16 Notable alumni of
Birzeit University
Updated:
Birzeit University is 1669th in the world, 376th in Asia, and 1st in Palestine by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 16 notable alumni from Birzeit University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Marwan Barghouti
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Marwan Barghouti, sometimes known by the kunya Abu Al-Qassam (أبو القسام), is a Palestinian political leader who has served as an elected legislator and has been an advocate of a two-state solution since prior to his imprisonment by Israel.
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Mohammad Shtayyeh
- Occupations
- economistwriterpolitician
- Biography
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Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh is a Palestinian politician, academic, and economist who served as the Prime Minister of Palestine from 2019 to 2024. On 26 February 2024, he and his government announced their resignation, remaining in office in a demissionary capacity until a new government was formed on 31 March 2024.
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Elia Suleiman
- Occupations
- actorscreenwriterdirectorfilm actorfilm director
- Biography
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Elia Suleiman is an Israeli-born Palestinian film director and actor. He is best known for the 2002 film Divine Intervention (Arabic: يد إلهية), a modern tragicomedy on living under occupation in Palestine which won the Jury Prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. Suleiman's cinematic style is often compared to that of Jacques Tati and Buster Keaton, for its poetic interplay between "burlesque and sobriety". He is married to Lebanese singer and actress Yasmine Hamdan.
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Khalida Jarrar
- Occupations
- politicianactivist
- Biography
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Khalida Jarrar is a Palestinian politician. She is a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). She was elected to the PLC in January 2006 as one of the PFLP's three deputies and has continued to serve as an elected representative ever since. She is also the Palestinian representative on the Council of Europe and is currently head of the Prisoners Committee of the PLC. She played a major role in Palestine's application to join the International Criminal Court.
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Husam Zomlot
- Enrolled in Birzeit University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in political economics
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Husam Said Zomlot is a Palestinian diplomat, academic and economist. He was appointed Head of the Palestinian Mission to the United Kingdom in October 2018. He has served as the Palestinian ambassador to the United Kingdom since January 2026. Before his posting to the UK, he served as head of the PLO mission to the United States that was closed by President Donald Trump's administration.
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Raja Shehadeh
- Occupations
- writerhuman rights defenderlawyerjournalist
- Biography
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Raja Shehadeh is a Palestinian lawyer, human rights activist and writer. He co-founded the award-winning Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq in 1979. In 2008, he won the Orwell Prize, a British award for political writing, for his book Palestinian Walks.
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Muna el-Kurd
- Enrolled in Birzeit University
- 2016-2020 graduated with bachelor's degree in journalism
- Occupations
- journalistactivist
- Biography
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Muna el-Kurd is a Palestinian activist based in the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem. Alongside her twin brother, Mohammed el-Kurd, she drew international attention for her involvement in the Sheikh Jarrah controversy, which served as a key trigger for the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis. She has regularly protested Israel's eviction of Palestinians in East Jerusalem, and gained prominence for her activism on a variety of social media channels.
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Atef Abu Saif
- Occupations
- novelistpolitical scientistwriter
- Biography
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Atef Abu Saif is a Palestinian writer. His books have been translated into various languages, and his writings have also been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Guernica, and Slate. He has served as a spokesman for Fatah and served as Minister for Culture in the Palestine Authority from 2019 to 2024.
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Musa Hadid
- Occupations
- civil engineermayor
- Biography
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Musa Hadid is a Palestinian political figure and the former mayor of Ramallah, Palestine.
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Abbad Yahya
- Enrolled in Birzeit University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in sociology and mass media
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Abbad Yahya; born in Palestine in 1988 is a Palestinian author and novelist, researcher, and media professional. He holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from Birzeit University in Palestine. Over the years, he has held various positions in media and research institutions across multiple Arab and international organizations. Currently, he holds the position of "General Manager" at Al Araby Television Network.
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Tarek Aggad
- Enrolled in Birzeit University
- Graduated with honorary doctorate
- Occupations
- businesspersonchief executive officer
- Biography
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Tarek Omar Abdul Fattah Aggad is a Saudi businessman. He is the executive director of the Aggad Investment Company (AICO) and chairman of Arab Palestinian Investment Company, two firms founded by his father, Omar Aggad.
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Isa Qaraqi
- Enrolled in Birzeit University
- Graduated with master's degree in Arabic studies
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Issa Qaraqe is a Palestinian politician who has held various positions in the Palestinian Authority.
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Sonia Nimr
- Occupations
- children's writerwriteruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Sonia Nimr is a Palestinian writer, storyteller, translator, ethnographer and academic. She writes for children and youth in Arabic and English, and relates folk-tales in colloquial Arabic. She is the winner of the 2014 Etisalat Award for Arabic Children's Literature for Best Young Adult Book for her book Extraordinary Journeys to Unknown Places. Nimr is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Cultural Studies at Birzeit University.
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Hasan Abu-Libdeh
- Enrolled in Birzeit University
- In 1979 graduated with bachelor's degree in mathematics
- Occupations
- politicianstatistician
- Biography
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Hasan Abu-Libdeh is a Palestinian statistician and politician, who founded the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in 1993. He served in the Palestinian National Authority as minister of labour, social affairs, and national economy.
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Ali Jarbawi
- Enrolled in Birzeit University
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in sociology
- Occupations
- politicianpolitical scientist
- Biography
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Ali Jarbawi is a Palestinian politician and lecturer. He is the former Minister of Planning and Administrative Development and the former Minister of Higher Education of the Government of the Palestinian National Authority.
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Hanan Jarrar
- Enrolled in Birzeit University
- In 1993 graduated with bachelor's degree in English-language literature, international relations, and translation
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Hanan Na'eem Ameen Jarrar, is a Palestinian politician and diplomat serving as Palestinian Ambassador to South Africa and non-resident Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Namibia, Malawi and Lesotho. On 28 December 2019, she was appointed as Ambassador to South Africa by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. On 28 January 2020, she presented her credentials to the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa.
