Dr. Ithar Beshtawi is Assistant Professor and Head of the Optometry Department at An-Najah National University, Palestine. She obtained her MSc and PhD in Optometry from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom. She is a member of the Educational Committee of the World Council of Optometry and a Fellow of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators. Her academic interests include optometric education, clinical research, contact lenses, dry eye, and low vision rehabilitation, with particular emphasis on improving services for partially sighted individuals. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and presented her work at national and international conferences.

Dr. Beshtawi also serves as Moderator of the Centre of Excellence for Learning, Development, and Social Accountability at An-Najah National University. She is a recipient of An-Najah National University’s Award for Research Excellence and Quality of Publication (2014, 2016, 2017). Actively engaged in academic and community-based initiatives, she contributes to projects in public health and human rights, curriculum and skills development in vision rehabilitation, the JUSUR programme for vision rehabilitation of partially sighted and blind Palestinian youth, and national children’s vision screening programmes. Her work integrates academic leadership with community engagement, contributing to the advancement of optometric education and the development of eye care services in Palestine.

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