Student Alaa Melhem, who is sponsored by Yarmouk University to study a Master’s degree in English at Bridgewater University, won the Distinguished Graduate Thesis Award for the year 2024 for her thesis titled “Addressing the Writing Challenges Facing Students in the English Department at Yarmouk University: Strategies for Support and Improvement”. Melhem stated that this award is prestigious and very competitive and is given by a committee of exert judges to only one graduate student from all departments at Bridgewater University. She then expressed her great gratitude to Yarmouk University represented by the university’s president, Professor Islam Massad, for giving her the opportunity to study at Bridgewater University. Melhem also appreciated the efforts of the English Department at Yarmouk and its faculty members and students to help her conduct the surveys required to implement the thesis project in the English Language Department.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, visited the headquarters of the International Council for Research and Exchange - IREX in Washington, DC, on the sidelines of his participation in the EduData Summit titled “Artificial Intelligence and Digitally Enhanced Education”, which was organized by Quacquarelli Simonds QS, the education company that publishes the World University Rankings. During his meeting with the Director of the Early Education Program (ASAS) at the Council, Dr. Cameron Mirza, Massad presented the University’s vision and plan to develop, present, sustain and market ASAS in the University’s Faculty of Educational Sciences, praising the efforts made by IREX to partner with Yarmouk University.
He then stressed that Yarmouk University, through its Faculty of Educational Sciences, prioritizes the educational aspect and related matters of preparing and building a qualified teacher capable of entering the classroom and teaching creatively. Moreover, Massad pointed out the interest of the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University to develop and update the study plan for the Classroom Teacher program within the ASAS project in accordance with the international standards approved for this program.
In the same context, Mirza praised the strategic partnership with Yarmouk University, expressing his happiness at continuing the fruitful partnership between IREX and Yarmouk University - Faculty of Educational Sciences through this project. He then praised the great value of the Higher Diploma Program for Preparing Pre-service Teachers in which Yarmouk is a main partner university.
It is noteworthy that ASAS is a project that aims at developing the classroom teacher program at the Faculty of Educational Sciences at Yarmouk University by enhancing the University’s institutional performance, developing curricula and teaching-learning materials, enhancing practical training, and supporting infrastructure.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Moatasem Abdel Jaber, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees, and the Dean of Al-Hijjawi Faculty for Engineering Technology, Dr. Mwafaq Al-Otoum.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, confirmed that the University is proceeding locally, regionally, and internationally relying on an ambitious strategic plan based on building on previous achievements and moving towards the future with a renewed vision based on modernization and development in various academic fields.He explained, during his visit to the headquarters of the Jordanian Embassy in Washington, D.C. and meeting with Ambassador Dina Kawar, on the sidelines of his participation in the EduData Summit titled “Artificial Intelligence and Digitally Enhanced Education,” which was organized by Quacquarelli Simonds QS, that Yarmouk University is keen to expand its network of relationships with various leading universities around the world, especially American universities and academic institutions due to their standing and scientific reputation. At the same time, Massad presented the cultural and educational development created by Yarmouk University at the level of Irbid Governorate and the Northern Region of Jordan, acknowledging the University’s determination to support and promote the Jordanian society and culture the national, Arab and international levels. He also pointed to the academic specializations and programs that distinguish Yarmouk University at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, stressing that the University attaches special value to the development of study programs that keep pace with the latest scientific developments. Massad also mentioned the possibility of increasing the number of international students studying at Yarmouk in programs like the Arabic Program for Speakers of Other Languages (APSOL) at the Language Center. He also stressed the importance of providing opportunities for academic exchange between Yarmouk University and American universities for students and members of the teaching and administrative and promoting joint research projects that serve the Jordanian society.
For her part, Kawar appreciated Massad’s visit, as it represents the embassy’s relationship with one of the distinguished Jordanian academic and research institutions, stressing the importance of the visit to search for mechanisms that can deepen scientific and research cooperation between American universities and academic institutions and Yarmouk University in a way that serves Yarmouk’s progress and brings positive benefits to its students from all faculties and programs.She then pointed to the interest of the Jordanian Embassy in Washington and its constant keenness to engage with networking American-Jordanian universities, expressing the embassy’s readiness to cooperate in this regard by facilitating channels of communication between Yarmouk and American universities.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met with a delegation of participants in the Project “Exploration and Protection - Working for the Future of Our Past”, where Yarmouk’s Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology collaborates with the University of Jordan and the Egyptian University of Minya supported by the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD within the program “Enhancement 2023-2025”. The delegation included the President of Minya University, Professor Essam El-Din Farhat, Dr. Hussein Ibrahim from the University of Minya, the head of the project from the German side, Dr. Regina Schulz from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, and Dr. Sven Kilau from the University of Hildesheim.
During the meeting, Massad confirmed that the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology is a center of strength and scientific excellence at Yarmouk University, noting that the Faculty has always demonstrated excellent uniqueness in teaching, administration, and implementing solid scientific field research. He also pointed out the Faculty’s active participation in distinguished scientific and research projects at the international level, which enabled it to achieve remarkable progress in prestigious international academic classifications, stating that Yarmouk is one of the best 201-240 universities around the world in the field of archeology, according to the QS World Classification for the year 2024 and is in the second rank among Arab universities.
In the same context, the members of the delegation praised the distinguished level of researchers and students of the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology at Yarmouk University, who demonstrated their competence and ability to engage in research work, which enabled those in charge of the project to achieve its goals of developing skills related to the work of restorers and archaeologists in the field of restoration. For his part, the head of the Department of Heritage Resources Conservation and Management at the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology, the project manager in Jordan, Dr. Wassef Al-Sakhaina, explained that the project includes four 14-day training courses. Moreover, the Dean of the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology at Yarmouk University, Dr. Mustafa Al-Naddaf, indicated the participation of a group of professors and students in the second training course in Egypt. He also added that the Faculty participated in the first workshop held in October of last year at the University of Hildesheim/Germany with the participation of the University of Jordan, the German universities participating in the project, Minya University, the University of Khartoum in Sudan, and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
A delegation from Yarmouk University including the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Manar Al-Lawama, and the Dean of Al-Hijjawi Faculty for Engineering Technology, Dr. Mwafaq Al-Otoum, visited the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), to discuss mechanisms for activating the student exchange agreement signed between the two universities. The delegation met with the team responsible for this agreement at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in addition to the academic and administrative staff of its Faculty of Medicine, which included the Vice Dean for Student Affairs, Dr. Debra Lehman, the Deputy Dean for the Global Health Program, Dr. Katie Duffel, and the Director of the Educational Program for the Internal Medicine Specialty. Dr. Lisa Skenes, the Educational Program Director of the Pediatrics Program, Dr. Alan Shin, and the Faculty Elective Training Coordinator, Alia Bakr.
During the meetings, the performance of Yarmouk University students who joined the student exchange program at the beginning of this year was discussed and reviewed, and it was agreed to increase the number of students accepted into the program in the future, in addition to discussing ways to enhance the opportunities of Yarmouk Medicine students to enroll in specialty programs at the American university. Thus, the meetings led to holding training workshops led by UCLA staff via remote video communication technology to increase the chances of Yarmouk Medicine students enrolling in specialty programs at American universities.
In the same context, the delegation met with the coordinator and members of the Arab Health Society at the University of California Los Angeles, Rana Al-Rasheed, to discuss the possibility of receiving students from Yarmouk Faculty of Medicine and facilitating their participation in the student exchange program at the University of California, Los Angeles. After this, the delegation toured the departments of the University’s Ronald Reagan Hospital with the aim of observing students’ training places.
Yarmouk University participated in the "Global Virtual Exchange Initiative" project alongside Shenandoah University in the United States, supported by the "Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative," which promotes global connections and mutual cultural understanding among youth through virtual exchange programs. This initiative is one of the programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the US Department of State, managed by the Aspen Institute.
The project was launched on May 21, 2024 through a virtual meeting attended by 50 faculty members from both universities. Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons, President of Shenandoah University, emphasized the vital importance of global virtual education in our interconnected world today.
Participants discussed the ways and possibilities of global virtual exchange and its importance in education. Among those attending the meeting were Dr. Sawsan Draiseh, representing Yarmouk University and coordinating the "Global Virtual Exchange Initiative" project, Dr. Amy Sarch, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Shenandoah University, Ms. Andy Shaver, Program Director at Stevens Initiative, Dr. Younis Mirza, Director of the Barzinji Institute for Global Virtual Learning, and Dr. Brian Pierce Gonzalez, Director of the First-Year Program.
As part of the project, the faculty members from Yarmouk and Shenandoah universities were divided into subgroups to enhance communication with their counterparts. They also conducted an exercise focusing on cultural impacts, where they shared items that reflect their societies' cultures, thus promoting mutual understanding among the project members.
Participants also discussed the importance of teamwork and supportive structures in facing and overcoming challenges inherent in global virtual education projects, emphasizing the crucial role of guidance in guiding both faculty and students throughout the process.
Dr. Amy Sarch provided insights into future opportunities for global virtual exchange and gave an overview of upcoming initiatives and potential cooperation in this field.
Dr. Younis Mirza concluded the meeting by announcing team-building exercises planned for the summer, designed to further strengthen the bonds between participants.
Dr. Sawsan Daraiseh noted that the "Going Global Virtually" project represents an important step in the long-term partnership between the two universities, laying the groundwork for continuous collaboration in the field of global virtual education.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, as part of the official Jordanian delegation that visited Lebanon, met with the Prime Minister of the Lebanese caretaker government, Najib Mikati, at the Government Palace in Beirut. On this visit, the Jordanian delegation included the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration Tawfiq Krishan, the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Professor Azmi Mahafza, the President of the University of Jordan, Professor Nathir Obaidat, the President of Mu'tah University, Professor Salama Naimat, the President of the Jordanian German University, Professor Alaa Al-Halhouli, and the President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad.
On the sidelines of the visit, the President of the University, Professor Islam Massad, and the President of Beirut Arab University, Dr. Wael Abdel Salam, signed a memorandum of understanding that included scientific and research fields, in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration, Tawfiq Krishan, and the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Scientific Research, Dr. Azmi Mahafza.
During the meeting, Massad talked about the establishment of Yarmouk University, its history, Faculties, administrative units, and scientific centers, in addition to its future vision based on expanding the development of quality academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He added that Yarmouk University, in the context of its strategic plan that was implemented in all of its scientific, humanitarian, and health faculties, views raising the level of applied skills among its graduates as an academic priority, as evident in its comprehensive amendment of all study plans and programs. He then pointed out that Beirut Arab University represents part of the academic memory of the Jordanian society, as it has been a destination for hundreds of Jordanian students during the past decades.
For his part, Abdel Salam appreciated the visit from Yarmouk University to Beirut Arab University, which reflects the depth of academic relations between two of the most prestigious Arab universities. He added that signing the memorandum between the two universities comes as a culmination of the previous visit to Yarmouk University last February, stressing that Yarmouk University represents a distinguished Arab academic and research value due to the nobility and scientific history it represents and its embodiment of the cultural and cognitive values of the Jordanian society.
The signed memorandum of understanding stipulates cooperation in the field of scientific research, education and culture, the exchange of members of the teaching and administrative staff and students, the organization of scientific conferences and seminars on topics of common interest, and cooperation in individual or joint research programs.
The QS-classification of 2025 including 5663 universities worldwide, compared to 2963 universities in 2024, ranked Yarmouk University in the category 951-1000 universities in the world, among the best 375 universities in the world in terms of the influence of graduates and their assuming leadership positions, among the top 450 universities in the world in the Graduate Reputation Index, one of the best 601 universities in the world in terms of academic reputation, and among the best 701 universities in the world in the Sustainability Index.
The official announcement of these results took place in conjunction with the 2024 EduData Summit held in Washington DC, entitled “Artificial Intelligence and Digitally Enhanced Education,” which is attended by the University’s president, Professor Islam Massad, who stated that the results of this international classification reflect Yarmouk’s commitment and keenness to consolidate academic excellence for its academic programs and study plans in a way that keeps pace with scientific developments in all fields of knowledge and enables the University to serve the society and innovate effective solutions to societal challenges and problems. He further explained: “These achievements are the fruit of the insistence, determination, and deep belief of the University’s cadres in the University’s mission, vision, and ability to show distinguished competencies and strengthen partnerships with the private sector and international institutions to provide a modern educational environment. Massad then thanked the University family, including members of the teaching and administrative staff and students, for their great efforts towards attaining such an international rank, pointing out the tremendous efforts of the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Center.
Noteworthy here is that the significance of this classification lies in its being a reliable reference to students, student families, educational institutions and employers for choosing appropriate universities for higher education and research partnerships. It is also considered one of the most important leading international classifications in terms of evaluating international universities, considering that it adopts precise standards related to the quality of education, scientific research, academic impact and career reputation of the institution.
Interestingly, seven Jordanian universities were ranked alongside Yarmouk University among the best thousand universities in the world, namely the University of Jordan, the Jordan University of Science and Technology, the German Jordanian University, Princess Sumaya University, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, and the University of Applied Sciences.
The Board of Trustees of Yarmouk University decided to approve the foundations and fees for the programs and courses of the Arabic Program for Speakers of Other Languages (APSOL) at the Language Center. The Board decided that the program will be organized in hours, levels, and semesters, including nine levels at a rate of 80 hours per month and taught face-to-face or online. The Board also decided to grant the academic institutions and bodies that have agreements with the University a reduction in fees, beside exempting international professors and students who provide free services to the University from paying fees. Moreover, the Board decided to provide educational and training courses based on the type of courses and the number of students and participants.
It is noteworthy that the Language Center recently updated the APSOL for the purpose of attracting more international students, as new paper and electronic curricula got used in the teaching process relying on international frameworks. Such curricula are equipped with modern, electronic teaching and learning media that support learning and enhance students’ proficiency in linguistic, cultural, and communicative skills.
The preparation of scientific competencies in various fields of knowledge, and the production of innovative scientific research aims to serve society by providing exemplary education in an intellectually stimulating university environment.
