Yarmouk University is celebrating His Majesty King Abdullah’s 58th birthday. The university sent a cable of congratulations to His Majesty the King on his auspicious birthday and in support of his positions on Jerusalem.

Born in Amman on January 30, 1962, King Abdullah is the eldest son of His Majesty the late King Hussein and HRH Princess Muna.

A Royal Decree was issued on January 24, 1999, naming him Crown Prince. He assumed his constitutional powers as King on February 7, 1999, upon the passing of His Majesty the late King Hussein.

King Abdullah began his primary education at the Islamic Educational College in Amman and later attended St. Edmund’s School in Surrey, England. His secondary education took place at Eaglebrook School and Deerfield Academy in the US.

King Abdullah joined the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in the United Kingdom in 1980 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1981.

He joined the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army in 1982, moving up the ranks in the military to become commander of the Royal Jordanian Special Forces and Special Operations.

He also served with the Royal Jordanian Air Force Anti-Tank Wing, where he received his wings in addition to his qualification as a Cobra attack pilot.

In 1987, the King joined the faculty at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC, and completed an advanced research and study programme in international affairs alongside a Master’s Degree in Foreign Service affairs.

 The King rejoined the military in 1989, becoming commander of the Royal Jordanian Special Forces and Special Operations in 1994 with the rank of Brigadier General.

In 1996, the King restructured the Special Forces to comprise selected units and was promoted to the rank of Major General in 1998.

King Abdullah married Her Majesty Queen Rania on June 10, 1993, and they have four children: Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem.

Since his accession to the Throne in 1999, King Abdullah has focused on enhancing the capabilities of citizens, enriching the concept of respect and dignity of citizens, ensuring the sovereignty of the law, realising equality and justice and equal opportunities for citizens, in addition to focusing on pushing the development process forward and highlighting the effective role of Jordan at the international level.

In November, 2018, His Majesty was the first head of state to be awarded the Templeton Prize, a prestigious award granted in appreciation for his exceptional efforts to promote interfaith harmony, safeguard Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites and protect religious freedom.

Last year, King Abdullah’s declaration to terminate the annexes on the Baqoura and Ghumar areas to Israelis in the peace treaty and imposing full Jordanian sovereignty on them constituted a political victory for the Jordanian diplomacy based on the Kingdom’s constants to take all necessary procedures for Jordan and Jordanians.

On January 15, His Majesty delivered an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, covering a number of regional and international concerns.

The President of Yarmouk University, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, inaugurated the exhibition of "Threatened Archeology in the Middle East and North Africa", EAMENA project, which is implemented by the university's Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology in cooperation with the universities of Oxford, Leicester, and Durham in the United Kingdom. During the exhibition’s opening, Prof. Kafafi appreciated the great efforts made by the project’s executives and pointed to the university’s keenness to strengthen the cooperation links with various prestigious international universities. Conducting scientific projects and research of common interest, he stated, contributes to exchanging experiences and harnessing competencies in the service of scientific research, which reflects on the progress of humanity and the development of societies.

He then emphasized that Yarmouk University is the pioneer in the field of preserving the cultural heritage in Jordan and maintaining heritage sites and that it is through the distinguished scientific competencies of the faculty members in the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology that the university seeks to play its role in serving the local community and discovering the rich cultural heritage that abounds in various regions of the Kingdom. He also mentioned that Yarmouk attempts to work with the competent authorities to educate citizens about the necessity of reviving these places and their participation in preserving them.

The Dean of the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology, Dr. Hani Hayajneh, presented a briefing on the "Threatened Archeology in the Middle East and North Africa", ​​EAMENA project that started in 2015 as a result of the cooperation between Yarmouk University and the universities of Oxford, Leicester, and British Durham. He then explained that the working group used satellite imagery, aerial photography, and field visits to record the archaeological sites, assess their condition, and document information on a database called "Mega G" that is available on the Internet. Hayajneh also stressed that documenting and recording pictures of heritage sites enables people to understand the past and its link with our lives today.

In return, the training director of the project in Jordan and Palestine, Dr. Azadah Vavadari of Oxford University, reviewed the stages of implementing the project, which aims at increasing people's awareness of the value of archeology and cultural heritage. She then noted that a number of specialists in the field of archeology have been trained in a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa, of whom 21 were Jordanians, on how to use new technologies in the management and protection of heritage and on how to interpret satellite images with the aim of preparing records for archaeological sites. She explained that the project is being implemented with funding from the Arcadia Fund and the British Council's Cultural Heritage Protection Fund, in partnership with the Department of Digital Affairs, Culture, Information, and Sports.

Noteworthy that the exhibition was attended by the Vice President of the University for Humanitarian Affairs Prof. Fawaz Abdel Haq, the Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Amal Naseer, the Director of the project training in Egypt Dr. Mohamed Kenawi from the University of Oxford, , a number of faculty members at the faculty, and a crowd of students.

In the presence of the University President, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, and the Irish Ambassador in Amman, Dr. Vincent O'Neill, the Department of International Relations and Projects at Yarmouk University organized the activities of Yarmouk University International Week. The opening ceremony was attended by the Nigerian Ambassador in Amman, the Vice-Chancellor for Administrative Affairs, Humanitarian Faculties Affairs, several deans, faculty members, and a crowd of students. Kafafi welcomed the participants in the first Yarmouk International Week and stated that it will be a platform for partnerships, networking, and exchange of best practices and experiences among all participating institutions and universities. He then reviewed the development of Yarmouk and emphasized its vision to achieving balance between the humanities on the one hand and the scientific, engineering, and medical specialties on the other hand. He also pointed out the considerable interest of Yarmouk to provide its students with outstanding teaching levels, community service opportunities, extracurricular activities, and promotion of innovation. He concluded that the university’s main goal is to produce productive young people of integrity, vision, and entrepreneurial thinking.

For his part, the Irish Ambassador, Dr. Vincent O'Neill, talked about the role of higher education in achieving Sustainable Development Goals. He pointed out that Ireland is one of the new countries that was able to build a strong economy and take its investment position among international companies. O’Neill then stressed out that the success of the state of Ireland, despite its recent history, is attributed to the nation's commitment to deepen its global ties and internationalization at various levels. O'Neill pointed out that the Irish economy grew faster after joining the United Nations in 1955 because of its belief in achieving human welfare and development. Then he said that there are many similarities between Ireland and Jordan: Both are small countries that are linked to multiple international relations and have been able to build distinct security and safety system for themselves. He then recommended that in order to benefit from its international relations, Jordan must access international markets and strengthen its trade ties.

In his turn, the Director of the Department of International Relations and Projects, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee for Yarmouk International Week, Dr. Mowaffaq Al-Ottoum said that the activities of the week, which includes more than 115 participants from Jordan and more than 50 participants from outside Jordan representing 23 countries, focuses on the internationalization of higher education. He explained that such an event will promote entrepreneurship opportunities through exchange programs and capacity-building projects and will strengthen the link between industry and scientific research.

The Jordanian students team consisting of Mansour Al-Hamoud from the Faculty of Information Technology and Computer Science at Yarmouk University, Zaid Affanah and Muhammad Abu Shukr from Princess Sumaya University of Technology, won the third place of the Huawei Global Competition for 2019 from among 13 teams that included 39 students from various countries of the Middle East. This gathering, which took place in China, attracted more than 21 thousand students from 437 colleges and universities from Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Jordanian Ambassador in Beijing, Hossam Al-Husseini, and the President of Huawei in the Middle East, Charles Yang, handed over the students their awards. The ambassador then congratulated the Jordanian team on their victory in achieving this rank in the Huawei competition and expressed his pride in the level of students participating in this team, which represents the ambitious and proactive Jordanian youth. He then praised Huawei's efforts to support young cadres and owners of creative ideas.

Elaborating on the event, Prof. Kafafi congratulated the winners of the competition and expressed Yarmouk's pride for its distinguished students who have proven their merit and academic excellence in various competitions at the local, Arab, and international levels. He also stressed the university's keenness to support its creative students, guide their educational career, and qualify them with the scientific skills necessary to raise their level of competitiveness.