Special to AG-IP News Agency 

AMMAN – HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and founder of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global), received in his office Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to discuss means of cooperation between the two parties.

Lazzarini expressed his pride in the role of Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh supporting the cause of Palestinian refugees, and he highly praised the contributions offered by TAG.Global, whether regarding its services or programs to the Palestinians in the refugee camps.

“The world is in need for many role models such as Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, a visionary who inspired and influenced many people around the world. He is a success story who once himself was a refugee, and now through his Organization and its branches all over the globe spares no effort to support the refugees in every possible way,” Lazzarini said.

The Commissioner General also applauded Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh for his vision on the empowerment of youth by helping them acquire knowledge and sharpen their skills, bearing in mind  his optimism and belief in the power of the new generation as change makers. 

Lazzarini also affirmed UNRWA’s interest in deriving benefit from the expertise of TAG.Global, particularly in the field of digital transformation and education, to keep pace with the current developments including the repercussions of the Coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic that has negatively affected the Palestinian students who already suffer hardships in their camps and schools that are not capable to embrace digital transformation.

For his part, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh underlined the importance and vital role played by UNRWA towards the Palestinian refugees, referring to the crucial significance of the support provided by the donor countries to the Agency to help it continue offering its services to them.

Additionally, he asserted the commitment and mission of TAG.Global in building capacities of the Arab people including the Palestinians, through the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Stations dispersed throughout the governorates of Jordan and a number of Palestinian Refugee camps, emphasizing their role in providing training programs and building capacities of the youth as one of the corporate social responsibility programs offered by TAG.Global.

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh went on to mention that Talal Abu-Ghazaleh University College for Innovation (TAGUCI) carries out an additional part of the social responsibility in this regard, as it offers 100% scholarships  by Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh personally to students residing in the Palestinian camps, provided they meet admission requirements.

Abu-Ghazaleh recalled how he, as a Palestinian refugee, benefitted from an UNRWA scholarship to continue his studies during the Nakba, “the 1948 Palestinian tragedy”, affirming his full readiness to put all the resources of TAG.Global, through over 100 offices around the world, to help  UNRWA reach all Palestinian refugees in the most remote regions globally.

It is worth mentioning that Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh was one of the first students to benefit from the UNRWA Education Support Program to Palestinian refugees in 1956, and was granted on a full scholarship for continuing his studies at the American University of Beirut.