The Office of the Dean of Research (DOR) held a colloquium titled, “From a Master’s Degree to a Ph.D.: The Journey and the Promise”, the first of the Bethlehem University Research Group series for the 2021-2022 academic year, on Thursday, 30 September 2021.
The DOR hosted Dr. Rawan Gideon, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Science, and Dr. Yacoub Sleibi, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Business, who recently received their doctoral degrees from Liverpool Hope University and Newcastle University in the UK, respectively.
In his opening remarks, Vice Chancellor Br. Peter Bray congratulated Dr. Rawan and Dr. Yacoub on their accomplishments and emphasized how their accomplishments help Bethlehem University to provide high-quality education to its students.
Brother Peter also took pride in the fact that both Dr. Rawan and Dr. Yacoub are BU graduates and serve as excellent role models for other BU graduates and faculty who are interested in pursuing their doctoral degrees. He noted that their doctoral degrees are the first step in their future research journeys in their fields.
On her part, Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Irene Hazou expressed her pride in the accomplishments of Dr. Rawan and Dr. Yacoub, and highlighted the importance of putting research at the center of the academic mission at the University.
As a “research-informed” University, Dr. Hazou stated, all scholarly activities at the University should be driven by cutting-edge research in the respective fields. Becoming a part of these research conversations around the world, she noted, is going to improve the status of the University and the quality of the education we provide to the community.
In their presentations, Dr. Rawan and Dr. Yacoub shared milestones of their personal and professional journey towards a Ph.D. and the original contribution that their doctoral research made to their fields of study.
They also discussed the links between their research in the master’s degree and their Ph.D., highlighted the challenges of pursuing the Ph.D., and the promise of the Ph.D. for the future of their research. They also offered valuable practical recommendations for faculty who are interested in pursuing their doctoral degrees. In the Q&A, Dr. Rawan and Dr. Yacoub answered various questions from the attendees.
Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Muna Matar expressed her pride and joy in the accomplishments of Dr. Rawan and Dr. Yacoub, noting the importance of obtaining these advanced degrees and coming back to serve the University and society.
The event was attended by Deans and faculty members from different departments in addition to students. Br. Henry Chaya, former Chairperson of the CAIS department, also joined from New York via google meet to celebrate the accomplishments of his former students.
