Hanna Nasir

Dr. Hanna Nasir ( _ar. 'حنا ناصر) is a Palestinian academician and political figure. Dr. Nasir holds a PhD in Nuclear Physics from Purdue University in the United States. He is the founding president of Birzeit University. He served in this position until November 1974 when he was deported by the Israeli authorities. He continued to serve in his role as president of the university from exile.

Between 1981 and 1984 Nasir served on the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and held the position of Head of the Palestine National Fund between 1982 and 1984. In 1993, Dr. Nasir returned to the Occupied Palestinian Authority after the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords and resumed his previous post as president of the Birzeit University until his retirement in 2004. In 2002 he was appointed by Yasser Arafat as the head of the Central Elections Commission which was responsible for two major elections in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Nasir holds several honorary titles including the French Legion of Honour and an honorary Doctorate from the American University in Cairo.