The President of Yarmouk University, Prof. Zidan Kafafi met Dr. Martha Habash, the Academic Director of Jesuit Worldwide Learning Institute at Creighton University. The two parties discussed the possibility of cooperation, especially in the field of holding an English language training program for university students and refugees in Jordan.

During the meeting, Kafafi stressed the keenness of Yarmouk to strengthen cooperation with various international educational institutions and institutes, which contributes to the exchange of experiences and knowledge, and positively reflects on improving the educational process at the university. He also stressed that Yarmouk University, since its inception, is keen to positively impact the society of Irbid Governorate and the providence of educational services of its citizens. As a national institution in Jordan, Yarmouk University has handled its social responsibility towards the community to carry part of the burden of the seek refuge in Jordan through the implementation of a number of international scientific projects supported by international donors aiming at rehabilitating refugees, helping them to engage in Host communities, and enabling them to start their business and entrepreneurship in a way that achieves economic sufficiency of their needs.

Kafafi then proceeded to express Yarmouk’s willingness to discuss the possibility of establishing a program to teach the English language to non-native speakers serving by that refugees, local community members, and university students alike. This possibility will assist those, who wish to join international universities, to complete their higher studies on the one hand, and to raise their level of mastery of the English language that is now considered the language of the modern age.

In return, Habash praised the outstanding level of Yarmouk University, the efficiency of its faculty members, and their excellence in attracting and implementing international projects that serve the community. Habash also stressed the Institute’s keenness to strengthen cooperation with Yarmouk represented by the Refugees, Displaced Persons, and Forced Migration Studies Center, and to compose a future memorandum of understanding in areas of common interest.

The meeting was attended by Vice-Presidents: Prof. Anis Khasawneh and Prof. Fawwaz Al-Abed Al-Haq, as well as the Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, Prof. Nihad Yousef, the Director of International Relations and Projects Department, Dr. Mowaffaq Otoom, and the Director of the Refugees, Displaced Persons, and Forced Migration Studies Center, Dr. Anas Al-Subuh.

During his official visit to a number of projects in Irbid, Ajloun, and Mafraq, the Royal Court Chief and head of the follow-up committee for the implementation of Royal initiatives, Yousef Issawi, inaugurated the “main amphitheater” located at Prince Hussein Building,  Yarmouk University, which is funded by the Arab Potash Company (APC).

Interestingly, this funding complies with His Majesty King Abdullah’s vision to improve living conditions and achieve sustainable growth across the Kingdom and with the APC’s social responsibility initiatives.

Considering that the main amphitheater can host up to 500 people and has been equipped with “state-of-the-art” sound systems and digital screens during ongoing renovations, Yarmouk President, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, expressed his gratitude to the APC for the implementation of the project, in cooperation with the Royal Court. He Further stressed that the amphitheater will enhance the educational process at Yarmouk University. 

Noteworthy that the inauguration ceremony was attended by Irbid Governor, Mr. Radwan Al-Otoom, APC’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, Jamal Sarayrah, and several Yarmouk deans and academic and administrative staff members.

The President of Yarmouk University. Prof. Zeidan Kafafi met a delegation from the German Protestant Institute of Archeology, which included Dr. Dieter Weber, the Director of the Institute in Jerusalem, and Dr. Utah Heiser from the Institute's sect in Amman. The two sides discussed ways of enhancing cooperation between Yarmouk and the institution, especially in the field of implementing an inventory project of the artifacts in the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology.

During the meeting, Kafafi stressed the depth of relations between Yarmouk University and the Institute as well as other German educational institutions, especially in the field of archaeological excavations and maintenance. He then praised the role of the Institute in preserving the cultural heritage, the field of excavation, and the monuments through projects applied in several archaeological sites in Jordan, which is executed in cooperation with several Jordanian researchers, and a number of faculty members at Yarmouk University. Kafafi also pointed out the possibility of continuing cooperation with the Institute through signing a memorandum of understanding between the two sides to implement a research project on a set of artifacts in the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology. He explained that this should enable researchers to study, analyze, and understand the history of the sequential civilizations of the region.

In return, Weber praised the outstanding scientific level of the Faculty of Archeology at Yarmouk University and its role in preserving the cultural heritage in the region. He then expressed the readiness of the Institute to study the possibility of implementing the inventory of the artifacts project in the faculty, which enhances the role of the Institute in the preservation of the world's cultural heritage and contributes to the definition of regional identities considering them as the most important requirements of the cultural dialogue among civilizations.

However, the meeting was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology, Prof. Hani Hayajneh, the University's Advisor for Human Resources Affairs, Prof. Abdul Halim Al-Shayab, and the Director of the Department of Public Relations Mr. Mukhlis Al-Abini.

The Vice President of Yarmouk University for Student Affairs and External Relations, Prof. Fawwaz Al-Abed Al-Haq, met the Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies and Arabic Language of the Pahang Foundation in Malaysia, Prof. Muhammad Rasheemy, and they discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Yarmouk and Pahang. At the beginning of the meeting, Prof. Al-Abed Al-Haq stressed Yarmouk University's keenness to expand its cooperation with various international educational institutions, as doing this complies with the university's vision to become universal and exchange experiences and ideas with different partners to reflect positively on the educational process and the level of the university graduates. Also, Prof. Al-Abed Al-Haq praised the depth of the academic relations between Yarmouk University and Pahang Foundation and expressed Yarmouk’s readiness to expand the fields of cooperation and activate them in areas of common interest, especially in the field of holding lectures, and participating in scientific events and seminars through video communication. Moreover, Prof. Al-Abed Al-Haq pointed out that Yarmouk is keen to take care of its new students from various Arab, Western, and Islamic nationalities and emphasized Yarmouk’s strategy to involve the Malaysian arrivals into the various extracurricular activities organized by the Deanship of Student Affairs at the University, thus sharpening their skills and enhancing cultural exchange among university students. He then proceeded to praising the outstanding level of the Malaysian students studying in Yarmouk in various academic disciplines and acknowledged their commitment to the regulations and laws of the University.

In his turn, Prof. Rashimi thanked Yarmouk University for its unwavering care for Malaysian students and stressed the keenness of his own faculty supported by the Pahang Foundation to send more students to Yarmouk University. He praised the scientific reputation of Yarmouk and the outstanding level of the university graduates of Malaysian students who proved their competence in many different job positions back home. He also expressed his hope to benefit from the experiences of Yarmouk University in developing and updating the study plans for several academic programs at Pahang Foundation University and to renew the agreement between the two sides and expand the fields of cooperation between the two parties.

However, the meeting was attended by the Vice President for Humanities Faculties and Administrative Affairs, Prof. Anis Khasawneh, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof. Mohammad Bani Doumi, the Head of the Department of Usul-Addin at the Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies, Prof. Mohammad Zuhair, the Head of Student Welfare Department at the Malaysian Embassy in Amman, Dr. Ziad Al Azzam, and the Director of the Department of Public Relations and Media, Mr. Mukhlis Al-Abini.