Monday, November 19, 2007
Birzeit University
A private university, where all students get stipends for about 90 % of the tuition. Therefore, competition is high and the university is said to be famous for its quality within the region and supposed to be the second best after the Arab-American University in Jenin (thanks, Kevin!), not accounting for Israeli universities... One company and also some students say, that its fame is based on good old times. Now, most students do not seem to be that motivated or eager to learn. Even some teachers are just happy to have a good job and are not that serious about passing on knowledge.
The campus is nice with individual buildings for each faculty and streets with plants and some trees.
What I miss are places to sit down and to work together. The cafeteria is too noisy, lecture halls mostly in use, silent study rooms rare and used for that purpose, and the university closes at 5pm, most people leave at 4. Studying seems to take place mostly at home.
There is a sports court close to the engineering building and often some guys are playing football or basketball.
The campus is informally divided: Areas for the different parties or people ideologically close to them, for hip/rich people, for alternative ones. All have their favorite places to sit, chat and meet and present themselves. Birzeit to a certain extend is the liberal haven of Westbank. Everybody has a certain freedom, couples can meet and you see people with and without hijab (scarf, mantle). On the other hand, gossip seems to be even more famous here than in Berlin and you can listen to the wildest rumors about everybody and everything. Especially about politics, Israel and the holocaust.
At the entrance to the campus guards sometimes ask students for their university IDs. It is common that other people visit their friends or look for a suitable wife.
So far the university with the noisiest cafeteria ever! The architects for sure have looked at all materials and structures that can reduce noise and consequently removed all of them. At least it has a non smoking area, where only half of the people at the tables are smoking. Very nice are the blue shining lamps to catch flies and other insects, probably extremely useful during the summer.
The campus is nice with individual buildings for each faculty and streets with plants and some trees.
What I miss are places to sit down and to work together. The cafeteria is too noisy, lecture halls mostly in use, silent study rooms rare and used for that purpose, and the university closes at 5pm, most people leave at 4. Studying seems to take place mostly at home.
There is a sports court close to the engineering building and often some guys are playing football or basketball.
The campus is informally divided: Areas for the different parties or people ideologically close to them, for hip/rich people, for alternative ones. All have their favorite places to sit, chat and meet and present themselves. Birzeit to a certain extend is the liberal haven of Westbank. Everybody has a certain freedom, couples can meet and you see people with and without hijab (scarf, mantle). On the other hand, gossip seems to be even more famous here than in Berlin and you can listen to the wildest rumors about everybody and everything. Especially about politics, Israel and the holocaust.
At the entrance to the campus guards sometimes ask students for their university IDs. It is common that other people visit their friends or look for a suitable wife.
So far the university with the noisiest cafeteria ever! The architects for sure have looked at all materials and structures that can reduce noise and consequently removed all of them. At least it has a non smoking area, where only half of the people at the tables are smoking. Very nice are the blue shining lamps to catch flies and other insects, probably extremely useful during the summer.
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The Arab-American University is situated in Jenin; in Hebron one can find the Polytechnic University and the University of Hebron.
Thank you Fabian for so much information about the country and life, I didn't know many things, but I am looking forward to the IPM - will be a big thing and a very good research! :)
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Thank you Fabian for so much information about the country and life, I didn't know many things, but I am looking forward to the IPM - will be a big thing and a very good research! :)
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