Professor Malek A. Alsharairi, President of Yarmouk University, and Eng. Philippe Mansour, CEO of Orange Jordan, discussed means of strengthening the continuing cooperation between the two sides in the fields of innovation and digital education.
A. Alsharairi stated during the meeting that Yarmouk University is always seeking to maintain and develop its partnership and cooperation with all public and private sector institutions and companies, and Orange is at the forefront of these companies, which rank among the first in the Kingdom in the field of telecommunication. He stressed the university's vision and efforts to further develop this effective collaboration with Orange in ways that support modernization processes and keep pace with rapid technological changes in the academic sector.
He highlighted the importance of cooperation between the academic and industrial sectors in bridging the gap between the needs of the local and international labor markets and the outcomes of the educational process.
He also spoke about the university’s establishment and the distinctive academic programs it offers at various degree levels, and added that the university is endowed with many strengths including Hijjawi College of Engineering Technology, which graduated hundreds of students each year, proving to be highly competent and competitive in various positions held. He also pointed out the presence of the university’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation with its business incubators, which aim to provide a supportive technological environment for creativity in various industrial and service fields.
A. Alsharairi also referred to the "Orange-Yarmouk Innovation Lab" during his speech, stating that it is one of the successful and distinguished projects between Yarmouk University and Orange. This lab provided a capable platform for the students at Hijjawi College in particular, and for university students in general, to be innovative, enhance educational outcomes, and raise the digital capability of youth.
For his part, Mansour expressed that the partnership between Orange and Yarmouk University is one of the most successful public-private partnerships. He explained that the “Orange-Yarmouk Innovation Lab” is one of the distinguished collaborative initiatives between the two sides, serving as a model for academic–industrial cooperation and helping to narrow the gap between educational outcomes and labor market requirements. He praised the university’s high academic standards and the competence of its graduates.
He emphasized that this step is done in line with Orange’s commitment to enhancing educational outcomes, as well as supporting the youth and digitally empowering them, adding that the company’s future aspirations will go toward supporting technological and digital advancement within its social responsibility strategy.
A meeting was arranged during the visit with a team of students from the Orange Yarmouk Innovation Lab, where students presented their innovative project to develop an intelligent robot for showing advertisements using interactive and innovative means. This project was done in cooperation between Hijjawi College of Engineering Technology and the Orange-Yarmouk Innovation Lab at the Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
According to the students, this robot is unique because it can move freely on its own in public areas and display visual and audio advertising content-attention-catching and offering a modern marketing experience. The project team comprises students: Sarah Al-Badr, Mohammad Anagreh, Ibrahim Nabil Al-Majali, Heba Saeed, Namarq Al-Basharat, Shahd Obeidat, Maysaa Al-Hamad, and Abdulraouf Hussein.
