Personal Info
- Country of residence: Palestine
Information
Professor Ibrahim Al-Shaer has over 30 years of experience in higher education and social development. He served as Minister of Social Development in the Palestinian government between 2015 and 2019, where he led a strategic shift in the ministry's work from providing traditional social care to a comprehensive and sustainable development approach. He successfully restructured the ministry and developed its policies to meet community needs and support the empowerment of marginalized groups, bringing about a qualitative change in its philosophy and objectives.
After completing his ministerial assignment, Dr. Al-Shaer returned to work in higher education, serving as Director of the Al-Quds Open University branches in Jerusalem and Hebron (2019-2024). Prior to that, he served as Assistant to the President for Innovation and Excellence (2013-2015) and Director of the University's Bethlehem branch for ten years (2003-2013). He began his academic career teaching courses in linguistics at Birzeit, Hebron, and Al-Quds Open Universities.
Dr. Al-Shaer received his PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Reading, UK, in 2001, thanks to a scholarship from the Arab Student Aid Foundation. He also received his MA in Linguistics and English Language Teaching (ELT) from Lancaster University in 1989, thanks to a scholarship from the British Council. He also earned his BA in English Language and Literature and a Diploma in Education from Bethlehem University in 1986.
In 2016, Dr. Al-Shaer was awarded the rank of professor in recognition of his research contributions in the fields of linguistics and e-learning. His research has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, both locally and internationally. He also received the Distinguished Research Award in the same year in recognition of his outstanding research efforts.
Dr. Al-Shaer has made significant contributions to the development of Al-Quds Open University, fostering a culture of innovation and academic and administrative excellence. Among his most notable achievements is the preparation of the University's Guide to Excellence, Creativity, and Innovation in 2015. He has also contributed to enriching academic content by translating important articles, such as "Distance Education in the Age of Technology: Communication Media Technologies in Distance Education" (2008), in addition to translating the University Evaluation Report prepared by a European-Canadian team headed by Kathleen Matthews (2007). He also prepared a graduation project writing guide for English majors in 2003, which contributed to improving the quality of academic research.
In serving the Palestinian community, Dr. Al-Shaer served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Foundation for Economic Empowerment of the Palestinian People (2015-2019), where he supported development and economic initiatives. He also chaired the Social Protection Sector Team and contributed to the development of national policies to protect marginalized groups. He was a member of the Advisory Council of the Bethlehem Governorate (2020-2024) and a member of the Technical Committee for Humanities and Social Sciences at the Ministry of Higher Education (2013-2015).
He also chaired the Higher Council for Childhood and the Higher Council for People with Disabilities in Palestine, reflecting his active presence in the political and social arena. In the field of rural development, he served as Chairman of the Palestinian Rural Development Foundation in Bethlehem (1993-1998) and participated in the National Institutions Committee in the Bethlehem Governorate (1996-1998). He was also Vice President of the Workers' Union at Al-Quds Open University (1992-1994).
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Achievements and Awards
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