The President of Yarmouk University, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, met the Pakistani Ambassador in Amman, Mr. Taimur Ahmad Hassan, and discussed possible future cooperation between the University and the Pakistani Embassy in Amman as well as the Pakistani educational institutions. During the meeting, Kafafi reviewed the establishment of Yarmouk University, the establishment of its faculties, and its academic programs. He then stressed out that the university is keen to extend bridges of cooperation with various educational institutions and that Yarmouk hosts 39 thousand students, including 43 different nationalities. Also, he pointed out the willingness of Yarmouk to receive a number of Pakistani students to study in various academic disciplines, to exchange faculty members, and to attract more Pakistani students wishing to learn Arabic in the Arabic Language Program for Speakers of Other Languages at the University's Language Center.
For his part, the ambassador stressed the embassy’s interest in strengthening cooperation with Yarmouk University for its distinguished scientific reputation. He then stressed the importance of extending the collaboration bridges in the field of exchanging students and faculty members. He also pointed out the possibility of holding lectures and scientific seminars in areas of common interest so that the relations of linking Jordan and Pakistan are deepened.
The Faculty of Fine Arts at Yarmouk University hosted the seventh edition of Jordan's International Film Festival, which was organized by the Ministry of Culture. Three drama films, namely "Harmony" by Ramadan Fayoumi, "you are not alone" by Ashraf Abadi, and "No. 43" by Ibrahim al-Qadi, were screened in the university at the Drama theater. This event aims at consolidating the concepts of the cinema industry in Jordan by providing international models that are carefully selected to create a space for mature visual dialogue that grows with experience and accumulation. The head of the Drama Department, Dr. Bilal Thiabat, explained that Yarmouk is keen to cooperate with various national institutions in various artistic fields, which supports the development of arts in Jordan. He also pointed out that the artworks participating in the festival discuss various social issues of interest for Jordanians.
Prof. Anis Khasawneh, Vice President of Yarmouk University for Humanities and Administrative Affairs, patronized the graduation ceremony of the second batch of participants in the 2019 Psychosocial Support Project, which is executed by the Refugees, Displaced Persons, and Forced Migration Studies Ceneter at Yarmouk University with the support of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). In his talk, Al-Khasawneh thanked the German Agency of the International Cooperation for its support to such a project, which aims at providing psychosocial support services in the context of forced migration. He mentioned that the Agency tries to enhance the psychosocial competencies of several Jordanian and Syrian university graduates and prepare them to provide psychosocial support services for refugees, migrants, and some Jordanians. He then praised the methodology followed in the course to integrating the theoretical inputs with practical exercises. Such a methodology, he stated, relies on engaging participants in two-week field activities of psychological support services in Jordan, which allows them to apply the acquired knowledge wherever necessary.
With regards to the tremendous events taking place in the Arabic region, Al-Khasawneh called on the participants to work hard with perseverance and excellence, reflect experiences on personal behavior, help the members of the community through spreading knowledge, and help the community overcome the traumas and psychological pressures resulting from crises and conflicts.
The Director of the Refugees, Displaced Persons, and Forced Migration Studies Ceneter, Dr. Anas Subuh stated that the Center is concerned with conducting studies and researches in the political, economic, social, and health aspects of the many asylum-oriented issues that concern Jordan as well as the Arab world. He added that the center provides researchers and officials with the necessary data to serve policy and decision-makers in the governmental and international organizations. Dr. Anas then explained that the project included a course for sixteen participants, which lasted for four weeks. Through the course, the participants were trained on providing psychosocial support services to the individual, family, and community. He also said that the participants learned how to communicate effectively and were introduced to the smart technologies used in the application of psychological support services.
In return, Dr. Christine Mueller, the Director of Projects at the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), emphasized the Agency's support of Yarmouk University for many years. Then she said that such a project that provides participants with the skills and knowledge necessary for providing psychological support to community members is the fruitful outcome of the cooperation between GIZ and Yarmouk. However, she explained that the project targets the social side of the issue rather than the therapeutic one because the psychological pressure, feelings of sadness, and anger can be handled with the appropriate support through effective communication skills and blending refugees into communities.
In his turn, Muhannad Al Essa talked about his interesting experience during the course by pointing out the various skills he acquired. He stated that the training course expanded his perception and refined his skills in the art of dealing with others and providing them with the social and psychological support. He then expressed his gratitude for Yarmouk University as well as GIZ for holding such a session and called for increasing the number of participants in any coming courses.
At the end of the ceremony, which was attended by several officials of the Center for Refugees and some faculty members, Prof. Al-Khasawneh handed certificates to the participants.
President of Yarmouk University, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, is proud of the Deanship of Students Affairs and its distinguished team regarding their ability to refine the personality of university students. He acknowledged the Deanship's way of qualifying students by enhancing their skills and talents that enable them to serve the community as well as the entire country. This event took place because of gifting Yarmouk presidency Khalil Al Kofahi's painting of His Majesty, King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah. The president explained that the university presidency depends on the deanship of Students Affairs to fulfill the needs and aspirations of university students and help them contribute to the nation, complying with the visions and aspirations of the nation's leader. Moreover, Kafafi expressed his belief in the qualifications and abilities of the artist, Al-Kofahi, who has always been organizing extracurricular programs and activities that benefit students. However, the meeting was attended by the Vice Presidents: Prof. Fawaz Al-Abed Al-Haq and Prof. Anis Khasawneh, and the Director of Public Relations and Media, Mr. Mukhlis Al-Abini.
The Vice President of Yarmouk University for Humanities and Students Affairs, Prof. Fawwaz Al-Abed Al-Haq patronized the opening of the International Entrepreneurship Week entitled "Towards Promoting Entrepreneurship and Creativity", which was organized by the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at the University in cooperation with Sago’s International Training Group. In the opening speech, Abdul Haq stressed that the entrepreneurial work requires boldness, adventure, follow-up, and management of the project. He then emphasized Yarmouk’s keenness to encourage its students, support their creative ideas, and motivated them to innovate and pioneer in the different fields of knowledge. He explained that such an encouragement enables students to build a better future and contribute to the development of their society. Quality services, he added, will consequently be provided to the community through entrepreneurial projects, considering that entrepreneurship is the basis of human progress and prosperity.
For her part, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Prof. Muna Al-Mawla, pointed out that the Faculty has been managing scientific activities and events of great importance and that the International Leadership week's events reflect the Faculty's orientations in consolidating partnerships with the private sector and civil society organizations. Also, Prof. Muna pointed out that entrepreneurship in Jordan has recently gained spiking significance due to the insightful royal vision, which was translated through the launch of events and programs that embrace community leadership. Such a vision, she explained, emphasizes the importance of the role of youth leadership in economic development. Moreover, she stated that Yarmouk University, in order to provide the labor market with experts and specialists in the field of entrepreneurship, has established a master's degree program in entrepreneurship and leadership in the Department of Business Administration, which has been accepting students since the beginning of the first semester. She added that Yarmouk is concerned with implementing initiatives that develop the students’ spirit of creativity and volunteering, which encourages students to deploy their ideas and knowledge in favor of sustainable projects that create self-employment opportunities.
The Executive Director of Sago’s International Group, Dr. Dirar Shihabat, said that the Group chose Yarmouk University to hold the events of the International Entrepreneurship Week in Jordan under the slogan ‘The rules of the game first, and then how to win’ due to Yarmouk's scientific reputation. Then he explained that the event is part of the world’s celebrations of the Universal Entrepreneurship Week in (170) countries, which involve 35,000 events around the world including the showcase of Sago’s Group for Training and Education.
After that, the Deputy Director of Sago International Training Group, Jaafar Shehabat, reviewed the activities that are included in Yarmouk's Entrepreneurship Week, which seeks to discover the entrepreneurial students. He confirmed that the activities of the week include the launch of entrepreneurial Ideas competition for university students entitled, "My Project" as well as a lecture titled "Leadership and the Future” by Dr. Dirar Shihabat. Also, a guiding day will be organized for students to have a workshop titled "Building Skills and Abilities" along with another lecture called "English Language, between Education and Application".
Noteworthy that the launch of the week was attended by a number of faculty members at the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, a number of officials at the university, the Sago International Group, and a crowd of university students.
The Dean of Students Affairs at Yarmouk University, Dr. Amal Nusair, patronized the activities of the introductory meeting of the Hult International Prize, which is conducted in Jordan in cooperation with the Crown Prince Foundation. During the meeting organized by the award team at the university in cooperation with the Deanship, Yarmouk students were introduced to the topics and objectives of the award, which is entitled this year as "Towards A Green Environment".
Nusair stressed the importance of students' participation in competitions at the local and international levels, as this improves the lives of individuals by offering possible solutions to the many problems faced by societies across the globe. She also explained that the slogan "Towards a green environment" does not only mean participating in the award through a project that provides more green spaces; rather, it also involves maintaining the sanitation of the environment as well as the facilities' property.
Dr. Areej Yaseen, a faculty member of the Information Technology Department at the University, said that the participation of students in the challenges of the Hult Award is a kind of leadership in thinking and life, through which students demonstrate their abilities to think about issues that concern communities. The participation, she explained, will encourage students to feel responsible for finding realistic solutions that contribute to improving the lives of the individual and society. She then called on students to invest their energies in serious thinking, suggest solutions, and seek to apply them.
Zada Al-Azzam, the representative student of the Hult award competition in Yarmouk, said that the award seeks through its various challenges to encourage and motivate young people around the world to be active individuals in serving their communities. She also mentioned that the value of the grand prize of the contest is one million dollars and that the award aims at improving the lives of one million people by investing one million dollars in ten years.
During the meeting, which was attended by the Vice Dean of Student Affairs at the University, Dr. Mohammed Alawneh, several university staff members, and a group of students, some participants reviewed their experiences in the field of development projects and volunteer work.
The Faculty of Pharmacy at Yarmouk University organized an event entitled "We Care about Your Mental Health". During the event, Dr. Khalil Al-Zyoud, Counselor in Family and Mental Health, was hosted along with Dr. Malek Al-Tarifi from Zarqa’s Private University. The lecturers explained the importance of organizing family relations and the ideal ways to deal with social problems. They also talked about dealing with psychological problems in general considering that stress and study are the most important factors that affect university students’ mental health. However, at the end of the event, the Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Mervat Al-Sous, thanked the lecturers and organizers of the event.
The President of Yarmouk University, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, met the British Ambassador in Amman, Mr. Edward Oakden and the accompanying delegation to discuss possible cooperation between the two sides in areas of mutual interest. During the meeting, Kafafi confirmed Yarmouk’s interest in collaborating with various international educational and research institutions and emphasized that the University has always been devoted for collaborating with British universities, especially in the field of conducting joint scientific research and exchanging scientific visits of faculty members and students.
Stressing Yarmouk's mission to qualify and prepare the students to play their role in building and developing the national institutions and achieving the comprehensive renaissance of the various sectors in Jordan, Kafafi reviewed the growth of Yarmouk University: its faculties and academic programs. Also, he pointed out how Yarmouk paid close attention to developing its academic programs and establishing programs that meet the aspirations of youth, the many global changes, and the requirements of the local and international labor market. Then he emphasized the possibility of attracting several British students wishing to learn Arabic at the University's Language Center, which attracts hundreds of students from around the world every year by offering a distinct program of teaching Arabic to non-native speakers. In addition, he highlighted Yarmouk's sincere belief and support of its students and outstanding human resources, which is expressed by sending outstanding students to complete their graduate studies in a number of prestigious international universities.
In return, the British Ambassador praised the level of the Jordanian higher education sector in general and the prestigious academic reputation of Yarmouk University in particular. Acknowledging Yarmouk’s active role in preserving the cultural heritage and its resources, the Ambassador expressed the embassy's interest in extending the bridges of scientific and cultural cooperation with Yarmouk University in areas of common interest. He stated that the British embassy is interested in collaborating with Yarmouk to conduct several joint research projects and studies in this field of archeology and heritage maintenance.
After the meeting, which was attended by the deans of the faculties of Arts and Archeology and Anthropology and a number of officials at the University and the British Embassy in Amman, the British Ambassador met with a number of Yarmouk students and heard from them about their future aspirations and views on the latest developments in the region at the political, economic, and social level. He called on the students to believe in themselves, to pursue their ambitions, and to take advantage of the available opportunities.
A group of professors from the University of Leon in Spain and the Polytechnic-Milan University presented several lectures in the field of geoinformatics for graduate students in the departments of Earth Sciences, Environment, and Geography at Yarmouk University. This activity was held as part of Erasmus Plus European Program's specialized workshop called "Geodesy and Geoinformatics Towards Sustainable Development in Jordan".
The workshop program, which was supervised by Dr. Muhaib Awawdeh from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Dr. Rana Al-Jawarneh from the Department of Geography, lasted for two days. A group of lectures were held on the first day on advanced topics in remote sensing science and its applications like the use of hyperspectral images in mineral exploration. On the second day, there was more elaboration on the techniques of obtaining remote sensing data by laser radiation (LiDAR) and the mechanism of extracting data of great scientific value in scientific research such as digital elevation system (DEM).
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.
