To discuss possible ways of cooperation in various fields, the President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met with a delegation from the Malaysian University of Kuala Lumpur (UNIKL), which included the Director of the Industrial Linkages Center, Dr. Zulhafiz Tajudin, and the Director of the Marketing, student recruitment and admission division, Dr. Eida Roslin. Massad stressed that Yarmouk University is always ready to cooperate with prestigious international universities, especially the University of Kuala Lumpur, as attracting international students is one of the most main priorities of the university. He praised the excellent academic level of Malaysian students expressing the readiness of the university to receive more Malaysian students wishing to complete their studies at the university, especially in the disciplines of Sharia, Islamic studies and Arabic language.
In return, Tajudin reviewed the development of the University of Kuala Lumpur in 2002, emphasizing that the university's 14 branches offer diploma, bachelor, and postgraduate programs. He then stated that the university works to develop technical education in Malaysia with the support of the Malaysian government, thus contributing to training researchers and supporting their studies in the field of development for the purposes of commerce and industry. Finally, the members of the delegation praised the distinguished academic reputation of Yarmouk University at the international level, calling for establishing bridges of cooperation in the field of technical education and the exchange of scientific visits for students and faculty members.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met with undergraduate student team of the pioneering project, “Using virtual reality to develop a computerized educational curriculum for pre-school children of special needs”, which was initially chosen to represent Jordan in the Arab Rally Competition for Entrepreneurship and Innovation 2021, which was held in Dubai 27-31 March 2022 on the sidelines of World Expo 2020.
At the beginning of the meeting, Massad congratulated the university team consisting of Sohaib Al-Abed and Maysam Al-Akash (students), Dr. Rami Malkawi (the project supervisor), and Dr. Ahmed Seifan (the project co-supervisor) from the Faculty of Information Technology and Computer Science. Massad affirmed the university administration's permanent support for the creativity and innovations of distinguished students, as this reflects the faculty members' interest in supporting their students and providing them with various experiences and skills to develop their abilities in their field of specialization.
In return, the main supervisor of the project, Dr. Rami al-Malkawi, stated that the student Suhaib Al-Abed represented the project team in this competition as he had obtained a full residency from the organizers of the competition for a week, noting that the Jordanian Minister of Investment, Eng. Khairi Amro, had visited Jordan's pavilion in this competition and expressed his admiration of the project.
Suhaib Al-Abed explained that the project, which is under construction, aims at preparing a computerized curriculum for children with special needs as well as for those who suffer from learning difficulties. He also said that the project is going to be available in both Arabic and English deploying several effective and innovative techniques to achieve its purpose.
Representing the President of Yarmouk University, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Mowaffaq Omoush, patronized the opening of the Scientific Day of the Deanship of Scientific Research and Graduate Studies entitled "Research is the Path to Innovation". In his speech during the inauguration, Alomoush stressed that advanced and pioneering universities realize the importance and value of scientific research in a rapidly changing world. He also emphasized the need to look at the world's important needs and challenges concerning supporting and directing researchers to address and confront any problems. Then he mentioned that the universities are the incubators that facilitate the work of researchers and provide them with the appropriate environment for work and research, pointing out that there are many countries that have devoted a large percentage of their national income to the scientific research in universities. He finally added that Yarmouk is working to be among globally ranked universities, stressing the need to focus on developing the instructions for the incentives system for scientific publishing, patent registration, and licensing research products.
In his turn, the Dean of Scientific Research and Graduate Studies, Dr. Ayman Hammouda, stressed that scientific research is a necessity, not luxury! He explained that technological, medical, economic, social, and educational developments stem from painstaking and intense scientific research. He then added that scientific research has become an industry sponsored by several agencies and organizations, considering that such an investment views scientific research as a means for fighting poverty, hunger, disease, and ignorance, and for protecting the planet and its prosperity. Thus, Hammouda stressed the importance of encouraging the private sector to engage with scientific research and development to help their societies get developed.
For his part, Dr. Khaled Al-Qaoud, reviewed the achievements of the Deanship of Scientific Research, pointing out that Yarmouk offers 16 doctoral programs and 72 master's program and that it publishes seven scientific journals, three of which are indexed in SCOPUS database. In return, the representative of the preparatory committee for the Scientific Day, Dr. Yousra Obeidat, said that such a meeting emphasizes research projects supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research, which include student graduation projects, research projects for researchers from the faculty members and graduate students from different faculties at the university, in addition to distinguished murals for students of the Faculty of Arts. On behalf of researchers, Dr. Ramzi Al-Hourani praised the interest the Deanship of Scientific Research attaches to researchers and its strategy to encourage them to embark on the path of innovation, research, and investigation, referring to the processes the Deanship is doing in terms of studying, reviewing and scrutinizing project proposals submitted by researchers.
However, during that day, which was attended by several faculties' deans, staff, and students, Omoush opened the exhibition of posters, projects, and murals. At the end of the day, the winners of the Scientific Day Awards for 2022 were announced.
During his opening of the symposium organized by the Faculty of Mass Communication in celebration of the World Press Freedom Day, the President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, announced that the university presidency has submitted a proposal to the university’s board of trustees to start the procedures for allocating a scholarship in the name of Shireen Abu Akleh, in an attempt to perpetuate her memory, sincerity, and dedication to her work, extending the university’s condolences to the martyr's family, the Palestinian people, and the entire media and journalism family. Massad then said that the World Press Day is to emphasize the need to respect freedom of press and its ethics and to provide a free and safe media environment for journalists, which enables them to practice their work professionally and in compliance with the values and standards of journalism. He also stressed the need to provide a legislative system that guarantees the freedom of press and publication.
In his turn, the Dean of the Faculty of Mass Communication, Dr. Tahseen Mansour, said that celebrating the World Press Freedom Day in the third of May is to consolidate the outcomes, hard work, and perseverance of journalists around the world. Mansour then stressed that Yarmouk Faculty of Media is striving for development through establishing short and long-term partnerships with various institutions and bodies, which contributes to developing and advancing the Faculty’s progress and prosperity.
The head of the journalism Department, Dr. Esmat Haddad, said that the Palestinian Arab martyr, Shireen Abu Akleh, departed with her heart beating for her family and the people of Palestine and that she decided, after more than a quarter of a century of media work, to document the end of her journalistic journey with her blood and sacrifice herself for the sake of Palestine. He also explained that freedom has always been the goal of mankind and that there is no creativity without freedom, stressing that freedom increases in value and rises in status when combined with the press.
the General Director of Jordan News Agency – Petra, Mr. Fayek Hijazin representing the Minister of State for Information Affairs said that the martyrdom of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh opens the way for more research in the field of press freedom, pointing out that Israel did not assassinate the martyr, but assassinated the whole truth that Israel always tries to conceal, stressing that many countries around the world use the media to blurring and distorting facts. He indicated that today's media in Jordan and the Arab World faces many financial and content-based problems, which requires reformulating the media policy and working to establish the necessary measures to control what is published on social media platforms.
For his part, the head of the Parliamentary National Orientation, Media, and Culture Committee, Mr. Yasar Khasawneh called on the students of the Faculty to make use of the many resources and experiences offered by the Faculty staff to get what it takes to be a weapon against injustice, emphasizing that the martyrdom of Shireen Abu Akleh reflects the nobility of her career.
The President of the Jordanian Journalists Syndicate, Mr. Rakan Al-Saaida, said that the celebration of the World Press Freedom Day for this year is mixed with sadness and anger over the martyrdom of Shireen Abu Akleh, pointing out that the World Press Freedom Day acknowledges three main foundations: free press, independent press, and pluralistic journalism. He also said that the World Press Freedom Forum is to remind governments of the importance of protecting journalists and the right of expression and providing appropriate environments for their work.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, confirmed that the university, through the Deanship of Student Affairs and relevant administrative departments, began preparing and developing plans to reorganize the “graduation ceremony” for the current academic year, after ceasing for about two years because of the repercussions of the Corona pandemic. He added, during his meeting with a group of students of the Faculty of Arts, that the most prominent challenge for the University is to raise the status of its students in various fields of knowledge and fields, emphasizing that the ideal outputs of the university are represented by graduates equipped with necessary knowledge and skills that enable graduates to compete in the labor market efficiently and effectively.
Massad then pointed out that the university, through its relevant councils and departments, has begun to reconsider its legislation and regulations related to the various aspects of the university life to keep pace with several developments. He further stated that the university has begun to reconsider its study plans for all disciplines at the postgraduate level, considering the need to focus on the various life skills needed by students to contribute to their community successfully. Moreover, Massad declared that Yarmouk University has allocated a considerable portion of its budget for this year to rehabilitate its campus and its various facilities, especially concerning the needs of its students with disabilities.
Finally, the president listened to students’ remarks about the various conditions and concerns of their Faculty, especially the departments' infrastructure, laboratories, and facilities. However, the meeting was attended by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Mowaffaq al-Omoush, the Vice President for Administrative Affairs, Professor Riyad al-Momani, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Musa al-Rababah, the Dean of Student Affairs, Professor Muhammad Thiabat, the Director of Public Relations and Media, Dr. Nawzat Abu Al-Asal, and several faculty and administrative staff members.
The Student Welfare Department at the Deanship of Student Affairs at Yarmouk University organized a trip of tracking the path of the Great Arab Revolution for international students studying at the university, attempting to provide students with the opportunity to get involved in the history of the Great Arab Revolution and eyewitness the landmarks of the comprehensive renaissance of Jordan.
The Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Muhammad Khalaf Thiabat, said that organizing this event is to activate the role of the Deanship of Student Affairs in promoting national achievements and introducing international students studying at the university to the ancient history, bright present, and promising future of Jordan.
The students were accompanied by the director of the Student Welfare Department in the Deanship of Student Affairs, Marwan Tayfour, and Uday Karasneh, Muhammad Al-Nasser, Sundus Bakkar and Mahmoud Al-Ashab. They visited the Martyr’s Memorial in Amman. They then visited the Southern Military District, where they listened to an explanation about the tasks, and responsibilities, and military duties entrusted to the district leadership. They also went to Petra and Aqaba, where they visited the leadership of the Royal Navy, where they listened to a brief about the tasks of the navy and the services it provides.
The Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Mowaffaq al-Omoush, patronized the activities of the Wooden Bridges competition organized by the student branch of the American Concrete Institute at al-Hijjawi Faculty of Engineering Technology. In his opening speech, al-Omoush praised the achievements of al-Hijjawi Faculty of Engineering Technology and the importance of student activities it organizes, praising the efforts of the student branch organizing the competition, its enthusiasm and constant keenness to raise the level of the department students. He also expressed his pride in all students participating in the competition, pointing to the importance of participating and organizing such competitions that develop students' knowledge and transform their theoretical background into practical experiences.
In his turn, the academic supervisor of the student branch at al-Hijjawi Faculty, Dr. Faris Matalqa, promised to continue holding such events and competitions, emphasizing that this is not the first competition organized by the student branch, but a part of a sequence of activities held at the local and regional levels. He added that this student branch usually participates in many international competitions, such as the Concrete Solutions Competition, in which Yarmouk team ranked among the finalists—among the top twenty competing teams from various international universities.
At the end of the event, which was attended by the University President’s Adviser for Quality Affairs - Director of the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Center, Dr. Abdullah Khataiba, the Dean of the Faculty of al-Hijjawi, Dr. Muffaq Otoom, a number of the teaching and administrative staff, and several students, Otoom honored student winners of the competition, thus granting two prizes: the first for the most weight-bearing bridge, and the second for the most beautiful geometric shape.
Noteworthy here is that the competition included the design and construction of wooden bridges by 15 student teams from the Civil Engineering Department and that students' projects were evaluated by a committee of professors from the department, namely Dr. Hashem Matarneh, Dr. Yasser Jaradat, Dr. Yousra Obeidat and Dr. Mona Al-Ibrahim.
In the presence of the Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Khaled Al-Omari, the University President Professor Islam Massad, and the General Director of Jordan Tourism Board, Dr. Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat, the General Director of the Department of Antiquities, Dr. Fadi Al-Balaw, representing the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities patronized the opening of the activities of the seventh international conference of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels at Yarmouk University entitled “Tourism and Hospitality in a Changing World”. The conference, which was attended by researchers from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Pakistan, India, Germany, Britain, Malaysia, Spain, Italy, Romania, and Jordan, included working sessions where several papers were presented and discussed by researchers.
In his speech, Al-Balawi stressed the importance of the conference, as it sheds light on one of the most important economic resources of Jordan, namely the tourism sector. He explained that this sector constitutes a great source of employment and economic growth for Jordan has more than 15,000 important archaeological sites. However, pointing out the hardships of the sector during the past two years, Al-Balawi reviewed the main elements contained in 2020 policy brief of the United Nations concerning manipulating, preserving, and restoring the tourism sector all over the world. He then concluded that the future of tourism in Jordan seems to be much better than now, considering that the statistics of today are greater than what is listed in the strategy of 2001.
In his turn, Massad welcomed the conference participants at Yarmouk University, emphasizing the uniqueness of the university in terms of authenticity and heritage, as it derives its name and legacy from the historical Battle of Yarmouk. He then celebrated the geographical uniqueness of Jordan and its cultural and civilizational roots, stressing that tourism and hospitality are two main pillars of economic and social development in both industrialized and developing countries. He continued: “The Faculty of Tourism and Hotels is always distinguished for its great contribution to creating the concept of professional change by qualifying and developing cadres required for tourism and hotels away from traditional education".
For his part, Arabiyat affirmed that Jordan's economic future depends on tourism, as the country is rich in tourist and archaeological sites. He stressed the need for developing the management of the tourism sector, maintaining and protecting archaeological and tourist sites, and providing tourists with services that meet their expectations. Thus, he called on students of the faculty to work on creating innovative plans to find beneficial solutions for the problems of the tourism sector. He also stressed the need to create new tourist experiences based on the interaction of tourists with the local community.
The Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, the conference’s president, Dr. Atef Al-Shayyab, pointed out that Jordan is rich in its tourism resources and is characterized by its strategic location, describing the country's tourist sites as “Jordan’s oil”. He suggested, if tourist sites are rehabilitated, preserved, maintained, restored, and managed in an attractive scientific manner, then that will increase the gross national income, and revenues of the tourism sector will increase, which will help in solving Jordan's financial problem. Then he added: “we are meeting in this conference to discuss the latest developments in the tourism and hospitality sector considering the changes witnessed in recent years at the local, regional, and international levels, and to review the future trends of such sector, including dealing with crises and the use of modern technology.
The Department of Drama at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Yarmouk University organized an event celebrating World Theater Day. At the beginning of the ceremony, the head of the drama department, Dr. Bilal Al Thiabat, stressed the importance and status of theaters globally, reviewing the most important theater directors, writers, and actors throughout ages. He noted that several drama stars at the local and Arab levels are graduates of the drama department at Yarmouk University. However, the ceremony included a theatrical performance supervised by Dr. Muhammad Khair Al-Rifai and directed by Dr. Bilal Al Thiabat and it was presented by lab course students represented by Sondos Sawalha, Muhammad Al-Musleh, Rashid Al-Waked, Muhammad Atharba, and Bashar Abu Alloush.
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.
