The School of Rehabilitation Sciences hosted a meeting on Thursday August 10th, 2023 for graduates of its first batch to celebrate twenty years since their graduation. The meeting was held under the patronage of the School’s Dean, Professor Kamal Alhadidi, and was attended by several of the graduates. During the meeting, the Dean delivered a speech in which he welcomed the guests and spoke about the different accomplishments at the University and School levels over the past twenty years which included, for example, the University advancing to become one of the top 500 university worldwide according to QS World University Rankings. The Dean also spoke about the importance of holding such meetings to strengthen the relationship between the University and graduates.
Two of the graduates, Mr. Anas Ishtaiwi and Professor Sana Abu Dahab, delivered speeches in which they spoke about the important role that the University and the School played in the development of their education and personalities during their undergraduate studies at the university more than twenty years ago.
As part of the meeting, the graduates toured the school’s building and visited the different labs in all departments. The current building for the School of Rehabilitation Sciences was opened in 2006. The first batch finished their studies in the temporary location for the school which was housed in the School of Medicine. Following the tour, the graduates held a session during which each one spoke about themselves and the accomplishments they achieved over the past twenty years, both at the professional and personal levels.
It is worth noting that the School of Rehabilitation Sciences was established in the year 1999 with three departments: Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Prosthetics and Orthotics. The first batch of students from the School graduated in the year 2003. Later in the year 2004, a fourth department (Hearing and Speech Sciences) was established. The current teaching cadre of the school includes several graduates from the first batch including: Professor Nihad Almasri (former Dean), Dr. Ibrahim Altubasi (Vice Dean for Graduate Studies), Professor Sana Abu Dahab (Vice Dean for Clinical Training), Dr. Huthaifa Attallah (from Prosthetics and Orthotics department), and Dr. Maha Tayseer (the reunion organizer).
And on the margins of this event, a meeting was held between the graduates and Dr. Yusef Sarhan who was one of the founding faculty members for the School of Rehabilitation Sciences and the Dean at the time of graduation of the first batch.