On Friday 31st January 2025, an Opening Ceremony was held in Haifa for the new cohort of the Arab Culture Association’s Galilee Foundation-supported scholars. 85 students attended – some bringing their parents – and there was a tangible sense of excitement and new beginnings in the room.
Due to recent events in Gaza, the ceremony was less of a celebration and more of a workshop, and a minute’s silence was held to remember those who have lost their lives. This year’s event, for first year scholars only, included icebreakers, a session on managing expectations for the scholarship, and a workshop on preparing for academic life, delivered by a member of the programme’s alumni network. A Q&A session was also held with 2nd and 3rd year scholars, who spoke about their experiences as students in general, but also as Galilee Foundation scholars in particular. Talking about their participation in the ACA’s volunteering programme, these scholars spoke with passion and enthusiasm about its importance in terms of connecting them with their Palestinian heritage and history. We are proud of the experience the scholarship programme offers our scholars and the impact it is having on their lives, and we wish all of our new scholars the very best with their upcoming studies.
A workshop on preparing for student life and exams was led by university lecturer, Muhammad Zidane, who is, himself, a Galilee alumnus.
We wish all our students, old and new, a successful year in all they undertake.
