The Information and Communication Technology Research Unit (ICTRU) is a research unit within the (ICTC) at Al-Quds Open University that was established to keep up with the rapid development in digital information era and in modern technology, which has become available for everyone in a world that has become like a small village due to the big scientific inventions in this field.

This Unit is concerned with probing scientific research in the field of information and communication technology, computer science, and related topics such as electronics, signal processing, electricity, renewable energy, Mechatronics, control systems etc. This Unit provides remarkable researches to serve the University and increase its credit of the arbitrated Scientific Research on the global level.

ICTRU also follows-up any developments in the local market in the field of communication and information technology and its concentration areas in order to assist Technology and Applied Sciences students in communication and integration with the national industrial sector through their study, to improve the quality of services and products provided by each party to the other , and this requires students direct their graduation projects and technological interests to adapt with the requirements of local market, and urge faculty members to focus on the fields that serve the community and have big interest so it opens wide doors of training, employment and providing services and consultations . Thus, the Unit works to promote the spirit of creativity, innovation and competition, and to provide the maximum possible to support and encourage students to break into the field to participate in internal or external competitions, and win awards that will raise the reputation of the Faculty of Technology and Applied Sciences at QOU, and therefore increase the number of enrolled students.

Mission

Developing creative thinking and skills of scientific research of teaching staff and Technology and Applied sciences students at QOU to achieve the mission of the University and develop human resources required by labor market in different relevant fields.

Objectives

In order to achieve its mission; Information and Communication Technology Research unit (ICTRU) adopts the following objectives:

1. Increase the University’s output of published arbitrated scientific researches
2. Encourage researchers of faculty members & students to conduct genuine& innovative researches.
3. Provide all scientific research services, studies and consultation for Technology and Applied Sciences students
4. Provide financial and moral support for the faculty members’ scientific projects and assist them in publishing the results of scientific research.
5. Keep up with the rapid development of digital technology; and provide the needed consultations for the University centers and departments to raise the level of services provided to staff, students and community.
6. Levering the level of graduation projects and directing interests towards the enhancement of integration with various sectors in local market, in addition to participation in local and international competitions.
7. Obtaining financial support to conduct researches – by the unit or students- and develop products and services.

Tasks:

1. Keep up with the rapid evolution of technology in various areas.
2. Levering research quality by encouraging & training faculty members on the required tools and technologies that helps them in their researches.
3. Conducting scientific workshops & trainings for students on conducting productive research by following best practices.
4. Conduct new researched and publish them in the form of arbitrated scientific papers in famous international periodicals or in remarkable scientific conferences.
5. Provide consultation that is based on scientific experiments and experience in the specialization fields mentioned above in order to improve the performance of the University’s centers & departments.
6. Help and provide students with the required training in their study and graduation projects, being qualified to present the University in well-known competitions locally and internationally.
7. Communicate with the local community in its various industrial, commercial and educational institutions, private companies and the agricultural sector and others to convince them to adopt the projects carried out by this unit in return for agreed upon financial support for the university.
8. Build a database to serve as a core of technological incubator in the Faulty of Technology and Applied Sciences.
9. Publish a periodical on the activities of the Unit.
10. Publish a scientific journal in the field of information and communication technology and related topics.
11. Any relevant suggestion or recommendation from the different departments, centers and from the University students in order to achieve the objectives of the Unit.

Accomplishments

1. Establishing research groups in several fields of information and communication technology in cooperation with the Faculty of Technology and Applied Sciences.
2. Making international scientific and research trips (University of Montreal - Canada, University of Patras - Greece, University of Parma - Italy and University of Almeria– Spain).
3. Spreading the culture of partnerships in local, regional and international technological competitions through:
   • Conducting training workshops like programming camps.
   • Conducting internal competition.
4. Spreading awareness among students to join international technological clubs to be aware of the market and its requirements and skills to be gained.
5. Encouraging students to choose important graduation projects that serve the community and the local market and international markets by guiding them and providing them with the latest and most important topics.
6. Conducting field visits to some branches, meeting with graduate students, and introducing to them the best practices for developing their projects to access local and international markets.
7. Financial aid for several projects.
8. Participating in competitions and conferences such as Microsoft Imagine Cup, ACM competition for programming, and graduation projects competition.
9. Participating in academic and research workshops.
10. Spreading new topics among researchers like Cloud Computing, Bioinformatics , Internet of things and Big Data.
11. Participating in writing proposals.
12. Communicating and working with local institution to implement projects that serve the local community and the students of the University to develop the competitive capabilities of students in the market.