"The excellent initiative will help mobilize the vision of peace and harmony for the Palestinian people. Understanding and respecting the rich culture and history of Palestinians through the works of the Foundation will bring a long waited humanistic direction towards a lasting harmonious co-existence."

Feridun Hamdullahpur, the University of Waterloo’s president and vice-chancellor (2010-2021), has been an engineer, educator and leader over the span of his career in research and higher education. In acknowledgment of his leadership in education and innovation, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013; L’ordre des Palmes academique by the Government of France in 2019.