The President of Yarmouk University, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, met the French ambassador, Veronique Volan and the accompanying delegation, who visited the university to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in several areas of mutual interest. During the meeting, Kafafi reviewed the history of Yarmouk's cooperation relationships with the French embassy in Amman as well as the various universities, institutes, and educational institutions in France. He then stressed Yarmouk's keenness to maintain such cooperation and develop it in the field of exchanging scientific visits particularly, as this will help students learn about the French culture/ civilization, exchange experiences and knowledge, reflect experiences in the educational process at the university, and transfer new knowledge to colleagues.
Also, Prof. Kafafi acknowledged the embassy’s support of the master's program in the French language that is managed by the University’s Faculty of Arts. He then thanked the embassy for their help in providing the Department of Modern Languages with teachers of the French language. Moreover, Kafafi emphasized Yarmouk’s willingness to host French students in several postgraduate programs and fields like media, tourism, archeology, and law. He then pointed out the possibility of providing an opportunity for students of Al-Hijjawi Faculty of Technology Engineering to spend a period of field training at a French institution or company. He explained that such a strategy should inform students about the nature of the international labor market, improve their skills, and open major opportunities for them to get involved in the labor market. In addition, Kafafi asked for the possibility of sending a number of the Faculty members of al-Shari'a Faculty to spend the summer semester in one of the French colleges, institutes, or centers that are concerned with the study of Islamic religion.
Moreover, Kafafi pointed out that Yarmouk is devoted to developing and updating its academic plans for all proposed academic programs and to creating new academic programs that keep pace with developments in the world considering the information revolution. He then expressed the possibility of opening new horizons for cooperation with the scientific centers hosted by Yarmouk University like the Refugees, Displaced Persons, and Forced Migration Studies Center. He suggested that partners can implement development projects that provide care, education, and rehabilitation opportunities for Jordanians and Syrian refugees.
In turn, Volan praised the distinguished scientific reputation of Yarmouk University and its cooperative relations with various French universities in the fields of archeology and tourism. Volan then expressed the embassy’s willingness to expand cooperation between Yarmouk and French universities by increasing the number of students from Yarmouk studying in France in all academic specializations and hosting professors of Sharia and Islamic studies at French research centers that focus on religions and Islamic studies. Also, she appreciated the level of cooperation between the embassy and the Department of Modern Languages and expressed the embassy’s willingness to support the master's program of the French language at the department. In addition, she appreciated Yarmouk's interest in collaborating regarding the support of Syrian refugees in Jordan through the Menca project, which aims at encouraging distinguished university students to apply for scholarships offered through the website of the French embassy in Amman to complete their studies in France.
Interestingly, during her visit to the university, the ambassador met the students of the modern languages department. She spoke with them about the educational opportunities available to students wishing to complete their higher university studies in France. She also emphasized the availability of certain training opportunities for students at the French cultural Institute in Amman. However, the meeting was attended by the Vice-Presidents of the University, Prof. Ahmad Al-Ajlouni, Prof. Anis Khasawneh, the Political attaché at the French Embassy in Amman, Julian Cliche, the University Cooperation attaché at the French Embassy in Amman, Katrina Sabatini Cliche, and several deans and directors at the university.
