence, while the research and development track will facilitate advanced studies and research in AI technologies.
The innovation track will oversee the transfer of AI technologies and associated intellectual property from the university to the market. This process includes the establishment of companies and institutions to bolster the kingdom’s economic growth and technological advancement.
UAEU Hosts Forum on Future Skills and Employability Forum
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) hosted the second Future Skills and Employability Forum this month.
In a news release, the university said the forum brought together leaders from education, government, manufacturing, and business to discuss evolving trends in education and the changing landscape of talent acquisition. Speakers and panels discussed the need to equip students with essential employment skills and highlighted emerging skills that are crucial for enhancing employability chances.
The college’s dean, Hassan Al Naboodah, emphasised the importance of collaboration when addressing the dynamic landscape of skills and employability. The forum also featured workshops on topics including “Entrepreneurship Psychology”, “Geospatial Prospects”, and “How to Create a Professional Online Profile”.
GU-Q Speaker Explores Public Architecture and Arab Modernity
Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) hosted a talk exploring public architecture and the complexities of Arab modernity, presented by Amale Andraos, a professor and dean emeritus at Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.
In a statement, GU-Q said Dr. Andraos shared a global and regional perspective on how public architecture creates both a sense of community and a connection between the past, present, and future. She also discussed the hurdles confronting heritage preservation within cities like post-war Beirut, the clash between tradition and modernity, and the intricacies of maintaining cultural continuity amidst disruptions caused by wars and migration.
Poland Offers Scholarships for Palestinian Students
The Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education has announced several scholarship opportunities to pursue undergraduate degrees in various fields in Poland during the 2024–2025 academic year.
In a statement, the ministry said that eligible students should review the grant instructions and complete the online application on the ministry’s website. Applications should be accompanied by the required certifications. These documents can be submitted either at the Ministry’s headquarters in Ramallah or at the higher education offices in Hebron and Nablus. There is an exception for students residing in the Gaza Strip, where applications and documents will only be accepted via email.
5 Tips for Women Who Aspire to Be Doctors
In celebration of International Women’s Day, observed on March 8, Sasha Lake, an assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and Filtration at the School of Medicine at St. George’s University in Grenada, offers five tips for aspiring female doctors. In this section of our bulletin, we present these tips, which we believe can be adapted for all women, regardless of their professional field:
Have confidence. Women must believe in themselves and that they have what it takes to succeed in their pursuit of becoming a doctor. They should trust in their passion for medicine and their commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.
Keep your passion alive. Every medical student needs to do this. There are a variety of activities that can help pique their inspiration and curiosity and develop their sense of altruism. For example, to continuously learn and find joy in helping others, consider volunteering at hospitals, or volunteering with clubs at your school or clubs in your community.
Have a game plan. A game plan to get into medical school includes academic milestones, extracurricular activities, and gaining relevant experience. Women should hold themselves accountable in achieving this plan. Talk to academic advisors, or doctors you shadow, and let them be mentors who guide you towards achieving your goals.
Challenge yourself. Aspiring medical students should always challenge themselves to develop leadership skills. For example, they can take on leadership roles in school clubs, community organisations, or research projects. Developing leadership skills will serve you well as a future healthcare professional.
Seek out opportunities. To gain exposure to the medical field, aspiring female students can try volunteering at hospitals, participating in health care-related internships, or shadowing doctors. This will give them valuable insights into the day-to-day life of a doctor and help confirm their passion for medicine.
From Al-Fanar Media:
Combatting Electronic Blackmail: Lessons from a University Student’s Tragedy
The recent death of a student at Egypt’s Arish University highlights the urgent need for Arab universities to adopt strategies for combatting electronic blackmail and other forms of cyberbullying within their communities, scholars and digital media experts say.
Authorities are still investigating the death of Naira El-Zoghbi, a student at Arish University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, who may have taken her own life by ingesting pesticide tablets. The Egyptian Public Prosecution has indicated that El-Zoghbi’s death occurred after she was subjected to “psychological pressure” from two fellow students who were threatening to publish correspondence surreptitiously transferred from the deceased’s phone.
Al-Fanar Media has been following the case and exploring scholars’ insights about electronic crimes in the university environment. Read more about their advice on how to address the issue in this article.
Tips and Resources:
Job Opportunities for Archaeology Graduates
The Arab world has many faculties of archaeology, such as those at Cairo University, the University of Mosul, and the University of Jordan. However, archaeology students and students-to-be often worry about what jobs await them in the labour market after graduation. In this article, we present a brief review of the reality of studying archaeology in universities of the Arab world and the job prospects of archaeology schools’ graduates.
In Conflict:
Project Aims to Help Women Attain Key Positions in Higher Education
Six universities in Lebanon, Algeria and Tunis are joining an international project that aims to transform the governance of higher education by promoting gender equality and increasing the number of women in key positions. The three-year project, called WE4LEAD (Women’s Empowerment for Leadership and Equity in Higher Education Institutions), is co-funded by the European Union and also involves three universities in Spain, France and Italy.
Talar Atechian, vice rector for academic affairs at Antonine University, one of the Lebanese institutions involved, says women face both personal and institutional challenges in their struggle to attain senior positions in higher education. The personal challenges include building confidence and being ready to take up opportunities for advancement, she told Al-Fanar Media. The institutional challenges include universities’ failures to appreciate and acknowledge women’s work and capacities. Read more in this article.
Opinion:
10 Essential Questions to Reimagine Higher Education in the Era of Artificial Intelligence
Generative artificial intelligence is emerging as a transformative tool in higher education, unfolding a range of present and future possibilities, both exciting and diverse. However, there are still many questions that educators and educational institutions must address in 2024 to navigate and capitalise on this constantly evolving technological landscape. Borja Santos Porras, an associate vice dean at IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, at IE University, in Spain, explores ten essential questions to reimagine higher education in the era of artificial intelligence. Read more in this article.
Scholarships:
Al-Fanar Media maintains a database of quality scholarships for Arab students, which we continuously update. You can follow our website to stay up to date on the latest scholarships available in international universities. Check the Scholarships section here, and do not miss our constantly updated feedback on free learning opportunities in the News and Reports section, here.
