The Palestine Land Studies Center (PLSC) at the American University of Beirut was established as part of AUB’s ongoing commitment to the preservation, reclamation and dissemination of Palestinian history. The PLSC is the permanent home for the extensive archives of Dr. Salman Abu Sitta and the Palestine Land Society in London, and activates the archives though research and academic practice, making them available for public interaction from within AUB’s campus.
The center’s primary aims include the documentation and preservation of Palestinian history, memory and socio-spatial practices; the production of research and publications; the organization of innovative teaching curriculums; and the creation of far-reaching networks of scholars, academics and professionals dedicated to the Palestinian cause.
The PLSC is a catalyst for interdisciplinary research and a global hub for grassroots investigation and dialogues around the question of land and population studies in Palestine. The PLSC upholds and advances the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, particularly the right of return, in accordance with International Law and UN resolutions guiding the inalienable rights of the Palestinian peoples to their land.
Mission
The PLSC aims to document various aspects and questions related to land and population in Palestine; build on and expand the Dr. Salman Abu Sitta Archive of related documents; produce research, maps, statistics, papers, reports, and teaching material around the existing collection, and integrate both the collection as well as the scholarly output of the Center into the academic and public discourses at AUB and beyond.