The Republic of Iraq named Yarmouk University and other official Jordanian universities as recognized institutes for the study of Iraqi students whether sponsored or at their own expenses. This confirmation, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, followed the visit of a Jordanian academic delegation to Iraq and the Kurdistan region. The Jordanian delegation, which was headed by the Chairman of the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Higher Education Institutions, Dr. Dhafer Al-Sarayrah, included the President of the University, Dr. Islam Massad, Dr. Mamoun Al-Deba’i, Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Sari Hamdan, President of Al-Ahliyya Amman University, and Dr. Anis Mansour, Member of the Higher Education Council.
Deputizing the President of Yarmouk University, the Vice President for Planning, Development, Scientific Research, and Quality Affairs, Professor Samer Samara, sponsored the activities of the symposium "Refugees and Human Rights: The Right to Education", which was organized by the Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies Center in cooperation with the ALECSO Chair for Asylum, Displacement and Forced Migration, on the occasion of the Human Rights Day. The Director of the Center, Dr. Reem Al-Kharouf, delivered a speech in which she indicated that the convening of the symposium comes on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, which takes place on the tenth of December of each year pointing out that emphasizing refugees’ right of education stems from the strategic plan of the Center that demands conducting a number of studies and policy papers on the challenges and problems facing the Jordanian youth and refugees in the field of education.
In his turn, Benjamin Schmalij talked about the role of the DAAD organization in the education sector in Jordan, the training opportunities and scholarships it provides to Jordanian and refugee students in various disciplines and scientific fields, and the support provided by the organization for researchers to implement different scientific projects, conduct research studies, and promote German language programs. He also reviewed the programs implemented by the DAAD in Jordan and the number of Jordanian students benefiting from them, calling on university students and faculty members to view all information about the various training and education programs provided by the organization.
Lara Nassar from the regional office of Nuffic's office in Jordan talked about Nuffic's endeavor to transfer educational expertise from the Netherlands to Jordan, considering that Nuffic offers many programs that target students and graduates to enhance their basic skills in a way that bridges the gap between education and the labor market. She then stressed the importance of cooperation in promoting the educational rights of all refugees.
In return, Tamara Bakis, from the Learning Department at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), explained that education is one of the pillars of protecting the future of refugees, pointing out that Jordan hosts 12% of the number of refugees in the world. Compared to the number of its population, she noted that Jordan shows great cooperation in overcoming the obstacles and challenges facing education for refugees at the school and higher education levels, stressing the need to develop vocational training programs to enable young people to engage in the labor market.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met the Director of Aerial Photography Project in Jordan and Oman, Dr. Robert Boley, who visited the University to participate in a workshop on "Aerial Photography and Remote Sensing in Jordan" organized by the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology at Yarmouk University. Massad stressed that the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology in Yarmouk is one of the leading faculties in the field at the regional level as it hosts a group of specialists and researchers who have a long history and a distinguished academic reputation in the various fields of antiquities. He added that the history of Jordan and its geographical location constitute a fertile research environment for those wishing to implement scientific projects and conduct research, stressing the keenness of the university administration to provide its students with the knowledge and skills required to excel in the fields of archeology and anthropology.
In return, Boley praised the scientific and academic level of the academic staff and students of the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology at Yarmouk University, pointing out the importance of enabling workers and specialists in this field to conduct studies and research in a more effective and accurate manner. He explained that the process of aerial photography of antiquities has developed significantly in recent decades, as this technology is used to facilitate the process of planning and documenting archaeological sites through remote sensing software and geographic information systems.
Noteworthy here is that the meeting was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology, Dr. Lamia Khoury, and the Chairman of the Seminars and Lectures Committee at the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology, Dr. Omar Al-Ghoul.
Her Highness Princess Dana Firas, President of ICOMOS - Jordan and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Cultural Heritage, said that heritage with all its elements and components is a set of human values that forms identity and influences individuals’ belonging and association with homeland. This came during a dialogue session organized by Al-Hussein Bin Talal Library at Yarmouk University and the ICOMOS Jordan Office on Her Highness Princess’s book Unique and Distinguished: World Heritage Sites in Jordan. Her Highness added that heritage is directly related to growth, employment, and sustainable development, as it encourages innovation and creativity, promotes hope, positivity, and solidarity, and multiplies elements of hope and inspiration in our daily life. In addition, Her Highness said that the world attaches great importance to heritage and how to preserve and document it, which demands working hand in hand with experts, academics, and specialists to formulate history and the story of place. Her Royal Highness then thanked Yarmouk University, represented by Al-Hussein Bin Talal Library, for holding such a dialogue session, which inspires university students and acknowledges the value of heritage sites in Jordan as well as the rest of the universe.
The President of the University, Professor Islam Massad, said that holding this dialogue session complements the great efforts made by the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology and the Faculty of Tourism in the field of archaeological excavation and scientific research. He then praised Princess Dana's initiative to transfer Her personal interest in heritage into a scientific publication, thus opening horizons of dialogue with faculty members and students on issues of the Jordanian cultural heritage and preserving it, and introducing them to international institutions working in the field of cultural heritage like the World Council of Monuments and Sites, ICOMOS.
For her part, the coordinator and director of ICOMOS Projects - Jordan, Engineer Lina Abu Salim, reviewed the emergence of ICOMOS as an international global non-governmental organization founded in 1965 and headquartered in Paris that aims at protecting and preserving cultural heritage sites and promoting the application of theory, methodology, and scientific techniques to preserve the architectural and archaeological heritage. She then noted that the Jordanian National Committee (ICOMOS- Jordan) was established in 2018 to support and promote the preservation of the Jordanian national cultural heritage through awareness programs, raising the capabilities of specialized cadres, and supporting scientific research in the fields of protection, preservation, and management of the cultural heritage.
Dr. Omar Al-Ghoul, Director of Al-Hussein Bin Talal Library at the University, stressed the importance of holding this session, as it informs students about the story of the book’s publication and its role in informing the local population about their potential contribution and participation in the process of protecting the heritage sites in Jordan. He also pointed out that the Library, through the session, celebrates the issuance of such a distinguished book, which deals with a subject very close to our identity and our national economy. Besides, Dr. Zeidan Kafafi, the former president of the University, said that students are aware of the repositories of civilization represented by archaeological sites through their stocks of archaeological remains and ancient writings, so that they may monitor the manner and extent of human civilizational development through the ages of any region. He then stressed that the book of Princess Dana Firas includes information, maps, and pictures of twenty Jordanian archaeological sites arranged in a list starting with the first site registered on the World Heritage List in 1985, namely Petra, and closing with a site nominated for the preliminary list since 2019, namely Al-Hurra Basalt.
For her part, the Dean of the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology at Yarmouk University, Dr. Lamia Khoury, reviewed the role of the University through the Faculty in raising the society's awareness of the importance of its cultural heritage and encouraging its participation in the process of appreciating and preserving that heritage. She added that the Faculty was established in 1984 as an academic and research institute specialized in the fields of archeology, anthropology, and inscriptions, after which it was transformed into a Faculty that grants bachelor and master degrees in archeology, anthropology, preservation and management of heritage resources, and ancient inscriptions and writings.
During his visit to the Cultural Office of the State of Kuwait in Amman, the President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met with the Head of the Cultural Office of the State of Kuwait in Amman, Dr. Hamoud Al-Qashaan, to discuss ways of enhancing cooperation between the two sides in various academic, scientific, and cultural fields. Massad stressed Yarmouk's keenness to strengthen its cooperation relations with various Kuwaiti educational institutions and to open new horizons for cooperation in various cultural, academic, and scientific fields in a way that contributes to the exchange of experiences, the convergence of knowledge, and the advancement of scientific research. He added that Yarmouk considers all measures to raise its international status and rank and obtain international accreditations for its academic programs, which should reflect the distinguished academic level of the various academic programs and specializations of the University. For his part, Al-Qashaan praised the distinguished reputation enjoyed by Yarmouk University at the academic and scientific level, stressing the keenness of the office to strengthen its cooperation with Yarmouk University in the fields of exchanging student and faculty members and conducting research and scientific projects in areas of common interest.
In the presence of the Chair of the University’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Ruwaida Maaytah, and the members of the University’s Dean Council, Yarmouk University awarded the honorary doctorate degree in social sciences to the former President of the Republic of Kosovo, H.E. Atifete Jahjaga. The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, confirmed that such a ceremony is to honor one of the international symbols of the struggle against violence, the defense of women's rights and freedom, and the empowerment of youth at the level of the social, political, and economic levels, pointing out that H.E. Atifete Jahjaga is one of the strongest fighters against extremism, violence, and radicalism. He then emphasized that H.E. Atifete Jahjaga is the first woman in the Balkans to serve as a state president and that she is to be acknowledged for sparing no effort to support and advocate freedom, justice, democracy, and social change issues. Massad also pointed out that awarding an honorary doctorate to the guest stems from Yarmouk University's belief in the importance of encouraging activists in the field of women's empowerment, supporting youth, and urging them to actively participate politically and socially to create a better future.
For her part, the former President of Kosovo thanked Yarmouk University for awarding her an honorary doctorate degree, pointing out that such a deed represents the friendly environment of Jordan and the generosity of its people. She explained that she is a strong believer in social change, pointing to the importance of recognizing the contribution of women and youth to achieving the desired social change, which demands viewing women and youth’s issues as an integral part of the process of progress. She further added that women politicians realize the power they may have and the benefit their countries may get if gender diversity is incorporated into the ongoing policy-making process. Thus, she stressed the need to work at the international level to increase the empowerment of women challenging the stereotypical perspective promoted by the media against women and their competence or professionalism at work.
The Dean of the Scientific Research and Graduate Studies at the University, Dr. Ayman Hammouda, read out the decision of the Dean’s Council at Yarmouk University concerning granting H.E. Atifete Jahjaga an honorary doctorate degree in social sciences with all related rights and privileges. Then a dialogue took place between the guest and several individuals attending the ceremony, including a number of members of the University's Board of Trustees, a number of official and popular activities in Irbid governorate, a number of women activists in the local community, representatives of the National Democratic Institute, and a number of faculty members and university students. However, during the ceremony, two short films were screened: one about Yarmouk University and the other about the presidential career of the former President of the State of Kosovo.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met with Martin Gastal, the CERN advisor for the Middle East and North Africa, to discuss possible ways of cooperation between the two sides. At the beginning of the meeting, Massad stressed Yarmouk's interest in cooperating with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in the fields of physics, engineering, and information technology by participating in the organization's research network membership, which enables the faculty members at the University to conduct scientific research in many innovative fields such as large data, artificial intelligence, physical sciences, and engineering. He also pointed out the possibility of cooperation with the organization to establish a joint doctoral program in the field of physics.
In return, Gastal reviewed the establishment of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, which appeared in 1952 at Switzerland as the largest laboratory in the world for particle physics research including 23 members and providing particle accelerators and other infrastructure necessary for high energy physics research. He then mentioned that the organization cooperates with various countries in the Middle East, such as Kuwait, Bahrain, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Qatar, stressing the organization's interest in consolidating its cooperation with Jordanian universities in general. Also, he explained the types of membership in the organization’s research network, the mechanism for joining it, and the extent to which researchers at universities benefit from such a membership.
Deputizing for the President of Yarmouk University, the Assistant President of the University, Dr. Ziyad Zureikat, sponsored the activities of the introductory session, "The Campaign to Gain Advocacy for Darbi Platform", which was organized by Princess Basma Center for Jordanian Women's Studies and the Higher Population Council. Zureikat said that holding the activities of this session at the University embodies the role of the University in interacting with the local community and its various institutions to promote awareness among people on various societal issues. He then explained that reproductive health is an important part of humans’ life cycle, considering that reproductive health incorporates health and rights considerations for family members, pointing to the importance of Darbi platform to achieve a better level of reproductive health and involve men and women in the reproductive decision of the family.
In her turn, Dr. Nadia Hayasat, the Director of Princess Basma Center for Jordanian Women's Studies, pointed out the importance of introducing Jordanian youth to Darbi platform, which provides information on reproductive health issues, sheds light on issues related to adolescence and youth health, and other topics related to marriage, family planning, and protection from violence. She then emphasized that the center uses the data and statistics issued by Darbi platform to conduct scientific studies and design several training sessions and workshops.
For her part, the coordinator of the Program for Advocacy and Capacity Building of Partners at the Higher Population Council, Badi’a Qubeilat, expressed her thanks to Yarmouk University for its permanent cooperation with the Council and its support for the awareness programs that aim at educating the Jordanian youth on various societal issues. She then explained that the establishment of the platform by the Higher Population Council is supported by the United Nations Population Fund, considering that the platform aims at raising awareness among the members of society, especially young men and women, improving their reproductive health, and correcting misconceptions related to reproductive health issues.
Interestingly, the session included presentations about the platform and the programs it offers for young people. It also included interactive students’ competitions on various reproductive health issues. The session was attended by a number of officials from Princess Basma Center for Jordanian Women's Studies, the Higher Population Council, members of the University's faculty, and a crowd of students.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, affirmed the university's keenness to provide all appropriate conditions for the success of the higher diploma program to prepare pre-service teachers by offering a distinguished and qualified cadre to present their knowledge and share experiences with those enrolled in the diploma program. During his meeting with Dr. Christine Lord, CEO of the International IREX Foundation, and Cameron Mirza, Director of the USAID Program for Preparation and Qualification of Pre-Service Teachers in Jordan, Massad stressed Yarmouk University's belief in developing human resources to achieve sustainable development in our societies, confirming that the success of the program in its first year at Yarmouk University would not have been possible without the efforts of the administration of the Faculty of Education. He then called for strengthening ways of future cooperation between the university and IREX by organizing a joint international conference to discuss the mechanisms of implementing the program, its outputs, and the extent of its effectiveness. In return, Lord praised the active cooperation and the pivotal role of Yarmouk University in making the diploma program a success. She also confirmed the readiness of the IREX Foundation for future cooperation with Yarmouk University in implementing research studies related to the diploma and holding a specialized conference in this field.
It is noteworthy that the diploma program is implemented by the university in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Queen Rania Academy for Teacher Training, the Civil Service Bureau, the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Higher Education Institutions, and the IREX Foundation, and the USAID.
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.
