Bethlehem University

Bethlehem University
جامعة بيت لحم
Motto	Indivisa Manent; Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve
Type	Private
Established	1 October 1973
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic; De La Salle Brothers
Academic affiliations	ACCU; UNIMED; International Association of Lasallian Universities (IALU)
Chancellor	Most Rev. Monsignor Adolfo Tito Yllana
Vice-Chancellor	Brother Héctor Hernán Santos González FSC, PhD
Administrative staff	c. 409
Undergraduates	3,414 (fall 2023)
Location	Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine
Website	www.bethlehem.edu

Bethlehem University (Arabic: جامعة بيت لحم) is a Catholic university located in the city of Bethlehem, in the West Bank, Palestine.

History

Established shortly before the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the university traces its roots to 1893, when the De La Salle Brothers opened schools in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jaffa, and Nazareth, along with others in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt; and to 1964's Pope Paul VI's visit to the Holy Land in which he promised the Palestinian people a university, a centre for Ecumenical Studies (Tantur Ecumenical Institute), and a school for children with special educational needs (Effetá Paul VI School).

Bethlehem University is the first established university in Palestine and the only Catholic university in the Holy Land (excluding seminary schools and theological or biblical institutes). It continues to be a joint project supported by the Vatican and run by the De La Salle Brothers.

In 2017 the Palestine Museum of Natural History opened on the campus; it is closely linked to the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability.^[1]^[2]

Demographics

Bethlehem University students are predominantly Muslim (~75%) and female (~78%), with Christians representing ~25% of the students.^[3]

Faculties

Arts & Humanities

Business Administration

Education

Nursing & Health Sciences

Applied Sciences, Technology & Engineering

Institute of Hotel Management & Tourism

Interreligious character

Bethlehem University is the only formal educational institution in the Holy Land where Christian and Muslim students formally learn, study and reflect on their respective religions and that of the others in mixed groups and settings.

All religious groups are welcome at the university, which currently counts among its students Christians of many different denominations including Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Russian Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Greek Catholic, and others.

Graduate programs

Master of Business Administration in International Cooperation and Development (MICAD)
Masters in Governance & Administration of the Public Sector (MGAPS)
Master of Science in Biotechnology
Master of Arts in Tourism Studies
Master of Arts in Community Social Work ^[4]
Master of Science in Oncology and Palliative Care Nursing
Master of Arts in Education. Creative Pedagogies and Community Practices (MOCP)
Higher Diploma in Neonatal Nursing
Higher Diploma in Emergency Nursing
Higher Diploma in Education. Teaching Christian Religion
Higher Diploma in Education. Upper Basic Level - Teaching Science
Higher Diploma in Education. Upper Basic Level - Teaching Mathematics
Higher Diploma in Education. Upper Basic Level - Teaching Social Studies
Higher Diploma in Education. Upper Basic Level - Teaching English Language
Higher Diploma in Education. Upper Basic Level - Teaching Arabic Language

References

^ "Biodiversity and hope flourish at Palestine's first natural history museum". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
^ "Palestine Museum of Natural History". ngarchitects. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
^ "Mission and History". Bethlehem University. Archived from the original on 7 February 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
^ "جامعة بيت لحم - جامعة بيت لحم". 3 November 2020.

External links

Directory of Faculty and Staff Archived 9 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine
Official website

Media related to Bethlehem University at Wikimedia Commons

31°42′53.50″N 35°11′55.0″E / 31.7148611°N 35.198611°E / 31.7148611; 35.198611

[1] "Biodiversity and hope flourish at Palestine's first natural history museum". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 4 November 2023.

[2] "Palestine Museum of Natural History". ngarchitects. Retrieved 4 November 2023.

[UniversityWebsite-3] "Mission and History". Bethlehem University. Archived from the original on 7 February 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2015.

[4] "جامعة بيت لحم - جامعة بيت لحم". 3 November 2020.

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