USAID Provides Scholarships to Over 2000 Palestinian Students
http://english.wafa.ps/body.asp?id=7503

RAMALLAH, September 18, 2006 (WAFA - PLO news agency) - The U.S. government
announced Monday a $2.4 million scholarship fund to assist over 2000
students during this academic year, said the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID).

The announcement took place in a ceremony at the Abu Dis campus of Al Quds
University.

USAID said in a press release that the scholarships were announced by Deputy
Principal Officer Thomas Duffy. Dr. Hassan Dweik, Vice President of Al-Quds
University, opened the event, during which university President, Dr. Sari
Nusseibeh, and USAID Acting Director David Harden also spoke.

During his remarks, Dr. Nusseibeh thanked the U.S. government for this
significant assistance to the students and the university.

For his part, Mr. Duffy praised the contributions Al Quds University has
made to educating generations of Palestinians and their cooperation with
universities throughout the world. He noted that Al Quds University is
internationally recognized as a strong academic institution.

The $2.4 million USAID contribution will fund the studies of needy
Palestinian undergraduates with high academic achievements. Simultaneously,
USAID is providing Al Quds University with $100,000 of in-kind assistance
through the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) to furnish 22 new lecture
halls, 42 faculty offices, a computer lab and an auditorium.

The new scholarships are part of USAID's four-year Higher Education Support
Initiative, managed by the Academy for Educational Development (AED).

Launched in 2002, the $15 million program has provided training and
education opportunities to hundreds of Palestinian students in local and U.S
universities and colleges to prepare the next generation of leaders and
managers.

A.D (20:31 P) (17:31 GMT)