Aref Husseini is an electronic engineer, physicist, and novelist from Jerusalem. During the past 15 years, he has worked in the industrial and educational fields as a developer and researcher. In 2003, Aref founded Al-Nayzak Organization for Scientific Innovation, whose success is recognized by the NGO community in Palestine. In partnership with other organizations that serve Palestinian youth, Al-Nayzak has created educational programs that will contribute to Palestine’s economic growth through building new industry and investment opportunities based on innovation. Al-Nayzak sponsors a scientific incubation program for young male and female inventors who possess an original idea, and pairs them with experts in their field to scale up their project into a prototype that can be patented for mass production. Al-Nayzak centers are based in East Jerusalem, Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, and Gaza. In 2013, Al-Nayzak opened the first interactive “science house” in the old city of Birzeit to be the core of a national science and technology museum that Al-Nayzak is working to develop.

In 2008, Aref was chosen by the Synergos Foundation in the United States as one of the first 22 Arab social innovators. In 2011, he was elected as IEEE Palestine vice chairman. In addition, he heads the national team for official technology curricula development at the Ministry of Education and has been appointed by the prime minister’s office to be a member of the National Committee for Educational Reform, which serves as a focal point for curricula and national exam reform. In 2013, he was selected by the president’s office to be a member of the newly established Committee for the Higher Council for Innovation and Excellence.

A talented writer, Aref published his first novel, Kafer Sabt (The Saturday Infidel or Goy Shabbat) in 2012, through the renowned Arab publishing house Dar Al-Shorok. His second novel, Haram Nusbi (Relative Taboo) was published in 2017. The novels are currently being translated into English and other languages.