CIE welcomed four doctoral candidates who are part of the Palestinian Faculty Development Program.  Two arrived in September 2006 and another two in Fall 2007.  The Palestinian Faculty Development Program (PFDP) was launched in October 2005 with a goal of increasing the capacity within the higher education sector in the West Bank and Gaza and addressing long-term issues of reform in teaching and learning practices. The program is funded by USAID and the Open Society Institute (OSI) and administered by AMIDEAST &OSI.

The doctoral candidates at CIE are all faculty members in Palestinian Universities:

• Ayman Khalifah was a science teacher with UNRWA in Palestinian refugee camps and taught at Al Quds Open University
• Ola Khalili worked as a math teacher in the Education Department in Birzeit University.
• Kefah Barham was a part-time a lecturer in English teaching at Al-Quds Open University. 
• Abdrabu Abu Alyan – taught in the department of English at the Islamic University of Gaza.

Since their arrival they have helped all of us at CIE develop a fuller understanding of the complex situation in Palestine, as well as providing insights into the culture and the challenges faced by higher education.