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Following the visit of Pope Paul VI to the Holy Land in 1964, he went back to the Vatican and proposed the concept of an institution for higher education in Bethlehem for both Christian and Muslim males and females. The idea was crystallized in 1972, and a space – The House of the Child Jesus, as it was known when the Lasallian Brothers were living there - was donated by the De La Salle Brothers, who were already established in the area, since 1893. The official inauguration of the joint venture between the Vatican and the De La Salle Brothers was in 1973. Bethlehem University is one of the first universities in the West Bank. The Hermas Palace, which was constructed in 1910, became property of the University in 1995. It is a beautiful traditional building that is home to the faculties of Nursing and Education. In 2000, the Palestinian Cultural Heritage Centre was added to the library building, and in 2002, the five-floor Millennium Hall was constructed to house the faculties of Business and Arts. Starting off with 112 students in 1973, approximately 3,300 students are currently enrolled in Bethlehem University’s multidisciplinary programs, including the School of Business Administration, the School of Arts, the School of Education, the Institute of Hotel Management and Tourism, the School of Science, and the School of Nursing and Health Sciences.
