Dar al-Kalima University

Dar al-Kalima University (DAK) is a Palestinian university that is located in Bethlehem, Palestine. It is the first and only institution of higher education in Palestine with a focus on the arts, culture, and design. Its overall mission is to educate the next generations of creative leaders in Palestine (and the Middle East) through innovative and high-quality academic programs and lifelong learning opportunities, underpinned by a culture of entrepreneurship, research, and civic engagement. It does so through these strategic objectives:

1. Provide opportunities for quality education and training that inspire and nurture talent for professional and creative careers.
2. Create spaces for relevant lifelong learning, civic engagement, and intercultural exchange.
3. Secure an effective and up-to-date working environment that promotes active learning and excellence.

These objectives conspire effectively to fulfill DAK’s overall vision “That We May Have Life and Have It Abundantly.” Currently, there are 26 accredited Master’s, Bachelor’s, Diploma, and Professional Diploma programs in non-traditional disciplines, including visual and performing arts, cultural heritage, architecture, design, and tourism-related studies.

Dar al-Kalima University (DAK) has been functioning since 1995 when it was established as an organization called the International Center of Bethlehem (ICB). The ICB served as an incubator for many initiatives and organizations in the cultural, educational, and health sectors. A strategic decision designed to reform the relationship between the ICB and the other organizations led to an administrative restructuring that constituted the formation of the Diyar Consortium in 2006, under whose umbrella all became sister organizations. A second administrative restructuring took place in 2016 to further reform the dramatic growth that occurred, particularly in the educational work implemented through Dar al-Kalima University, in that it became the overarching organization. Nonetheless, in addition to the academic work, the community-based and lifelong learning programs remain an integral part of Dar al-Kalima University’s community outreach and development efforts.

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