Nablus – Together – Student Rawand Jamlan from the Energy and Environmental Engineering Program and student Ahmed Assaf from the Mechatronics Engineering Program, under the supervision of Dr. Muhammad Abu Abiyeh from the College of Engineering and Information Technology at An-Najah National University, achieved a distinguished international achievement by winning first place in the ‘Food Preservation’ category in the ‘Food Preservation’ competition. Arab StarPack International Student in its seventh edition in Cairo.

This achievement comes after they won first place in the student category in the Palestine Packaging Competition on 3/20/2023, which was held at the Center for Business Development and Prosperity in the city of Jericho, in the presence of the Japanese Ambassador to the State of Palestine, Yoichi Nakashima, and under the sponsorship of the Palestinian Center for Business Development and Prosperity and the Palestinian Paper Industries Federation. And packaging.

The design that won first place in
the food preservation category for the participating students was titled ‘Baraka.’ The design is distinguished by its deep connection to the heritage of Palestine, which extends back thousands of years. The design is inspired by the words of God Almighty, ‘A blessed tree is an olive tree, neither Eastern nor Western, whose oil almost glows even if fire does not touch it.’ Olive oil is preserved in an innovative way that preserves its flavor and quality. It also reflects Palestinian civilization, adds an aesthetic touch to homes, and contributes to a better environment. The design uses wood and glass, making it sustainable and easy to recycle. It also contributes to creating job opportunities for artisans and farmers, and preserves consumer health by protecting them from plastic pollution. The product reflects the historical heritage of Palestine since the Roman era and enhances the pride of its workers in their heritage, in addition to being easy to market due to the annual availability of Palestinian olives
and oil.

It is worth noting that ‘Arab Starpack’ is a regional Arab competition in which all Arab countries participate, specializing in the field of sustainable packaging design. 602 students from several Arab countries participated in the competition in three fields: graphic design for packaging, structural design, and the field of food preservation. In a large celebration organized by the Lebanese Packaging Center (LibanPack), headed by Soha Atallah – Deputy Director of the International Packaging Organization, and in the presence of Mr. Ali Badarneh, representing UNIDO, the winning students in the competition, representing An-Najah National University – Palestine, were honored at the ceremony that was held in Cairo, Egypt, on the 27th. Until May 28, 2024.

This achievement is considered a source of pride and a new challenge for our students at An-Najah National University, despite the difficult circumstances that our Palestinian people are experiencing.

Source: Maan News Agency