The Deanship of Scientific Research at the Arab American University has held a meeting to honor researchers from the academic staff at the University, who published their research papers in journals and conferences classified within the Clarivate and Scopus databases in 2023. This honoring was conducted under the patronage of the founding Chairman of the University’s Board of Directors, Dr. Yousef Asfour. The meeting comes on the occasion of the University’s Journal’s wining as the best Arab journal.
This ceremony took place with the presence of the President of the Arab American University, Dr. Bara Asfour, the former President of the University, Professor Dr. Ali Zedan Abu Zuhri, the Dean of Scientific Research, Professor Dr. Mohammad Awad, distinguished researchers, and a number of members of the academic and administrative staffs.
The events were commenced with a welcome speech by the Dean of Scientific Research, Professor Dr. Mohammad Awad, in which he welcomed the attendees and said, “We gather today to honor researchers at a University valuable to each Palestinian, a University whose name is associated with achievements and excellence, a university that will remain the hope for a better future for our students and researchers.” He noted that this honoring by the University is an confirmation of its prominent role in contributing to enriching scientific research and advancing its progress and progress, and in recognition of the distinguished intellectual achievements that serve the scientific progress and eminence of the University, as well as help advance the efforts made to raise the level of research and in appreciation of the elite of brilliant researchers from the University’s teaching staff in addition to encouraging them to continue further research.
He explained that the Deanship of Scientific Research sought to develop policies aimed at developing scientific research towards creativity and excellence in its various fields, noting that the Deanship directed the compass towards publishing scientific research in prestigious, highly ranking international journals and conferences such as Clarivate and Scopus.
Professor Dr. Awad compared the research published in journals and conferences indexed within the Clarivate and Scopus databases from 2019 until last year 2023. He indicated that there is quantitative and qualitative development in research, until the number reached 250 in 2023, hoping for an increase in research until the end of the year. Compared to 2019, 82 papers were published and 250 papers were published in 2023. Prof. Awad stressed that efforts will be made to reach 300 papers by the end of this year.
As far as the Arab American University Journal is concerned, Professor Dr. Mohammad Awad said, “We took it upon ourselves to develop the Journal programmatically and procedurally to comply with the standards of the best international journals. It is one of the highest-ranking journals with an Arab impact factor of 3.72, and it was classified as the best journal published in the Arabic language in 2024. Thus, it won an award.” Best Arab Journal during the Arab Impact Factor Conference”. He added, “We strive very hard to instill a spirit of competition among researchers at the University and encourage them to accomplish distinguished research in various disciplines and contribute to enhancing the culture of scientific research and consolidating interest in scientific research.”
Prof. Awad thanked the administration of the Arab American University for its developmental vision and its pledge of financial and moral support for scientific research. He also congratulated the researchers for their achievements, noting that a number of researchers at the University were distinguished in publishing scientific research, such as Professor Dr. Atef Qasrawi, who published nearly 30 research papers, and Professor Dr. Ahmed Al-Aidi, who published 20 research papers in prestigious journals during the year 2023.
For his part, Dr. Bara Asfour, President of the Arab American University, expressed his pride and thanks for the trust placed in him by the University’s Board of Directors by assigning him as Acting President of the University. He stressed that he will pay all efforts to move the University forward towards progress, development and prosperity, appreciating the role of Professor Dr. Ali Zedan Abu Zuhri for everything he did for the sake of the University’s elevation, renaissance, and development in all the positions he had held, the last of which was the presidency of the Arab American University, with all wisdom, dedication, and sincerity.
He said, “Despite the pain that grips our hearts over what our country is experiencing, we are determined to remain on our land, rebuild it, and build its institutions. We are determined to continue the academic and scientific process and to develop scientific research and support researchers of the University who have distinguished themselves at the local, regional, and global levels by publishing research in the most prestigious international journals, which strengthened the University’s position among Palestinian universities and took firm steps towards developing scientific research and knowledge, and opening new horizons that lead to development and creativity.”
The University president explained that the University, in less than 24 years, managed, with the efforts of its successive administrations and academic and administrative staffs, to make the University the pride of Arab universities and the best representative of Palestine in international forums, due to the excellence it provided in developing modern, rare and qualitative programs at the diploma, bachelor’s and postgraduate levels that surpassed all expectations. We see our graduates in the highest positions and the most prestigious national and international institutions, indicating that the University has been able to adopt the latest methods of global educational technology, and has become a reference in educational methods that are in line with technological development and strengthening the rules in digital transformation in the nation, the president added.
Dr. Asfour considered the Arab American University Journal’s wining of the Best Arab Journal Award for 2024 a culmination of the University’s achievements in all academic and research fields, stressing that there is still a long way to go to raise the University’s status in all frameworks at the local, regional and global levels.
Dr. Asfour concluded his speech by calling on distinguished researchers to continue making efforts to enhance research production in the name of the University, thanking the University’s board of directors for their constant support for the development of scientific research, the academic and administrative staff at the University, the dean of scientific research, and everyone who contributed to providing motivations for success.
For his part, Professor Dr. Ali Zedan Abu Zuhri, former president of the University, blessed the distinguished researchers, stressing that scientific research is the pillar of the educational process, and therefore it is necessary to continue supporting it and supporting researchers, calling on researchers to make more efforts in the coming years.
At the end of the meeting, the distinguished researchers were honored as follows:
Members of the Arab American University Journal Board, the first category of distinguished researchers who published or contributed to publishing four or more papers in journals and conferences indexed within the Clarivate and Scopus databases, and the second category of researchers who published and contributed to publishing two or three papers in journals and conferences classified within the Clarivate databases and Scopus, and the third category of researchers who published and contributed to publishing one research paper in journals and conferences classified within the Clarivate and Scopus databases.
