Following up his series of dialogues with young people, the Prime Minister of Jordan, Dr. Bishr Al-Khasawneh, had his third dialogue meeting at Yarmouk University in Irbid Governorate with a huge number of young people from the northern governorates of Jordan under the title: “Visions of Modernization: Youth are the Focus of Attention”.

During the meeting, which was attended by a number of ministers, the president of Yarmouk University, and hundreds of public and private university students from the northern governorates, the Prime Minister affirmed that the state system in its various institutions and executive agencies is the guarantor of fulfilling the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II by implementing the outputs of the Political System Modernization Committee, which provides the basis for the existence of political and partisan life and is based on parties and political participation.

Al-Khasawneh said: "During my dialogues with young people in the central and southern regions, I clearly felt apprehension about the idea of participating in the partisan life as a result of the prohibitions that prevailed previously, stressing that the recent constitutional amendments and the election and party laws provided clear guarantees to enhance the participation of youth and women in partisan and political life and that there are no longer obstacles for young men and women to engage in that experience”. He also stated: " Students of universities will not be negatively affected due to their participation in political and partisan work, whether they are studying in universities at their own expense or on scholarships at the expense of third parties".

The Prime Minister confirmed that there is a rule of guarantees to protect the political and partisan life in Jordan and that the government will use the law in a deterrent framework against anyone who tries to discourage youth from engaging in the partisan work within the framework of parties that legally correct their status. He then pointed to the existence of a clear determination from His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Highness Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II, the Crown Prince, and from the state with its various components, executive agencies, and security system to encourage the involvement of youth in the partisan work and political life, pointing to the incorporation of concepts related to awareness and encouragement of the practice of the partisan work in school and university curricula for the purposes of breaking taboos and motivating young people to participate in parties.

Moreover, the Prime Minister explained that (70%) of public spending goes under the item of salaries and pensions and about (13.7%) for indebtedness obligations, indicating that despite what is achieved from public revenues, i.e. taxes, aids, and returns from mining industries, there is a gap between revenues and expenditures amounting to about 2 billion Jordanian dinars, which is covered through annual borrowing. He then stressed that Jordan’s economic indicators during the first quarter of this year achieve promising targets that confirm that we are on the right path, as we achieved an economic growth rate of (2.8%), an increase in the volume of national exports (4%), an increase in tourism income (68%), a decrease in unemployment (1%), a decrease in the trade balance deficit, in addition to a historical balance of cash reserves in foreign currencies. He also pointed out that the laws regulating the investment environment provides income tax exemptions of between 30% and 100% for investments that provide job opportunities for Jordanians or investments that are established outside the capital. He then mentioned the launch of the (invest jo) platform that displays the advantages and exemptions granted to investments in addition to the list of projects offered for investment.

In response to questions from young men and women, the Prime Minister confirmed that the government is working on real reforms in the education sector, focusing on tracks related to encouraging vocational and technical education, in addition to the general secondary exam (Al-Tawjihi). Concerning the university education, he indicated that the government is moving towards abolishing the Ministry of Higher Education and assigning its work to the Council of Higher Education, which will gradually result in independent policies for university admission, in addition to addressing the problem of stagnant majors and encouraging required majors in the labor market, such as artificial intelligence, information security, professional and technical specializations, and others. In response to a question about the issue of the Teachers Syndicate, the Prime Minister noted that the case is still considered by the judiciary today, stressing that there are no problems with other professional unions that hold their elections regularly.

Regarding improving the services in the government hospitals, the Prime Minister affirmed that there is a relentless pursuit by the government to improve the health and treatment services starting with Al-Bashir Hospital. He also stressed that the government seeks to cover the lack of medical specializations in government hospitals in the periphery governorates by contracting with doctors and reconsidering the scholarship process, in addition to seeking to improve the infrastructure and hotel services in hospitals, stressing that the quality of medical services provided in government hospitals is very distinguished based on statistics and studies.

Regarding the new city project, the Prime Minister pointed out that it is now undergoing in-depth feasibility studies, in addition to preparing a comprehensive plan, noting that it is not envisaged that the actual work will start before 2025 due to the fact that there is a capital investment in that city’s infrastructure, about (441) million US dollars. Regarding the role of the media, Al-Khasawneh stressed the centrality and importance of such a means of communication, pointing out that there is a lack of understanding of the role of alternative media as a modern tool that took a large part of the role of traditional media in communication. Also, he noted that stopping the application of TikTok in Jordan is related to the issue of responsible content in accordance with the law, pointing out that according to the law there must be a regional or local office in Jordan and this has not been responded to so far.

However, the Prime Minister concluded his speech saying: "I am impressed by the level of awareness among our youth and their sincere desire to move and work to make a difference and change", stressing that the government is working to reproduce credibility between the government and state institutions, on the one hand, and the citizens, on the other hand, through establishing a conscious discourse that shows facts and highlights the gradual political, economic, and administrative plans that extend over years.

The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, confirmed that the University is an incubator for various activities and events, a translation of the visions and directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Highness Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II, the Crown Prince, and their directions and plans in the areas of political, economic, and administrative modernization. He also pointed out to the activities of the second season of Yarmouk’s Youth Summer 2023, which involve inviting several community personalities to have a dialogue with University students. Finally, Massad drew attention to the University's ambitious plan to establish partnerships with the private sector to implement many projects and investments belonging to the University.

31 July 2023

In comparison to its status last year, the Faculty of Education at Yarmouk University has made progress in the seven-criterion evaluation included in the institutional capacity assessment tool for higher education institution. The evaluation process targeting the four Jordanian universities involved in the Higher Diploma Program for Teacher Training in Jordan is supervised by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is implemented by the Council for International Research and Exchanges (IREX). The standards of the evaluation include governance, academic standards, program management, quality assurance and improvement, practical training, partnerships, mentoring, financial management, marketing, enrollment, registration, staff management, professional development, and student affairs and support services.

During the session of the evaluation process, which was attended by a delegation from the (IREX) that included the Director of the University Partnerships in the Pre-Service Teacher Training Program in Jordan, Lana Al-Momani and Dr. Safwan Shatnawi, the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Professor Ahmed Al-Sharifin, presented an overview of the efforts of the Faculty in the governance of the higher diploma program for teacher preparation and management, ensuring its quality and continuous improvement. Al-Sharifin also gave a presentation of the Faculty’s plans and procedures to attract more students to the program stressing the value of the evaluation as a means of consolidating quality in all the services provided by the Faculty, which contributes to achieving the accreditation standards for the educational programs accredited by CAEP.

The session also discussed the notable improvement achieved by the Faculty at the level of partnerships and practical training as well as the preparation of learning resources and facilities that would provide safe and supportive learning environment.

It is noteworthy that during the current academic year, the Faculty of Education received 368 students in its Higher Diploma program for preparing teachers while its first cohort of graduates last year included 100 students.

25 July 2023

The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met a delegation from the US-Jordanian University Cooperation Network (UCN) headed by Dr. Mark Johnson, to discuss ways to enhance joint cooperation between the University and the various American universities that are members of the network. At the beginning of the meeting, Massad stressed that strengthening cooperation relations with the American universities that are members of the UCN is one of the priorities of Yarmouk, as such cooperation contributes to strengthening the research and educational development by providing an opportunity for Yarmouk students to complete their studies in various disciplines in the American universities that are members of the network. Also, he noted that this cooperation provides faculty members with the opportunity to exchange scientific visits through which they may acquire new scientific experiences and get updated by the latest developments in the various fields of science. Massad then called on the members of the network to build bridges of academic cooperation between Yarmouk and American universities that are members of the UCN, especially in the fields of applied linguistics, information technology, cyber security, artificial intelligence, and various engineering and medical specialties, stressing the willingness of Yarmouk through its Language Center to receive American university students who wish to learn Arabic for non-native speakers.

For his part, Dr. Johnson stressed the network's interest in strengthening the existing cooperation with Yarmouk University whose researchers have always proven their competence and ability to conduct qualitative and distinguished scientific research in cooperation with researchers from American universities that are members of the network. He explained that such cooperation opens prospects for further cooperation in the scientific, health, and humanitarian fields, thus enabling sustainable development in communities. He then explicated that the "Rawabet" program is the third phase of the joint projects implemented by the UCN Network, which includes vocational and technical education, applied research, and vocational education. He also stated that the third phase runs from 2023 to 2027, indicating that the UCN Network started with the support of the US Embassy in Amman to encourage joint dialogue between American and Jordanian universities and increase academic exchange opportunities at the level of students and faculty members.

Noteworthy is that the meeting was attended by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Mowaffaq Al-Amoush, the Dean of Al-Hijjawi Faculty for Engineering Technology and Director of the Department of International Relations and Projects, Professor Mowaffaq Al-Atoum, and Dr. Alaa Yahya and Dr. Ali Hamidat from the Faculty of Pharmacy.

17 July 2023

With the participation of Jordanian, Algerian, and German universities, a delegation from Yarmouk University, through the Leadership and Innovation Center, participated in a workshop entitled "Water Scarcity and Possible Technological Solutions" that was hosted by the German Chemnitz University of Technology supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in terms of the SAXEED Eco project.

The director of the Center, Dr. “Muhammad Ashraf” Otoom, during his lecture at the workshop, said that the SAXEED Eco project focuses this year on the problem of water scarcity in Jordan and Algeria and possible solutions through the use of modern technology. He indicated that artificial intelligence and data science help in managing water resources, detecting water leakage, and increasing the efficiency of the networks, which contributes to reducing the percentage of the misses in the networks and the optimal utilization of available water resources. Dr. Ahmed Al-Quraan and Dr. Ashraf Al-Radaida from Al-Hijjawi Faculty for Engineering Technology also presented, during their lectures in the workshop, ways to exploit solar photovoltaic energy to provide clean energy for use in water pumps in wells and homes. Different methods were also presented to rationalize the water consumption and the energy sources for water.

Moreover, Dr. “Mohammed Ashraf” Otoom and Dr. Imad Al-Sukhni from the Faculty of Information Technology and Computer Science participated in the twelfth international conference in the field of information technology ISCSET 2023, which was held in the German city of Labach, organized by the German Chemnitz University of Technology, where Otoom presented a paper explaining the development of a new algorithm for detecting and identifying brain cancer using artificial intelligence, and Al-Sukhni presented a paper on detecting hate speech in social media using deep learning.

25 July 2023

Discussing possible ways of academic and scientific cooperation between Yarmouk and various Belgian higher education institutions, the President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, His Excellency Mr. Serge Dickschen, at the University. During the meeting, Massad stressed that Yarmou is keen to strengthen cooperation with universities and educational institutions in various countries of the world, which contributes to the exchange of experiences and the development of the educational and research process, provides students with opportunities to complete their studies in international universities, and enables faculty members to learn some modern teaching and research methods in various fields. He then highlighted the vision of Yarmouk and its relentless pursuit to improve the educational process and raise the University's position in international rankings in the next five years.

Moreover, Massad pointed to the possibility of cooperation with the Belgian embassy in the academic, scientific, and research field through networking Yarmouk with Belgian universities in areas of common interest, especially in the field of archeology and anthropology, engineering disciplines, and information technology. He also reviewed the University’s establishment and its faculties and the pioneering majors it offers, such as teaching Arabic language for non-native speakers. In addition, Massad emphasized that Yarmouk is always striving to prepare a generation of qualified and trained youth that are able to engage in the labor market efficiently and competently by providing them with the necessary skills such as language and communication skills.

In return, His Excellency Mr. Serge Dickschen praised the distinguished reputation of the Jordanian higher education sector, acknowledging Yarmouk’s notable and unique academic level and stressing the embassy's readiness to enhance cooperation between Yarmouk and Belgian universities in the field of student exchange and the exchange of scientific visits among faculty members. He then expressed the embassy's happiness to be part of the various events and cultural exchange programs organized by the University, acknowledging that Jordan is one of the most Arab countries capable of teaching Arabic language to international students.

After the meeting, which was attended by the Vice Presidents of the University, Professor Mowaffaq Al-Amoush and Professor Samer Samarah, the Dean of Al-Hijjawi Faculty for Engineering Technology, Professor Mowaffaq Otoom, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Director of the Language Center, Professor Musa Al-Rababa’a, and the Head of the Modern Languages Department, Professor Hussein Al-Rahil, the ambassador toured the Jordanian Heritage Museum in the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology.

17 July 2023

Yarmouk University signed an agreement to establish and operate a technology incubator at its Leadership and Innovation Center in cooperation with the TJDEED Information Technology Company in the United Arab Emirates. The agreement, which was signed by Professor Islam Massad, the University President, and engineer Ashraf al-Qudah, the Company’s CEO, aims at providing training opportunities for Yarmouk students and graduates, building their capabilities, and preparing them to keep pace with the needs and requirements of the labor market in the areas of developing technical solutions (IT Solutions).

In terms of the agreement, the company will furnish a smart incubator at the University’s Leadership and Innovation Center, prepare a smart room for the purposes of augmented and virtual reality applications and distance learning, prepare a detailed program for training in the incubator in the areas of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, job skills, and communication, and provide specialized supervising engineers.

Massad emphasized Yarmouk University's keenness to build bridges of cooperation with various educational institutions and technical companies around the world. He also acknowledged the University’s endeavor to provide training and qualification opportunities for its students through offering them the infrastructure they need to keep pace with the rapid technological developments and get motivated to keep searching for knowledge.

For his part, al-Qudah expressed his happiness for signing the agreement with Yarmouk University, pointing out that this cooperation is part of the company's constant endeavor to cooperate and build bridges of partnership with the local community as well as Jordanian universities. He explained that the company is interested in providing training services to students, preparing them for the labor market, and introducing them to the needs of companies in the age of rapid developments of the technological revolution and the emergence of modern technologies, such as the artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (Metaverse). He also stressed that the company is keen to prepare a technological incubator equipped with the latest technology in Yarmouk’s Innovation Center so that students can gain an integrated training experience.

17 July 2023

The Vice President of Yarmouk University for Academic Affairs, Professor Muwaffaq Alomoush, sponsored the closing ceremony of the project: “Developing the Skills of Fresh Graduates for Employment Purposes”, which was supported by the American Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and organized by Dr. Saja Al-Nahar from the Faculty of Pharmacy, the Director of the Computer and Information Center, Dr. Muhammad Al-Zamil, and Dr. Amna Al-Rawashdeh from the Faculty of Education, and Dr. Tamara Al Yacoub from the Faculty of Business.

Alomoush said that this project comes in line with the University's strategic plan and its commitment to develop mechanisms and means of vocational and technical education and training, stressing that it emphasizes developing the skills of recent graduates to keep pace with the requirements of the labor market. He then indicated that investing in the capabilities of recent graduates would accelerate the Jordanian economic growth and improve the quality of life. He also praised the efforts of the project team, acknowledging the Universities’ legacy and the quality of its educational system.

The project manager, Dr. Saja Al-Nahar, presented a summary of the project, its objectives, stages, results and outputs. Al-Nahar indicated that the project is concerned with enhancing the possibility of employing new graduates between the ages of 21 and 30 in the fields of science, information technology, engineering, and medical specialties - pharmacy, in the northern region of Jordan. She added that the project is implemented to develop the capabilities of 200 graduates over a period of 18 months by conducting training programs on personal skills and discipline.

In her turn, Dr. Amna Al-Rawashdeh presented the results of the project represented by the training of 200 graduates of different disciplines, the signing of six agreements with private and public sector institutions to provide training or job opportunities, and the completion of 20 graduates of a three-month paid training. She then overviewed the stages of the project, which included analyzing the needs of the labor market, designing, developing, and implementing training programs, building partnerships with potential employers, and designing and implementing a practical training program for 20 trainees.

At the end of the ceremony, Alomoush handed the certificates of participation to the beneficiaries of the project including a group of trainers and supporting companies that provided the opportunity to train the participants, and a group of students who received practical training over a period of 3 months was honored as well.

25 July 2023

Yarmouk University has made a remarkable progress in the Times World Ranking at the level of Asian universities for the year 2023, thus getting into the category (351-400) after being in the category (401-500) for 2022. Interestingly, this classification is based on the same indicators adopted by the global ranking of universities, which include five main axes: teaching (25%), scientific research (30%), citations (30%), international outlook (7.5%), and the income generated from industry related to knowledge transfer (7.5 %). According to this classification, the Yarmouk’s score has improved in all aspects at varying rates, especially in the citation of published research, which has increased by 70% compared to last year, as well as the quality of teaching aspects, which has increased by 16% compared to last year as well.

The President of the University, Professor Islam Massad, acknowledged this achievement stressing that it is a sharp piece of evidence concerning the academic distinction of Yarmouk University and its rapid and stable movement towards globalization and excellence. He then indicated that this achievement is a true reflection of the accumulated efforts of the successive University administrations and their strategic plan that gave the quality and accreditation file the utmost importance. Thus, Massad noted the role of the faculty and administrative staff and students in advancing the University and its prosperity through scientific publication in peer-reviewed journals, openness and communication with prestigious international universities, implementation of discreet research projects, and marketing the University and enhancing its presence in international forums. He also stressed Yarmouk’s keenness to continue working hard to enhance the standards of quality and excellence in all aspects of academic work and to develop research cooperation and international partnerships.

17 July 2023

Advancing 200 ranks in QS World University Rankings for 2024, compared to last year, Yarmouk University is now in the category 1001-1200, which sets Yarmouk in the fifth rank among other Jordanian universities included in QS rankings after it was in the eighth rank according to last year’s list. Additionally, Yarmouk was recently classified as one of the best 283 universities worldwide concerning the impact of alumni, as its graduates occupy advanced leadership positions in many prestigious institutions locally, regionally, and internationally. It also ranked among the top 570 universities in the field of job reputation and among the top 600 universities in terms of academic reputation.

The Vice President for Quality, Development, and Scientific Research, Professor Samer Samarah, had received, in the presence of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Professor Azmy Mahafza, the QS-classification certificate at a ceremony recently held by the QS Foundation in Dubai, UAE.

Thus, the University president, Professor Islam Massad, expressed the University’s pride in this achievement, pointing out that such a progress in the QS classification reflects the University's firm commitment to academic and research excellence. He also acknowledged Yarmouk’s constant pursuit and interest in developing a modern and advanced educational environment, strengthening international communication and academic partnerships with prestigious international institutions, and attracting more outstanding students and professors to the University's various scientific and humanities programs.

Noteworthy here is that Yarmouk University also achieved a remarkable progress in the Times World Ranking at the level of Asian universities for 2023, thus it ranked in the category (351- 400) after it was in the category (401-500) during 2022.

02 July 2023