Dr. Khairiyya Rassas has been re-elected as President of the Union of Euro-Mediterranean Universities for a second term

Nablus - Ofoq News - Dr. Khairiya Rasas, Vice President of An-Najah National University for Global Partnerships and Initiatives, was re-elected as President of the Union of Euro-Mediterranean Universities (UNIMED) for a second term, during the 2026 General Assembly meetings of the Union, hosted by the University of Barcelona in Spain, with wide participation from university presidents and representatives of academic institutions that are members of the Union, which includes 208 universities from 25 countries, distributed among Europe, the Balkans, North Africa, the Middle East, Africa, and the Gulf countries. Al-Arabi, along with high-level participation from the European Union, the Union for the Mediterranean (UFM) and the Catalan Government Minister for European Union Affairs and External Relations.

The renewal of confidence in Dr. Rassas comes in recognition of her exceptional efforts and leadership role during her first term (2023-2026), which witnessed prominent milestones in the union’s journey, especially in enhancing academic and research cooperation, expanding international partnerships, and supporting the resilience of higher education institutions affected by crises, through specific initiatives, most notably the initiative to enable Gaza students to complete their university education (TESI) and the (H-Gaza) project.)

This achievement is an extension of the distinguished international presence of An-Najah National University, and an affirmation of the status of Palestinian academic competencies and their ability to assume influential leadership positions. Dr. Rassas recorded a historic milestone in the journey of the Union of Euro-Mediterranean Universities in 2023, when she was elected President of the Union during its conference held in the Spanish city of Granada, becoming the first woman and the first Arab and Palestinian person to hold this position since its founding nearly three decades ago. Her election at that time constituted an exceptional achievement in the history of the Union, reflecting its openness to broader horizons of representation and leadership diversity, and paved the way for a new phase of joint academic work based on cooperation, integration, and inclusiveness, and strengthening the Arab and Palestinian presence in the Euro-Mediterranean higher education space.

The President of An-Najah National University, Professor Dr. Abdel Nasser Zaid, expressed his pride in the re-election of Dr. Rassas, stressing that this decision reflects the established and growing international confidence in Palestinian competencies, and confirms the distinguished position that the university has achieved in its international academic relations and its pioneering role in building bridges of cooperation between educational and research institutions around the world.

In conjunction with her re-election, Dr. Khairiya Rassas participated in prominent international forums, including the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) conference in Barcelona, ​​where she reviewed the Union’s efforts in supporting universities affected by conflicts, and the 45th session of the Aspen Institute Italia seminars in Venice, where she emphasized the importance of academic partnerships in promoting regional stability and investing in human capital.

Dr. enjoys Rassas has a career full of academic and leadership achievements at the local and international levels, as she previously held the position of advisor to former Palestinian Prime Minister Dr. Rami Hamdallah, in addition to holding prominent academic and administrative positions at An-Najah National University, where she founded the first college of optometry in Palestine, and contributed to establishing the An-Najah Institute for Global Health during the Corona pandemic. Her career has received high international recognition, most notably the awarding of the French National Order of Merit with the rank of Knight in 2021, by decision of French President Emmanuel Macron, and the Queen Elizabeth II Award in 2005.