Yarmouk University signed a cooperation agreement with the ‘Sport for Regional Development’ program of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), which aims at supporting the cooperation between the two sides in sports related issues at the national level, and at developing and widening sports and physical activities field in Jordan. The cooperation agreement was signed by the president of the university, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi and by the Director of the ‘Sport for Development’ Project in Jordan, Mr. Henning Schick.
According to the agreement, the ‘Sport for Regional Development’ program will provide an intensive and integrated workshop for students of the Faculty of Physical Education at the university focusing on the skills necessary to prepare them to be trainers and teachers to train school students and children in sports and explore the skills of the talented to develop them.
During the signing ceremony, Prof. Kafafi stressed that Yarmouk is keen on preparing its students and equipping them with the necessary scientific and practical skills and raising their academic and professional level in order to qualify them to enter the labor market. Thus, they can play their role in developing national institutions and supporting the sustainable development process in all sectors. He also pointed out the university's relentless devotion to update and develop the plans and curricula of the Faculty of Physical Education to keep pace with the developments witnessed in the world in all fields. In addition, Prof. Kafafi stressed the need to support Jordanian athletes and local sports clubs by developing their athletic skills, thus elevating them in sports competitions enrollment at the local, regional, and international levels.
Prof. Kafafi then proceeded to talk about the depth of relations that link Yarmouk with various German educational institutions. Yarmouk, he stated, is willing to welcome and attract as many experts, specialists, and academics as possible from various German educational institutions to spend a semester or more in the various faculties of the university. He also confirmed that activating the exchange programs of students and faculty members between Yarmouk and German educational institutions are to achieve the followings: to contribute to the exchange of experiences and knowledge, to reflect the University's endeavor to provide outstanding education among students, to provide a stimulating educational environment for creativity, and to inject the local community with youth energies capable of creativity and entrepreneurship.
For his part, Mr. Schick praised the distinguished scientific reputation of Yarmouk University in the region, emphasizing the depth of the cooperation relations between the German Agency for International Cooperation and Yarmouk University and pointing out that ‘Sport for Development’ is a regional program implemented in both Jordan and Iraq. He explained that the program seeks to harness sport and use it as a tool to support social cohesion and prevent violence between children and youth. The program, through the application of a sports methodology specifically designed for school students and members of the community, allows the targeted members to properly engage in sports and develop the skills of the talented, and support them to achieve their ambitions and dreams.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Vice President for Humanities Faculties and Administrative Affairs, Prof. Anis Khasawneh, the Vice President for Student Affairs and Foreign Relations, Prof. Fawwaz Al-Abed Al-Haq, the Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education, Prof. Nabil Shamroukh, and a number of officials from the University and the German Agency for International Cooperation.
