What challenges face the Palestinian educational system today in light of the daily and cumulative frustrations of a decades-long occupation? How have Palestinian academics, teachers, and higher education officials produced a population considered by many Arabs one of the most highly educated in the Middle East? What strategies does Al Quds University employ to meet the needs of its student body and broader community, particularly on the Abu Dis campus where Israel's separation Wall confiscates land, prevents expansion, and inhibits student attendance? Mohammed Dajani will speak on these and other issues facing Palestinian educators today. Dajani was appointed professor of political science and founded the American Studies Institute at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem in September 2000, a position he holds to this day. His appointment came within weeks of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's controversial visit with armed guards to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, a holy place for Muslims, which set off the second Palestinian popular uprising that continues to this day. Dajani was born in Jerusalem in 1946, two years prior to the Arab-Israeli war and creation of the state of Israel. Dajani holds a PhD in international political relations from the University of Texas, Austin and a PhD in political science from the University of South Carolina, Columbia. He holds a Bachelor's and Master's in communication from the American University of Beirut. 13 April 2005 www.palestinecenter.org

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