The Institute of Women's Studies at Birzeit University is one of the first academic centres for the study of gender in the region. The Institute evolved from a long history of Palestinian women's activism and it aims to provide an academic underpinning to the debates around women's rights, gender relations and social policy in the local and regional context. Their work entails wide ranging research projects, inter-disciplinary academic programmes and long-term engagement in community and policy level outreach. The Institute's aim is to act as a bridge between local needs, regional concerns and global debates. Their teaching programme includes undergraduate courses and an MA in Gender and Development. Their research output has contributed towards policy formulation, development planning, social action and the development of the women's movement agenda as a whole in Palestine. The Institute also engages with multiple levels and spheres of Palestinian civil society and government and has considerably expanded its role in advocacy and political and policy intervention in the last decade, through its growing participation in regional and international level programmes and debates. The Institute has also established a scholarship fund known as the “Hala Atalla Scholarship Fund”, which helps undergraduate women students complete their education by providing them financial support. Their website provides information on the Institute and their initiatives and access to their publications.