An-Najah News - The Media Center of An-Najah University visited Paris-Saclay University in France to document the largest and most successful international academic cooperation between the two universities. The cooperation, which started in 2016, covers various academic and research fields, especially in physics and mathematics. Paris-Saclay University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world, ranking among the top 10 in the Shanghai Ranking of Academic Subjects 2022.
The visit included meeting with several professors and researchers from both universities, who shared their experiences and achievements in this cooperation. The Media Center also toured some of the facilities and laboratories of the Institute of Nuclear Physics of Paris-Saclay (IJCLab), where many An-Najah students are conducting their research.
Dr. Ahmed Bassalat, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at An-Najah University, visiting researcher at IJCLab, and the head of the Winter School in High Energy Physics in Palestine (WISHEPP), was the first to be interviewed by the Media Center. He talked about how he initiated this cooperation by creating and launching WISHEPP in 2016, which is an annual event that hosts several professors from Paris-Saclay and other European institutions to give lectures and seminars to An-Najah students. He also highlighted the achievements of this cooperation, such as the participation of An-Najah University in the ATLAS experiment at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), which is one of the most important scientific experiments in the world. He praised the excellence of An-Najah students at Paris-Saclay, noting that there are currently 22 students who are obtaining their degrees there, and that the number of scholarships offered to An-Najah students has exceeded 100.
Dr. Hadeel Abu Al-Rub, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at An-Najah University, visiting researcher at Paris-Saclay University, and responsible for the PERLE project at An-Najah University, was another interviewee. She spoke about her journey from being a student at An-Najah to becoming a researcher at Paris-Saclay and leading An-Najah to join PERLE, which is an international scientific collaboration that involves prestigious laboratories from France, England, and the United States. The agreement was signed on July 2, 2022. She said that she is working hard to provide support and assistance to An-Najah students who are currently studying at Paris-Saclay and facing various challenges.
The Media Center also met with Sebastien Busson, the Head of Accelerators Unit at IJCLab, who took them on a tour of SUPRATech, a facility that was built in 2005 to design, build, and assemble accelerators of various forms. He explained in detail about the facility, its divisions, functions, and purposes. He also expressed his admiration for An-Najah students, their academic distinction, and their passion for learning and researching.
The last meeting was with Prof. Achille Stocchi, the Director of IJCLab and Professor of Physics at Paris-Saclay University, who emphasized the importance of the cooperation between the two universities, especially in the scientific fields. He commended the students of An-Najah University for their achievements and contributions to the research projects at IJCLab.
The visit was a great opportunity for the Media Center to showcase the remarkable cooperation between An-Najah University and Paris-Saclay University, which is a model of international academic partnership that benefits both institutions and their students. The Media Center will produce a documentary film based on this visit to highlight this cooperation and its impact on science and society.
