The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met with the Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan in Amman, Hassan Salih Hassan Swar Al-Dahab, who was accompanied by the Consul and Cultural Attaché at the Embassy, Fatima Mohiuddin, during their visit to Yarmouk to participate in the activities of the celebration organized by the Deanship of Student Affairs on the occasion of the Sudanese National Day. At the beginning of the meeting, Massad congratulated the guest delegation on the occasion of the Sudanese National Day, wishing Sudan security and safety and pointing to the strong relationship between Jordan and Sudan. He then highlighted the value of strengthening the bonds of scientific, academic, and cultural cooperation between the various Jordanian and Sudanese higher education institutions, expressing the interest of Yarmouk to receive more Sudanese students in its various disciplines. He also called on the Sudanese embassy to build bridges of cooperation between the various Sudanese universities and Yarmouk University by activating student exchange programs, exchanging faculty members, and enhancing research cooperation in various fields.
In return, Siwar Al-Dahab affirmed the keenness of the Sudanese embassy to consolidate relations of cooperation with the various institutions of Jordan. He also praised the prestigious academic reputation of the Jordanian higher education institutions, especially that of Yarmouk University, expressing the embassy's readiness to consolidate scientific, academic, and cultural cooperation between the various Sudanese and Jordanian higher education institutions, which may reflect positively on the development of the educational process in the universities of both countries. Noteworthy is that the meeting was attended by Dr. Mowaffaq Al-Amoush, Dr. Riyad Al-Momani, Dr. Muhammad Al-Thiyabat, and a number of University officials.
On behalf of the President of Yarmouk University, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Dr. Musa Rababaa, sponsored the ceremony organized by the Department of Modern Languages at the University to celebrate the International Day of Francophonie 2023. Rababa pointed out the keenness of the Faculty of Arts to celebrate the International Day of Francophonie, which comes with the aim of showing the importance of the French language in communication and interaction between cultures and civilizations, noting that language is a key to establishing a humane dialogue, consolidating humanitarian principles, and bridging the gap between different cultures. He then pointed out that the celebration of the Francophonie has become an important tradition and a unique ritual, and that the Faculty of Arts is keen annually to prepare a program that includes various events and activities for students of the French Language Department.
The representative of the Francophone University Agency at Yarmouk, Dr. Mamoun Al-Shteiwi, said that during the month of March of each year, efforts are made to strengthen linguistic and academic relations between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the member states of the Francophone Organization, especially France, Canada, Switzerland and Belgium. Al-Shteiwi stressed the importance of the French language, which is the second international language taught in Jordan, emphasizing the need to develop the methods for teaching modern languages and train their teachers on how to provide students with various language skills.
The student Farah Abawi delivered a speech in French indicating that the celebration of Francophone is the recognition of the capabilities of language and culture to unite people and create spaces of solidarity and mutual understanding. Moreover, the celebration activities included an introductory video about Francophone, a lyrical introduction titled "Centiano & Aisha", a play titled "Classe Zero", cultural competitions for the audience, a theatrical sketch Un français chez nous, a presentation on the experience of teaching the French language, a dialogue on bullying, and a short story.
Yarmouk’s Faculty of Business team has qualified for the second, regional stage of the global competition for the Chartered Financial Analyst organized by the Institute of Financial Analysts based in the United States of America, which will be held this month in Dubai. The vision of the competition is to prepare an advanced financial analysis of a company; thus the teams are asked to present their financial expectations regarding the company's share price in the next stage.
The Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Michael Sweidan, said that the participation in such competitions reflects the interest of the University in working with other local, regional, and international universities to promote extracurricular activities in a way that positively benefits the students' skills and refines their personality. He then added that such performance deepens the Faculty's reputation and views it as one of the leading business faculties at the local, regional, and global levels with regard to the production and dissemination of knowledge that drives economic and societal progress and contributes to the academic excellence.
The Faculty team participating in this competition, which was supervised by the Vice Dean, Dr. Buthaina Kharabsheh, includes the students: Mutasim Al-Hmoud from the Department of Economics, Al-Asil Abu Rashid from the Department of Financial and Banking Sciences, Muhammad Hamad from the Department of Financial and Banking Sciences, Asal Al-Omari from the Department of Financial and Banking Sciences, and Layan Al Taq from the Department of Business Administration.
Deputizing for the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Mamoun Al-Dubai’, inaugurated the activities of the third international week of Yarmouk University, which was organized by the Department of International Relations and Projects. The three-day event witnessed extensive participation of international universities, academic institutions and organizations, and diplomatic missions and cultural attachés from various countries of the world.
Al-Dubai’ declared that the economic modernization will be implemented through eight economic factors, including the factor of leadership and creativity that includes higher education, vocational and technical education and training, research, development and innovation, and small and medium-sized companies and entrepreneurship. He also pointed out that approximately 68,000 graduates complete their university education annually at the national level and that graduates are an asset to Jordan, the region, and the world, stressing the importance of finding solutions for the increasing problem of unemployment. Al-Dubai’ also stressed the importance of e-learning and blended learning strategies at this stage to achieve the desired educational outcomes, highlighting the need to find adequate funding and provide strong and capable management of the quality of education.
The President of the University, Professor Islam Massad, welcomed the participants in the event, which provides a platform for partnerships, scientific and research cooperation, and an opportunity to open channels of communication, encourage dialogue, and exchange the experience between the various participating higher education institutions. He then pointed out that during the activities of the week, several topics will be discussed, such as equity and inclusion in the university, digital transformation in higher education, integrating sustainable development goals into higher education strategies, exchange of students and employees, innovation and employment, and promotion of vocational education and training. He also said that the University's strategic plans are derived from the royal visions of His Majesty King Abdullah II and that Jordan’s higher education requires to keep pace with the rapid technological developments to fulfill the demands and needs of the labor market. He then mentioned that Yarmouk University has developed several new academic programs at all levels, pointing to Yarmouk's interest in strengthening its partnerships and cooperation with various international universities with regard to implementing research projects and exchanging students and employees.
For her part, Margaret Spears, Deputy Director of the United States Agency for International Development in Jordan, USAID, delivered a speech during the opening ceremony, in which she affirmed the interest of the United States government represented by USAID to support Jordan through cooperating with the various institutions of the public and private sectors. She added that the program of preparing teachers before service, which is implemented by USAID in cooperation with four public universities (Yarmouk University, University of Jordan, Mutah University, and Hashemite University), is considered one of the most successful programs executed by the agency. Spears also expressed USAID's pride in implementing such a program, which aims at preparing teachers to enter the classroom and perform the tasks entrusted to them in an adequate manner.
However, during the activities of the week, the Secretary-General of the Higher Council for Science and Technology, Dr. Abdullah Al-Mousa, talked about "Biodiversity and Sustainable Development from an Economic Perspective", and Marjorie Cabrol, Director of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Irbid, talked about "Providing Education Opportunities for Refugees in Institutions of higher education".
Deputizing for the Minister of Social Development, Wafaa Bani Mustafa, the Government General Coordinator for Human Rights in the Prime Ministry, Mr. Nazir Al-Awamla, sponsored the opening of the International Women's Day at Yarmouk in the presence of Yarmouk’s President, Professor Islam Massad. In a speech delivered at the beginning of the gathering, Al-Awamleh stressed Jordan's keenness to provide a decent life for citizens without any discrimination in compliance with His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein’s vision towards modernization and reformation. He then added that the Ministerial Committee for the Empowerment of Women is currently setting up executive paths to ensure the inclusion of women in the different paths of modernization declared by His Majesty.
In the same context, Massad emphasized the value of women, their status, presence, and active and influential role in the national scene. He confirmed: “the Jordanian women have proven their ability and competence. They have been able to maximize the gains and achievements that promote Jordan as the most distinguishing mark and the best model to imitate for several Arab countries”.
Oroub Al-Khatib, the Director of Grants and Partnerships at the Lutheran Welfare Union, said that science, technology, and the digital revolution have provided great opportunities for learning and social integration for girls and women. She then added that encouraging girls from an early age to study science and use technology is one of the most important paths of sustainable human development. Al-Khatib stated that as long as the number of girls and women who acquire scientific and digital knowledge increases, the opportunities for the society to develop digital tools, technologies, programs, and ideas succeed.
The Director of Princess Basma Center for Jordanian Women's Studies, Dr. Nadia Hayasat, said that the Center devotes most of its attention to conducting studies, research, and political papers related to the Jordanian woman in various fields. She also referred to the Center's efforts to enhance the collaboration with civil society organizations to advance its goals and objectives and consolidate local professional work relying on achieving the best mutual goals.
However, the celebration included a video presentation on the International Women's Day, a presentation of success stories of women, a poem by the poet Najah Al-Khazaleh, and a song presented by the Deanship of Student Affairs’ Choir. On the sidelines of the celebration, an exhibition of the Jordanian heritage titled "Nashmiyeh's Tale" was held with the participation of a number of charities in Irbid.
The Vice President of Yarmouk University, Professor Muwaffaq Al-Omoush, confirmed Yarmouk’s interest and constant endeavor to provide an appropriate academic and social environment for its students. He added, during his meeting of a delegation representing a group of university services offices in the Sultanate of Oman, that Yarmouk has students from 48 international nationalities in its different programs pointing out that the number of Yarmouk graduates from international students is approximately 15,000 representing 82 countries. He then expressed Yarmouk’s readiness to cooperate with the Omani graduates from the University through bilateral memorandums of cooperation.
For their part, the members of the delegation praised the academic status of Yarmouk University acknowledging that Yarmouk is distinguished by its programs that meet the needs of Omani and regional markets. They then emphasized the importance of cooperation and partnership with Yarmouk, pointing to the value of the memorandum in regulating the endeavors towards attracting more students from the Sultanate of Oman to study at Yarmouk.
On the sidelines of the meeting, an introductory video about Yarmouk and its programs was screened; the delegation then toured the various facilities on campus. Interestingly, the delegation’s visit to Yarmouk came in light of the agreement signed between the Tourism Promotion Authority and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, which aims at introducing the Jordanian higher education product and accredited Jordanian universities in the Sultanate of Oman.
Participants in the Fifth International Conference " Refugees in Jordan: A Vision for the Future", which was organized over two days by Yarmouk University in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, discussed a number of themes related to issues of asylum, displacement and forced migration. The main session of the conference, organized by Yarmouk’s Center for Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies and the ALECSO Chair for Asylum, Displacement and Forced Migration, and chaired by the former Minister of Culture and Youth, Dr. Muhammad Abu Rumman, tackled a number of topics, such as “the psychological and social effects of asylum,” “politics and media”, “the legal dimension and the rights of refugees”, “the environment and technology: shaping the future”, “the mental health and therapeutic methods”, and “the economic empowerment of refugees”.
In this session, the former Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Investment, Dr. Jawad Al-Anani, presented a paper titled "Jordan’s Owned Rights in exchange for hosting Palestinian Refugees", the former Minister of Education, Dr. Ibrahim Badran presented a paper entitled "Human Dignity and Asylum", and the former director of the Center of the Refugee Studies Center at the University of Oxford, UK, Dr. Don Chatty, presented a paper titled " Displaced Syrians and the Global Compact on Refugees: Reflections on the gap in understanding forced migration between researchers and practitioners."
The Director General of the Arab Council for Social Sciences, Dr. Stanay Shami, presented a paper titled “Refugee Studies as an Academic Field: Long Term View", the former Director General of the Palestinian Affairs Department, Eng. Yassin Abu Awwad, presented a paper titled "the Palestinian Refugees: Future Prospects", and the Mayor of Greater Irbid Municipality, Dr. Nabil Al-Kofahi, presented a paper titled "the Role of Irbid Municipality in Integrating Refugees." Also, the session included a discussion of "Orange Knowledge Program in Jordan and Future Opportunities" presented by the Regional Director of the OKP Program, Dr. Reem AlKhader, while the representative of the Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Jordan, Ms. Lara Nassar, presented a paper titled "Challenges and Success Factors for Capacity Development and Upskilling of Syrian Refugees in Jordan", and the Director General of the International Medical Aid Society, Dr. Yarub Al-Ajlouni, presented a paper on "Scenarios Addressing the Future of Syrian Refugees in Jordan". Noteworthy is that the activities of the first day included two working sessions: the first discussed the theme "Sustainable Development: Challenges and Opportunities", and the second session discussed the theme "Human Dignity: Empowering Women and Children".
The activities of the second day of the conference included six working sessions, two of which were chaired by the former Minister of State for Information Affairs, H.E. Sameeh Al ma’itah, and the former Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Dr. Yusuf Mansour. During the sessions of the second day, a number of scientific papers were delivered before the audience. Dr. Muthanna Shehab and Prof. Fadel Hussein from the Iraqi University of Diyala presented a paper titled “Immigration and Diaspora from an Islamic and Legal Perspective, Causes and Solutions”, Dr. Hijazi Da’ajna and Dr. Hassan Qaddoumi from the Palestinian University of Hebron presented a paper titled "Spatial Analysis of the Water Pollution Problem in Al-Fawar Camp - Hebron", Dr. Faten Muhaidat and Aseel Al-Sarhan from the Hashemite University presented a paper titled "The Effect of a Group Counseling Program on Reducing Depression and Improving Self-esteem among a Sample of Syrian Refugee Women in Mafraq”, Dr. Riad Yasen and Dr. Mahmoud Jad-allah from Yarmouk University presented a paper titled "the Return Challenges of Syrian Refugees to their Home Country".
The conference also included several training workshops offered for students and the local community. These workshops dealt with a number of topics, such as the national and international framework for refugee protection, the role of the Ministry of Education in teaching Syrian students, and the electronic knowledge platform for reproductive health for young people.
On the sidelines of the conference, a competition for documentaries, drama, and awareness films was held, and it was judged by a group of Jordanian artists and academics from various Jordanian universities and the Royal Film Commission. The competition resulted in declaring the win of Ahmed Gharaibeh for the movie “With Blood We Water Hope” in the first place, Muawiya Al-Omari for the movie “Bella” in the second place, and Muhammad Al-Azab for the movie “This Is My Story” in the third place.
It is noteworthy that this conference was sponsored by His Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal, and it was opened by the former Minister of Social Development, Hala Bseiso Lattouf.
Deputizing for His Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal, the former Minister of Social Development Hala Bseiso Lattouf, inaugurated the activities of the Fifth International Conference “Refugees in Jordan: A Vision for the Future”, which was organized by the Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies Center and the ALECSO Chair for Refugee, Displaced and Forced Migration at Yarmouk University in collaboration with Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.
Reciting his Highness’s speech, Lattouf emphasized that the Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies Center at Yarmouk University was established to be an institute for research and policy-making that aims at preserving the human dignity, determining the needs of refugees, and finding some sources of meeting the refugees’ needs. She then indicated that empowering refugees and displaced persons depends on activating the role of host communities and developing a regional center for exchanging knowledge, experiences and data based on scientific evidence. Also, she stressed the importance of identifying priorities by knowing the needs of refugees based on the multiple deprivation index, which depends on the areas of health, education, and living standards that fall under the nexus of water, energy, and food.
For his part, the President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, delivered a speech in which he expressed the pride of Yarmouk University in Prince El Hassan’s follow-up and interest in the theme of the conference, which is a great opportunity for the exchange of knowledge and experience among experts and researchers. He explained that the university, through the activities of the conference, seeks to shed light on the future for Jordan with regard to the consequences of the several waves of asylum and migration to Jordan. He also pointed out that the University, through its Refugee Center, works to strengthen cooperation with local, regional, and international partners to better understand the conditions of refugees and promote their issues among experts and decision makers.
The Director of the Refugees, Displaced Persons, and Forced Migration Studies Center, Dr. Reem Al-Kharouf, referred to the Center’s strategy of dealing with refugee issues stressing the need to transcend the reality of the situation towards a creative and innovative future that contributes to solving problems, developing capabilities, and creating work opportunities. For his part, the Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa of the German Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, Jörg Dienert, indicated that Jordan embraces a large number of refugees compared to its population and that hosting refugees poses great challenges in various fields, especially in the field of work. Dienert then stressed that the Foundation is keen to deepen the partnership with Yarmouk University to implement projects in the field of integrating refugees into host communities, giving them education, and empowering them in various fields.
As part of the conference, Lattouf inaugurated a drawing exhibition about the stories and suffering of refugees as depicted by a group of refugee artists from Zaatari camp and a group of students with visual impairments under the supervision of the visual artist Suhail Baqaeen and the artist Duaa Talafha. Besides, an Edu Box laboratory was opened with the aim of helping refugee and Jordanian students alike in developing their creative and distinguished projects.
As part of its keenness to strengthen partnerships and global relations with prestigious international educational institutions, Yarmouk University signed a memorandum of understanding with the American University of Auburn. The President of the University, Professor Islam Massad, said that this memorandum reflects Yarmouk’s interest in developing its academic and cultural cooperation with international institutes with regards to scientific research and cadre exchange in programs like tourism management and hospitality. He then explained that the memorandum of cooperation provides the framework of several projects and activities, including the exchange of faculty and administrative staff members and students and conducting joint research projects. He also pointed out that the memorandum includes the participation in seminars and international training courses, academic meetings, cultural exchange activities, and the sabbatical leave of the academic staff.
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.
