The President of the Board of Trustees of Yarmouk University, Prof. Khalid Al-Omari, has commissioned the vice president for the academic affairs, Prof. Muwaffaq al-Omoush, to function as the university's president until appointing a president for the university.
As a representative of the University's President, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, the vice president, Prof. Anis al-Khasawneh, patronized a seminar titled "Social Media and Its Impact on the Local Community and Refugees". The seminar, which took place at the Intercontinental Hotel, Amman, was organized by the Refugees, Displaced persons and Forced Migration Studies Center at Yarmouk University in collaboration with the Directorate of Public Security and the University of Applied Sciences of the Public Service in Bavaria, Germany.
Prof. Al-Khasawneh said: "At Yarmouk University, we believe that universities are one of the most important tools of change in society and that they are the source of inspiration and innovation. Therefore, they should play a positive role in the development of our society and the preservation and sustainability of our resources". He then added that Yarmouk University has always been interested in social media, especially regarding community issues and refugees. Also, he explained that there has been a real and tremendous scientific revolution in the field of social networks in the last two decades, which has resulted in major and profound social changes at all levels, hence the importance of such a seminar is to benefit from the pros and avoid the cons of that revolution.
The director of the Refugees, Displaced Persons and forced migration studies center, Dr. Anas Al-Subh, said that based on His Majesty's article, "communication platforms or social rivalry?" the efforts of Yarmouk University continued through the Center to promote and protect refugees and members of the host community by upgrading the services provided to citizens and refugees and taking care of its protection. Therefore, Yarmouk University, in cooperation with organizations, institutions and associations of the local community seeks to achieve the desired transition in the field of strengthening the protection of humans.
However, other speakers presented several papers on the topic, including the Dean of the Faculty of Media at Yarmouk University, Dr. Khalaf Al-Tahat, Dr. Mohammed Al-Rabaa from the Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies, Dr. Khair Dhiabat from the Department of Political Sciences, and Dr. Mohammed Al-Ma’abreh from the Faculty of Law at Yarmouk University.
Invited by Al-Ifla Regional Center of Qatar National Library, a number of employees of Al Hussein Bin Talal Library at Yarmouk University participated in the workshops organized by the Center remotely on how to preserve the visual-audio and audio heritage collections.
Prof. Omar al-Ghoul, the library's director, explained that the first workshop was entitled "Preserving the heritage of our audio recordings: a brief history of audio recordings" while the second workshop was entitled "Introduction to the maintenance of audio materials".
Interestingly, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has chosen Qatar National Library as the regional center for the maintenance and preservation of library materials in the Arab region and the Middle East.
Yarmouk University announces the opening of admission to the Diploma of Education in the Art of Teaching and Learning beginning the first semester 2020/2021. The Dean of the Faculty of Education, Dr. Nawwaf Shatnawi, pointed out that the program is offered by the department of curriculum and teaching methods of the faculty in response to the need of the educational field regarding rehabilitating teachers in the field of modern teaching methods.
He explained that the program includes 33 credit hours and that the study plan of the program includes courses in modern teaching strategies, teaching techniques, and methods of educational evaluation. The program, he mentioned, aims at providing learners with the skills and teaching methods they need and students can finish the course within a period of one academic year (two semesters and one summer semester).
Attempting to maintain and strengthen communication with the university's graduates, the University's President, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, launched the official Facebook page of the graduates’ follow-up section in the Department of Public Relations and Media. Kafafi stressed that Yarmouk University is proud of each of its graduates, as they function as Yarmouk's ambassadors inside and outside the Kingdom of Jordan in their various locations pointing out that launching such a page is an important means to communicate with graduates and serve them.
In his turn, the Director of the Department of Public Relations and Media, Mr. Mukhles Al-Ebbeni, said that launching this page came to achieve the vision of Yarmouk University that links of communication and interaction between the university and its graduates should always be maintained and strengthened. He added that the page has been created in cooperation with the Computer and Information Center and that they are still working on launching other programs that serve graduates and keep communicating with them.
During the reception of Mr. Mohammed Nizam Bin Dahab, the educational attaché at the Malaysian Embassy in Amman, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, the President of the University, expressed the interest of Yarmouk University to host international students and provide them with whatever needed to succeed in their academic and social life in Jordan.
Kafafi pointed out that the University community is rich in cultural diversity, as it includes students representing 43 different nationalities around the world among whom 366 Malaysian students study in various faculties of the university. He then pointed out that there is an independent section in the deanship of students' affairs to take care of students' university experience and host their several activities.
For his part, Bin Dahab acknowledged the reputation and prestige of Yarmouk University among international institutions and praised its educational outcomes and professional treatment of its students in general, especially Malaysians. He further stressed the quality of the faculties and specializations of the University, which constitutes the magnet for Malaysian students who are always inclined to join Yarmouk University and enjoy its life experience.
In collaboration with the University's Faculty of Information Technology and Computer Science, Queen Rania Center for Jordanian Studies and Community Service at Yarmouk University organized a workshop for several university staff members entitled "Zoom". The workshop included a lecture delivered by Dr. Ahmed Klaib from the Faculty of Information Technology on how to use Zoom effectively and efficiently in virtual classrooms.
Dr. Yazan Al Shabool, the Director of Queen Rania Center for Jordanian Studies and Community Service, explained that this workshop is one of a series of workshops on Zoom that are held by the center for several staff members of the university departments. He explained also that such a series of workshops is intended to enable and develop the university staff members regarding using Zoom under certain circumstances.
In the presence of Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, the University's President, and Mr. Radwan Al-Otoom, the Governor of Irbid, the minister of youth, Dr. Faris Brizat, launched the project, "Partners for Dialogue", which is carried out by the Center for Life "Rasid" in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Amman.
Celebrating that event, Brizat confirmed that Jordan has experienced social cohesion during the Corona pandemic. He stated: “we have a cohesive, integrated and strong society at the level of people and state institutions, which harnessed its potential to serve the community and its members". He added that Jordan today is one of the best countries in the world in dealing with the Corona pandemic, which is not only a result of work of the state and government as it is a result of cooperation between the state and society. Brizat also pointed out that the Jordanian social capital is to promote volunteering and development in various national institutions through the Jordanian youth.
President Kafafi in his turn confirmed that the university has always been and will continue to be the leader in serving its community stressing that it is open for all activities and programs that aim at promoting noble social values, supporting and implementing such values, and harnessing its potential for the benefit of the community. Kafafi also pointed out that Yarmouk University is always keen to deepen the values of solidarity among its students through a series of voluntary initiatives implemented by the Deanship of Student Affairs as well as other departments and programs of the university faculties.
On the other hand, Mr. Al-Otoom stated that Irbid, the cradle of civilization, history and culture, represents an example of community cohesion during the Corona pandemic. He added that citizens with their awareness and sense of responsibility have helped the government get more aware of its own abilities to overcome challenges and difficulties and get out of crises with the least damage.
The Director General of the Center for Life- Rasid, Dr. Amer Bani Amer, thanked Yarmouk University for its constant efforts in supporting the process of reform and development in Jordan, as made evident in hosting such a project. He added that this project of dialogue aims at spreading the principles of dialogue as well as community cohesion and non-violence.
Noteworthy here that the launch of the project was attended by Prof. Anis Al-Khasawneh, the Vice President for Administrative Affairs, Dr. Hussein Al-Jubour, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Youth, and several officials from the university and the ministry.
The Center for Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies Center at Yarmouk University participated through Zoom in the Meeting of the Mediterranean Universities meeting, which is part of the activities of the (UNIMED WEEK 2020), which highlights the international, regional and local tensions and crises in the Middle East and North Africa. The meeting aims at alerting the institutions of the higher education system such as Yarmouk University to continuously adapt the educational process and form strategies consistent with the current developments and changes.
The Center participated in a dialogue session entitled "The Changing Nature of the Crisis in the Middle East and North Africa: The Role of the Academic Research and Cooperation in the Post-Corona Scenario", which emphasizes the role of universities through the social, political and institutional work in favor of refugees and displaced persons in the Middle East and North Africa. The dialogue is intended to enhance mobility and work opportunities that support refugees, including students and researchers, improve opportunities for university outreach with companies and civil society institutions, and rethink the new policy tools at the European Union level.
The center's director, Dr. Anas Al-Subh, pointed out the increasing social responsibility of the university system for meeting new challenges in Jordan based on the experience of past years and the Corona pandemic crisis. He also presented the most important challenges facing Jordan represented by the lack of funding for dealing with the refugees' crisis.
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.
