His Majesty King Abdullah II bestowed on Yarmouk University Radio “Yarmouk FM” the Silver Jubilee Medal, which was received by its director, Dr. Zuhair Al-Tahat, on the sidelines of the Royal visit to Irbid Governorate and His Majesty’s meeting with representatives of the people of the governorate in the Gardens of King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein. This high award was given to Yarmouk FM radio and other personalities and institutions in Irbid Governorate in appreciation of their contributions to serving Jordan, especially the sons and daughters of the local community.
In this context, the President of Yarmouk University, Dr. Islam Massad, stated that getting this high royal honor by Yarmouk FM Radio is a tribute to Yarmouk University as a whole and its brilliant endeavor in serving the Jordanian higher education sector. He added that Yarmouk FM Radio deserves this great honor for its efforts in addressing the different national issues and articulating the University’s goals. He then praised the efforts of the students and staff of Yarmouk FM Radio for their involvement in Yarmouk University’s project of carrying the national media message and promoting its progress in accordance with the lofty values of journalism profession.
- Al-Maaytah: Yarmouk honors Al-Rifai for his wisdom and effective contribution in serving Jordan.
- Massad: Al-Rifai enjoys exceptional characteristics in national, political, humanitarian, and international work.
Al-Rifai thanks Yarmouk and calls for concerted efforts to advance its progress as a distinguished University in Jordan.
Yarmouk University granted the former Chairman of its Board of Trustees and former Prime Minister, Zaid Al-Rifai, an honorary doctorate degree in Political Science from the Faculty of Arts, in the presence of a number of Al-Rifai family members, the Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, Professor Ruwaida Al-Maaytah, and the University President, Professor Islam Massad.
Al-Maaytah said that this day is one of the immortal days of Yarmouk University, as it honors one of the nation’s great figures who dedicated themselves to the country’s advancement and renaissance. She added that honoring Al-Rifai today from Yarmouk University is a tribute to his great wisdom, his broad culture, his insightful vision, and his enlightened thought, stressing that this honor is a showcase of his great efforts and achievements and his honorable history of serving the Jordanian state in all the positions he held. She also pointed out Al-Rifai’s contribution to supporting Yarmouk University while serving as the Chairman of its Board of Trustees.
For his part, Massad said that granting this honorary degree to Al-Rifai is to acknowledge his great achievements in serving the Jordanian state in all fields for more than half a century. He explained that Al-Rifai played an active historical role in the country’s political life beginning with his assuming the prime ministership in 1973 when he was in his thirties and his formation of four governments during which Jordan witnessed pivotal events and transformations. He added that Al-Rifai enjoys exceptional characteristics in his national, political, humanitarian, and international work while serving Jordan alongside King Hussein - may God have mercy on him - and His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein.
For his part, Al-Rifai thanked Yarmouk University, praising the efforts of its teaching and administrative staff members and students in elevating its status and contributing to its development, calling for concerted efforts to advance its progress and achievements in a way that raises its status as a distinguished university in Jordan.
The Dean of Scientific Research and Graduate Studies, Dr. Mohammad Al-Zubaidi, recited the decision of the Council of Deans to grant Al-Rifai an honorary doctorate degree in political science with all its rights and privileges.
During the ceremony, which was moderated by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Dr. Mohammad Al-Anqara, a video was screened documenting stages of Al-Rifai’s career and his achievements at the level of Jordan and highlighting his most prominent activities, efforts, and contributions to the progress and development of Yarmouk University.
To celebrate the silver jubilee of His Majesty King Abdullah II, the Deanship of Student Affairs, through its Department of Artistic Activity, established the Jordan Flagpole at Yarmouk University. The flagpole, which is the tallest construction at the University level, is estimated to be 15 meters high with a marble base surmounted by a monument crafted of a stone sculpture of three dimensions including some details expressing the symbolism of the University and its immortal name. The Dean of Student Affairs at the University, Dr. Moatasem Shatnawi, said that the establishment of this flagpole is an expression of Yarmouk’s great loyalty and belonging to Jordan and its wise Hashemite leadership as well as the Jordanian population.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met a delegation from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), headed by the Regional Director of the DAAD Office in Amman, Benjamin Schmeling, to discuss ways of enhancing the existing cooperation between the two sides. During the meeting, Massad pointed to the rich history of cooperation between Yarmouk and the DAAD organization, where many students and faculty members in Yarmouk were able to benefit from the grants provided by the organization in various fields, which positively reflected on their scientific, cognitive and cultural level of participants and advanced the educational and research process in Yarmouk for the better. Moreover, he acknowledged the organization’s support of Yarmouk’s participation in international research projects alongside Arab and international universities, such as the project titled “Digitizing Cultural Heritage”, supported by the “Taziz” program.
Massad then stressed Yarmouk’s keenness to continue and enhance this cooperation by encouraging students to apply for scholarships offered by DAAD for various academic degrees and short-term scholarships related to learning the German language and providing the opportunity for faculty members to conduct scientific visits to various German educational institutions. Massad also pointed out the possibility of cooperation between the two sides through sending a German language teacher to teach the German language packages offered by the University’s Language Center.
In return, Schmeling praised the effective cooperation with Yarmouk University whose students and faculty members have always proven their competence to obtain various types of grants provided by DAAD, stressing the DAAD’s constant endeavor to consolidate its cooperation with Yarmouk University and provide it with the necessary support in areas of common interest.
The meeting was attended by the Dean of Hijjawi Faculty for Engineering Technology, the Director of the Department of International Relations and Projects, Dr. Muwaffaq Al-Atoum, and a number of officials in DAAD. However, the members of the delegation met then with a group of faculty members and students at the University to explain the process of DAAD scholarships and how to apply for them.
Yarmouk University, through the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Mousa Rababah, participated in the meetings of the 56th session of the General Conference of the Association of Arab Universities, which was hosted by the University of Baghdad in Iraq. The Iraqi Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Naeem Al-Aboudi, opened the conference activities attended by the heads of Arab universities and representatives of Arab, regional, and international organizations talking about the value of strengthening the bonds of cooperation between Arab universities and coordinating efforts among them to keep pace with Modern developments at the scientific and academic levels.
Rababah said that the participation of Yarmouk University in this conference comes as confirmation of its active presence in the activities and committees of the Association of Arab Universities, which is necessary to continue serving the educational, research, and scientific sector in the Arab World. He then mentioned that the conference agenda included a series of sessions and seminars related to a number of topics, such as international cooperation and the Arab classification project for Arab universities.
Noteworthy here is that the Union of Arab Universities is an Arab institution with an independent legal personality headquartered in Amman and that its establishment is part of the initiative of the Cultural Administration of the League of Arab States in 1964 with the aim of supporting and coordinating the efforts of Arab universities to preserve Arabs’ cultural and civilizational unity and develop Arab human resources.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, received a delegation from the Spanish Cultural Institute, which included Michel Qaqish, the administrative and financial officer at the Institute, and Dr. Almudena Hassan, the education coordinator at the Center, to discuss possible ways of cooperation between the two sides. During the meeting, Massad stressed the interest that Yarmouk attaches to developing the language skills of its students by offering language packages, including the Spanish language, pointing out the value of learning communication skills in the Spanish language, as this may help students to continue their graduate studies or obtain suitable job opportunities in the regional and international labor market. He then pointed out the possibility of expanding the network of cooperation with the Spanish Cultural Institute by attracting Spanish language teachers to teach in the Language Center and in the Spanish-English program in the Faculty of Arts. He also pointed to the possibility of accrediting the Language Center in Yarmouk as an international center for holding the Spanish language exam DELE since the Center includes 325 male and female students enrolled in the Spanish language package, confirming Yarmouk’s readiness to receive Spanish students who wish to join the Arabic Language Program for non-native speakers.
In return, the members of the delegation praised the distinguished scientific reputation of the University, stressing the Institute’s readiness to cooperate with Yarmouk University for enhancing methods of teaching and learning the Spanish language, noting the Institute’s keenness to expand bridges of cooperation between Yarmouk and the Spanish embassy to facilitate the recruitment of Spanish language teachers.
The meeting was attended by the Vice Presidents of the University, Professor Mousa Rababah and Professor Samer Samarah, the Director of the Language Center, Dr. Rana Kandeel, and the Director of Public Relations and Media, Dr. Nawzat Abu Al-Asal.
The team of the Faculty of Law at Yarmouk University won the first place award in the Tenth Arab Moot Court Competition, which was hosted by the Kuwait International Faculty of Law in the sisterly state of Kuwait. The team included the female students, Hiraa Shaaban, Nola Al-Hallaj, Islam Al-Moumni, and Sarah Al-Asmar, who were trained by Dr. Wassef Al-Zboun, Dr. Alaa Al-Darawsheh, and Dr. Diala Al-Ta’ani. After holding 5 rounds of the competition in its different stages (preliminary, quarter-final, semi-final, and final), 18 universities from 13 participating Arab countries got qualified.
The competition simulates the daily attacks by the Israeli occupation army on defenseless people in the Gaza Strip and other safe areas, attempting to emphasize that there should be a change in the way the Palestinian legal right is presented before international courts. The final competition was between Yarmouk University and Cadi Ayyad University from the Kingdom of Morocco.
It is noteworthy that Yarmouk University qualified to participate in this competition, after obtaining first place in the national qualifiers for the moot court organized by the Kuwait International Faculty of Law at the level of Jordanian universities. The President of the University, Professor Islam Massad, congratulated the University family in general and the Faculty of Law in particular, on this achievement, stressing the University’s interest and permanent vision to support its students and contribute to their future as evident in its several projects and programs designed to teach students in a way that prepares them for the labor market.
The President of Yarmouk University, Dr. Islam Massad, received a delegation from the American Embassy in Amman, which included the Regional English Language Officer, Dr. Lottie Baker, and the Assistant Responsible for Regional English Language Programs at the Embassy, Abdul Azim Sultan, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between Yarmouk and the Embassy in the academic and cultural fields. During the meeting, Massad stressed the interest that Yarmouk attaches to strengthening its cooperation with various American educational institutions, which provides opportunities for students to complete their graduate studies in prestigious American universities on the one hand, and opens horizons for faculty members to enhance their knowledge and expertise in their fields of specialization, stressing Yarmouk’s belief in the importance of exchanging experience and knowledge among academics and informing students of teaching techniques and methods at prestigious universities across the world. Massad then pointed to the success of cooperation between Yarmouk and the American Embassy within the English Language Fellowship Program provided by the Embassy by providing a teacher specialized in the English language to teach in its Department of English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Arts.
In return, the members of the delegation praised the distinguished academic reputation of Yarmouk University and the distinguished level of its students, especially in the field of the English language, noting that the English language teachers sent from the embassy to Yarmouk to teach English have always praised the level of students and the extent of their endeavor to learn the English language in the correct way, pointing out the American Embassy is keen to implement many programs and initiatives for enhancing students’ learning of the English language.
On the sidelines of the visit, the members of the delegation met with a group of students from the Department of English Language and Literature to better recognize the benefits of the fellowship program in the English language implemented by the American Embassy in Amman at Yarmouk.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, received a delegation from the Malaysian University of Bhang, UCYP, which included the director of the Arabic Language Development Center, Dr. Ahmed bin Muhammad Din, and the Arabic language teacher, Mr. Kamal Al-Aqrabi, to discuss ways of enhancing the existing academic cooperation between the two sides in the field of Sharia and Islamic and Arabic language studies. At the beginning of the meeting, Massad stressed Yarmouk’s keenness to network and cooperate with various educational institutions and universities to develop the educational and research process and to exchange experiences and knowledge, which may reflect positively on the scientific and cultural level of the University’s faculty members and students. He then praised the academic relations existing between Yarmouk and the UCYP under which Yarmouk accepts Malaysian students to join the majors of Sharia, Islamic Studies, and the Arabic language. He added that Yarmouk’s Language Center offers the Arabic language program for non-native speakers, which annually receives many students from different countries, pointing out that the Center has developed this program to include nine levels classified according to the American ACTFL and CEFR standards.
In return, the members of the delegation appreciated the attention paid by Yarmouk to its Malaysian students, praising the distinguished scientific reputation of Yarmouk University at the regional level and the extent of the excellence of its Malaysian student graduates who have proven their worth and competence in various positions in Malaysia. They also stressed the keenness of the UCYP to send more students to continue their studies at Yarmouk University for its excellence in offering specializations in Islamic studies and the Arabic language, calling for expanding the network of this cooperation to include more specializations that may attract more Malaysian students.
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.
