We hope that, through this work, we will:

Improve Palestinian Youths' Technical and Soft Skills

Young Palestinians will develop the crucial technical and psychosocial skills necessary to compete with their American and European counterparts. Such support from the diaspora will also build up their confidence, an important catalyst for creativity and innovation.

Strengthen the Palestinian Labor Force

Mentorship and partnerships with local SMEs and IT incubators will also improve the strength of the local content, creating a sustainable cycle of quality Palestinian labor supply and likewise, global demand for Palestinian STEM skills.

Our Process

The following real-life challenges in Palestine’s technology-based business ecosystem are some of many that we have identified through our research and hope to rectify through our projects.

  • 1. Challenges in Demand

    There is more demand for qualified IT talent in Palestine than supply.
    Outsourcing to Gaza is less appealing to businesses than the West Bank.
    The cost of outsourcing to Palestine is higher than India and other countries – this discrepancy in cost is less appealing for US-based businesses.
    Start-ups in Palestine feel abandoned after graduating from local incubators.
    Multinational corporations rarely open R&D (research and development) centers in Palestine.

  • 2. Challenges in Supply

    There is low participation by women in the Palestinian IT sector.
    Many STEM graduates lack soft skills that are critical in today’s work environment.
    The quality of tertiary education in Palestine is deteriorating due to lack of resources and poor leadership
    The specialized IT training sectors (both private and public) do not offer quality STEM training programs.

  • 3. Challenges in the Ecosystem

    There is no clear bridge/connection between the United States’ IT demand and Palestine’s IT supply.
    It is unclear what the knowledge gaps are between Palestinian academia and business associations.
    Incubators and accelerators lack funding, and their staff generally have limited access to state-of-art training.
    Angel investors and VCs (venture capital) in Palestine are risk-averse.
    There is unreliable electricity in Gaza.