The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met with a delegation from the Omani University of Nizwa headed by Dr. Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Qasabi, Head of the Department of Education and Human Studies, accompanied by Dr. Rabie bin Al-Murr Al-Dhahli and Dr. Saif bin Nasser Al-Azri, who visited Yarmouk to discuss ways of joint academic cooperation between the two universities. At the beginning of the meeting, Massad acknowledged the close relationship between Jordan and Oman, stressing that such relationships open the doors of scientific and academic cooperation between Jordanian and Omani universities in various fields and pointing out that Yarmouk is linked to many academic and scientific cooperation relationships with Omani universities and faculties. He then stressed the readiness of Yarmouk University, represented by the Faculty of Educational Sciences, to cooperate with the Omani University of Nizwa in the field of developing vocational education programs and harnessing its academic expertise in this field, which will develop the educational process at the University of Nizwa and contribute to its growth and prosperity. He also called for expanding the frameworks of cooperation between the two universities to include many specializations in the future.

For his part, Al-Qasabi praised the distinguished academic reputation of Yarmouk University and the extent of the excellence of the programs offered by its Faculty of Educational Sciences, stressing the keenness of the University of Nizwa to consolidate its cooperation with Yarmouk and benefit from the expertise of the faculty members of its Faculty of Educational Sciences in the field of vocational education.

After this, the members of the delegation met with the Dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences, Dr. Ahmed Al-Sharifin, and the heads of the Faculty’s academic departments. During that meeting, educational experiences in the field of the teacher preparation program and special education were exchanged, and the department heads and a number of faculty members provided an introduction to the various academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate degrees, in addition to providing an introductory overview of vocational education methods and the importance of vocational education in supplying the labor market with its requirements locally and regionally. Also, opportunities for cooperation between the two universities in the fields of research and student exchange were discussed while emphasizing the impact of this on improving the educational process and its outcomes in both universities.

For his part, Al-Sharifain stressed that this visit reflects the commitment of both universities to improve the quality of education and provide better educational opportunities. It also represents an opportunity to expand the horizons of academic cooperation and consolidate understanding between the two universities, which enhances progress and development in the field of education and scientific research and the Faculty’s endeavor to attain the international accreditation for its various programs.

19 December 2023

The student Baylsan Al-Bataineh from the Faculty of Medicine and the student Hazem Al-Smadi from the Faculty of Pharmacy won the Chinese Ambassador’s Scholarship for high school graduates for the year 2023. The Chinese Ambassador to Amman, Chen Chuandong, said, at the grant award ceremony that the idea of launching the grant comes from the common interest of the Chinese and Jordanian sides in education and youth development, emphasizing that the grant aims at investing in the friendship of the two countries and their common benefits. The ambassador also quoted the famous Chinese educational scientist Liang Xiaochao’s statement that: “If the youth is strong, then the country is strong, and if the youth is rich, then the country is richer, and if the youth is independent, then the country is independent, and if the youth is free, then the country is free." In the same context, he pointed to His Majesty King Abdullah II’s assertion that the youth must bear responsibility and play a role in shaping Jordan’s future and that their success depends on acquiring capabilities through education.

For their part, the two students, Al-Batayneh and Al-Smadi, expressed their thanks to the Chinese embassy for the scholarship, stressing that it supports youth’s opportunities to obtain education and plays an important role in strengthening relations between the friendly peoples of Jordan and China.

Interestingly, this is the first time that the Chinese Embassy in Amman has launched this grant, which was announced on the embassy’s official digital platforms.

17 December 2023

The Faculty of Mass Communication at Yarmouk University, like other institutes in Jordan, is observing with great pain and sadness the horrific war crimes and genocide pursued by the Zionist war machine against Palestinians in Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Based on the mission of Yarmouk University, the Faculty of Mass Communication, represented by its faculty and administrative members and students, denounces the killing of 15,000 Palestinian civilians, including more than 6,000 children and 4,000 women, as well as the ruthless destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches. Also, it deplores and strongly condemns the many crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against journalists during their field work covering the brutal aggression against Gaza and the West Bank, which has caused -so far- the death of 66 journalists, including 6 female journalists.

The Israeli occupation committed its crimes against journalists for fear of transmitting the hideous picture of its crimes to the world and in an attempt to suppress the voice of truth and extinguish the eye of truth that work to expose war crimes and atrocities committed by the occupier in Gaza. Thus, what the Israeli killing machine is committing against journalists in Gaza and the West Bank is considered a clear violation and clear discord of all international conventions that guarantee the right of journalists to practice their work freely during crises and wars. In fact, the Israeli occupation has violated UN Security Council Resolution No. 1738 issued in 2006, which stipulates: “Condemn deliberate attacks against journalists, media personnel and associated individuals during armed conflicts. Equate the safety and security of journalists, media and supporting personnel in areas of armed conflict with the protection of civilians there, view journalists and independent reporters as civilians who must be respected and treated as such, and consider media facilities and equipment as civilian objects that may not be the target of any attacks or reprisals.”

Moreover, the Faculty of Mass Communication draws attention to what is stipulated in Article 79 of the Additional Protocol annexed to the 1949 Geneva Convention for the Protection of Civilians in Military Conflicts, which stipulates that “civilian journalists who perform their duties in areas of armed conflict must be respected and treated as civilians, and protected from every form of intentional attack, provided that they do not act inconsistent with their status as civilians.”

The Faculty of Mass Communication is shocked by the complete silence of international community organizations and international press and human rights unions regarding the massacres committed against journalists, condemning such suspicious silence, which violates the ethics and humanitarian standards and the legal measures that must be taken against the perpetrators of these brutal crimes in accordance with the Rome basic principles of the International Criminal Court. The Faculty also calls on the international community, with its journalistic and human rights institutions and organizations, to stop the hypocrisy in dealing with double standards towards the practices of the Israeli occupation against Palestinians. The Faculty calls for the necessity of holding the Israeli occupation accountable for its crimes committed daily against innocent civilians and journalists without any consideration of human values or adherence to international laws and conventions.

Besides, the Faculty confirms that the 31 fellow journalists from the West Bank imprisoned in occupation prisons will never get forgotten. They should get released, and all international journalistic and human rights organizations should practice the required pressure on the Israeli occupation to release imprisoned journalists immediately. Thus, the Faculty of Mass Communication at Yarmouk University, as the pioneer of mass communication faculties in Jordan and the Arab region, expresses its support for journalists working in danger zones in Palestine and offers them much greeting, love, and support for their professional outstanding performance despite all risks and threats.

May God have mercy on Palestinian martyrs, civilians, and journalists, heal their afflictions, and relieve their distress soon. May God preserve Jordan's homeland, leadership and the people who are supportive and compassionate to their brothers in Palestine.

29 November 2023

According to the data recently published by the Times University Rankings by subject for 2024, Yarmouk University is ranked in the category (601-800) globally and the second position locally in the field of Health and Clinical Sciences, which includes the majors of the faculties of medicine and pharmacy. It is also ranked in the category (401-500) globally and the second position locally in the field of Educational Sciences. Moreover, it is ranked in the category (601+) globally and the first locally in the field of Humanities and Arts, which includes most of the academic majors of the Faculties of Arts, Fine Arts, Tourism and Hotels, Sharia and Islamic Studies, Archeology and Anthropology, and Architecture.

For the field of engineering specializations, Yarmouk has advanced 200 places in the world rankings, thus entering the category (601-800) globally and the first rank locally besides the Universities of Jordan and the Jordanian University of Science and Technology. For the field of economics and business, Yarmouk advances 200 places, thus entering the category (601-800) globally and ranking second locally. In the same context, Yarmouk maintained its rank in the field of computer science within the category (601-800) globally, and in the field of social sciences within the category (801+), the second locally, and within the category (1001+) globally and the second at the local level in the field of Physical science.

The President of the University, Professor Islam Massad, expressed his pride in the University’s scientific and academic achievements, stressing that it is not strange for Yarmouk University, which has several distinguished academic and administrative competencies, to achieve such ranks or show such progress and development. He then explained that this ranking is the result of Yarmouk’s absolute belief and commitment to the standards of academic and research excellence including the initiatives and achievements related to the file of international classifications and academic quality, which reflects positively on its students and their competitive ability in the local and international labor markets. Finally, he expressed his thanks and appreciation for the efforts made by the faculty and administrative staff members of the University, acknowledging the exceptional efforts made by the Center for Quality and Academic Accreditation to prepare and follow up on the files for international classifications and accreditations.

27 November 2023

The Language Center at Yarmouk University received 194 male and female students from nine countries across the globe this semester, where an exam was held to determine the level of new students in Arabic language. The director of the center, Dr. Rana Qandil, explained that the exam measures students’ level of reading, listening, speaking, and writing so that students with a score of (60%) or more get exempted from registering “one level for the Arabic language course for speakers of other languages” and enrolled in other courses of their study plans. For students with a score of less than (60%), they get classified into three levels and be enrolled in “one level for the Arabic language course for speakers of other languages” accordingly. Qandil indicated that 49 out of 145 male and female students passed the exam with a score of (60% and above) and that those students are from Germany, France, India, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Belgium, and Spain.

27 November 2023

Yarmouk advances 7 places in the QS Arab 2024 by obtaining the rank (41) in the Arab world and the third rank locally, thus becoming among the best 19% of universities in the Arab world. The ranking was officially announced on the 18^th of October, based on data collected from 223 universities that applied for the rankings this year.  

Interestingly, the QS Arab Region University Rankings is one of the most important rankings at the Arab level, as it is incorporates 10 main criteria, which are academic reputation, professional reputation, the ratio of students to faculty members, international research cooperation, the percentage of faculty members holding a doctorate degree, and the citation rate to the number of research papers published on the Scopus database, the percentage of research papers published on the Scopus database for faculty members, the influence of the website, the percentage of international faculty members, and the percentage of international students.

The President of the University, Professor Islam Massad, confirmed that Yarmouk is moving forward towards internationality with the determination of its children, who are making exceptional efforts to enable their university occupy an advanced position at all levels. He stressed the University’s endeavor and constant interest in providing a modern and advanced educational environment, enhancing international communication and academic partnerships with prestigious international institutions, and attracting more students from outside Jordan, in a way that reflects the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein concerning modernizing education and developing universities.

27 November 2023

The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, and the Director of Arabic Language Programs at the American Council for International Programs (CIEE), Dr. Najeh Abu Orabi, discussed ways of joint cooperation between Yarmouk, represented by its Language Center, and the Council in the field of teaching Arabic language to non-native speakers. Massad pointed out that Yarmouk seeks to keep pace with developments and changes in various academic and educational fields to fulfill its mission of preparing elite students capable of making their distinctive mark in the various positions they hold at the local, regional, and international levels. He then stressed the University’s keenness to extend bridges of scientific cooperation between its Language Center and CIEE concerning the Arabic language program for non-native speakers and enabling the Center to obtain the American standards for teaching foreign languages (ACTFL).

In her turn, the Director of Yarmouk’s Language Center, Dr. Rana Qandil, indicated that the Center seeks to deploy any available means and methods to achieve international standards for teaching foreign languages, as evident in the Center’s cooperation with CIEE to offer a 10-hour training workshop for its Arabic language professors, under the supervision of Dr. Najeh Abu Orabi, on how to apply international standards in teaching foreign languages to non-native speakers. For his part, Abu Orabi praised the distinguished reputation of Yarmouk graduates who have proven their worth and competence at the international level. He also stressed CIEE's readiness to cooperate with Yarmouk’s Language Center to attract more students from the United States of America to join the Center’s Arabic language program for speakers of other languages.

27 November 2023

The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met with a delegation from the American Fulbright Commission for Educational Exchange, which included Dr. Brian J. Bowe, Dr. Anita Bright, and Dr. Jennifer Green, to discuss possible ways of cooperation between the two sides. Massad stressed that Yarmouk seeks, based on its strategic plan, to meet international standards in teaching most of its programs by taking many measures and steps that enable Faculties to achieve international accreditation for their programs. He mentioned that several Faculties of Yarmouk have already gained such accreditation, such as Al-Hijjawi Faculty for Engineering Technology, the Faculty of Information Technology and Computer Science, and the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels. He then stated that one of the University's current priorities is to develop and update the study plans for most majors to keep pace with recent changes and developments in the different fields of knowledge. Massad also explained that the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University, supported by USAID, is implementing the Higher Diploma Program for Teacher Preparation, which aims at preparing a generation of teachers capable of performing the educational mission in the Kingdom’s schools efficiently and competently. Moreover, he called for extending bridges of cooperation with Fulbright highlighting the value of increasing the opportunities for scholarships offered to Yarmouk students and enabling them to complete their graduate studies in various fields at American universities.

In return, the members of the delegation stressed their keenness to strengthen research and scientific cooperation between Jordanian and American universities through Fulbright programs and to create opportunities for scientific, academic, and research cooperation between Yarmouk and various American universities in areas of common interest. They praised the distinguished reputation of Yarmouk University, stressing the extent of the distinction of its Faculty of Mass Communication due to its embrace of distinguished scientific figures, equipment, and facilities. Finally, they emphasized the importance of strengthening research cooperation between the two sides in the field of media in addition to other majors, such as educational sciences and languages.

27 November 2023

A delegation from the Faculty of Arts at Yarmouk University visited the Azerbaijani Embassy in Amman and met with the Azerbaijani Ambassador, Mr. Eldar Salimov, to discuss possible means for strengthening cultural and academic cooperation between Yarmouk and the scientific and cultural institutions in Azerbaijan. The delegation included the Head of the Department of Semitic and Eastern Languages, Dr. Hassan Al-Zyout, the Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Dr. Saleh Jaradat, Dr. Raba’ Rababa’ from the Department of Semitic and Eastern Languages, and the Director of the Yunus Emre Turkish Institute, Mr. Ensar Firat.

During the visit, ways of academic cooperation between Yarmouk University and various Azerbaijani universities were discussed, and several points related to enhancing cultural and academic understanding between the Turkish language program in the Department of Semitic and Eastern Languages in Yarmouk’s Faculty of Arts and Azerbaijani universities were discussed as well. Ambassador Salimov praised the bilateral relations between Jordan and the Republic of Azerbaijan in various diplomatic, cultural, and educational fields, stressing the embassy’s keenness to strengthen any joint cooperation and expand its horizons. In response, Dr. Zyout stressed the keenness of the Department of Semitic and Eastern Languages to network and cooperate with various educational and research bodies, which will reflect positively on the progress of the educational process in the various programs offered by the department. He then called on the Azerbaijani embassy to build bridges of educational and research cooperation between Yarmouk and various Azerbaijani higher education institutions.

27 November 2023