An-Najah National University, represented by Prof. Dr. Abdul Nasser Zaid, President of the University, signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal Jordanian Institute for Religious Studies, represented by Dr. Renée Hattar, Director of the Institute, aimed at strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual interest and leveraging the research, intellectual, and scientific capacities of both parties.

The signing ceremony took place on Monday, December 6, 2021, via Zoom, in the presence of Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Khayyat, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Prof. Dr. Jamal Al-Kilani, Dean of the Faculty of Sharia, and Mr. Khaled Al-Husseini, Director of the Public Relations Department.

The memorandum’s provisions include enhancing and developing joint cooperation in areas of mutual interest using all available means, implementing joint projects and activities, and focusing on key topics in contemporary religious relations, such as interfaith and inter-sect relations, and shared human and ethical values.

Both parties also agreed to collaborate on training and qualifying the university’s academic and research staff through the expertise of the Royal Institute on subjects related to interfaith dialogue, organizing conferences and seminars on topics of mutual interest, encouraging the exchange of experiences, publications, and bulletins, and cooperating in peer review of articles and research published in the journals and publications of the signatories. Additionally, the agreement includes facilitating research visits for graduate students.

Prof. Dr. Zaid expressed his pleasure with this joint cooperation, praising the importance of signing agreements aimed at establishing close scientific and cultural collaboration. He emphasized the necessity of forming partnerships with various local and international institutions, which have become a cultural and practical requirement for the sustainability of any educational institution. He also noted that the Faculty of Sharia at An-Najah University is one of the key faculties continually striving to expand knowledge horizons and foster exchange and communication in ways that positively impact society and humanity.