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The president of Yarmouk University, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, met the Acting Cultural Attache in the Saudi Embassy, Ibrahem Al-Saadan, in Amman. The two parties discussed methods of reinforcing the means of cooperation as well as some important cases and concerns of the Saudi students at Yarmouk University.
Prof. Kafafi confirmed that Yarmouk University is keen to providing its students with the highest levels of care and constantly encourages them to participate in different activities arranged by the deanship of students affairs, which reflects positively on their personalities and contributes to developing their communication skills. He explained that this helps students to assimilate better into the student body of the university, which provides students with a broader knowledge of other cultures, expands their horizon, and qualifies them to become good citizens. This also, as Prof. Kafafi explained, allows students to become capable of giving and making the required developments in their professional life on the local and regional level.
Moreover, Prof. Kafafi stated that Yarmouk University seeks to attract more Saudi students to attend Yarmouk University, pointing out the importance of reinforcing the affairs of cooperation with the Saudi Cultural Mission on one hand and other Saudi universities on the other hand. He explained that doing that should help in exchanging academic experiences among faculty members and developing higher education in the Middle East. Furthermore, Prof. Kafafi pointed to Yarmouk’s interest in developing and updating its study plans, creating the necessary educational environment for its students, and providing students with the latest scientific innovations, as such a strategy qualifies students to become representatives of Yarmouk University in the labor market.
In his turn, Al-Saadan praised the unique intellectual reputation of Yarmouk University and pointed out the fact that Saudi students who graduate from Yarmouk always prove themselves as qualified workers in different job positions. Al-Saadan also expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the unique assistance Yarmouk provides for its Saudi students and its continuing contact with the Saudi embassy to handle any obstacles that may challenge Saudi students at the university level.
It is noteworthy that the number of Saudi students attending the different scientific degrees and academic majors in Yarmouk University is about 113 students. However, the meeting was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Science, Prof. Nehad Yousef, the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Zain Al-Abedeen Abdullah, and several other officials in the university.
AMMAN — Yarmouk University and the Crown Prince Foundation (CPF) initiative Naua on Wednesday signed a cooperation agreement providing students with access to volunteering projects organised by partner institutions through the “Nahno” online platform.
As per the agreement, Yarmouk University students will be able to create their own accounts on the Nahno website, while the university will work to facilitate sharing the primary data of student volunteers through a page “unique” to the university on the Nahno site, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
Additionally, Yarmouk University’s e-community service system will feature a shortcut to Nahno as an additional option available to students.
The agreement was signed by Yarmouk University President Zeidan Kafafi and Naua CEO Ahmad Zu’bi, according to Petra.
During the signing, Kafafi expressed appreciation for the efforts of HRH Crown Prince Hussein, his support to Jordanian youth and launching initiatives that fulfil their ambitions and motivate them.
He lauded Naua’s role in embedding a culture of community service and introducing the youth to various volunteering opportunities available across the Kingdom, through Nahno, with the aim of making a positive impact and achieving sustainable development across all sectors.
Zu’bi highlighted Naua’s dedication to enhance its partnerships with universities and educational institutions as a key partner in supporting youth and their involvement in community volunteering.
Source:Jordan Times
The President of Yarmouk University, Prof. Zeidan Kafafi, and the Director of Al-Hussein Bin Talal Library at the University, Dr. Omar Al-Ghoul, met Elke Luch Horn and Geza Heim-Halaiqa of the Office of International Relations at the Free University of Berlin during their visit to Germany. The two sides discussed future cooperation between the two parties and the possibility of signing a cooperation agreement between the two universities in areas of common interests.
Prof. Kafafi stressed the keenness of Yarmouk to strengthen academic and scientific cooperation with German educational and research institutions, especially through its Faculty of Archeology and Anthropology, which has always been linked to a large number of scientific and research cooperation agreements that attracted a number of academics to teach at the faculty and conduct research and scientific projects in various fields of archeology and excavation, taking into consideration that Jordan is rich in archaeological sites. He said that the university administration is keen to encourage faculty members to get international scientific projects and conduct joint research projects with researchers and faculty members in various universities and international institutes worldwide so as to contribute to the exchange of ideas and experiences and enhance the level of scientific research, which is a key element in achieving development in local societies.
In response, Horn and Halaiqa praised the distinguished scientific reputation of Yarmouk University and its keenness to develop and update all academic disciplines. They stressed the importance of concluding a future cooperation agreement between Yarmouk and the Free University of Berlin in areas of common interests, including archeology and anthropology, emphasizing that Yarmouk includes several experts in such fields.
Kfafi said in a video that the project is to “benefit both the students and the people of the north”.
He added: “This way, the students are better served during their student life, especially medical students who will no longer have to train at hospitals far away from them. The mall, the hospital and the hotel will also benefit not only the people of Irbid but also the people of the north.”
The project is to be built on parcels of land the university owns. The hospital will comprise 200 beds, according to Kfafi.
Abed Tarawneh, a senior employee at the university’s financial department told The Jordan Times that Queen Rania Medical Centre that operates under the university’s wing has also been put up for an investment grant.
“The goal here is to add facilities in a 4,000-square-metre space and new parking lots as well,” he said in a phone interview.
As for the hotel, which Tarawneh said will be built on the university’s campus, the plan is to have it serve as “a training field for hospitality and tourism students, who can work there to gain additional professional experience in their fields”.
The mall and the gas station are not to be built on university-owned land, according to Kfafi.
“These two aspects of the project will be executed in partnership with the private sector for the gas station and with Irbid’s Municipality for the mall,” he concluded.
The vice President of Yarmouk University for Humanities and Administrative Affairs, Pro. Anis Khasawneh, discussed with a delegation from St. Olaf College in Northfield, USA ways of scientific and research cooperation in the field of refugee studies. Prof. Khasawneh stressed that Yarmouk University was the forerunner among the Jordanian educational institutions with respect to paying attention to refugees' studies through the establishment of the Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies Center, which is concerned with spreading community awareness regarding asylum issues.
Pointing out that the Center holds conferences, seminars and workshops on issues of asylum, displacement, and forced migration, Prof. Khasawneh asserted that Yarmouk, represented by the Center, is ready to receive students from St. Olaf College who are interested in working in the field of refugees' studies and displaced persons. He also stated that Yarmouk is willing to integrate those students in Arabic language programs for non-native speakers, so they can conduct research studies on asylum issues with high efficiency and credibility. Moreover, Prof. Khasawneh said that Yarmouk University hosts a group of Syrian students who continue their studies in various disciplines through grants provided to them under the cooperation agreements concluded with the university. He also stressed the importance of benefiting from the results of scientific research conducted by researchers as realistic solutions to the problems of refugees, whether they are economic, social, educational, health, or psychological problems.
In her turn, Dr. Ibtisam Al-Atiyat, Professor of Sociology at St. Olaf College, praised the distinguished level of Yarmouk University in general, and the Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies Center in particular, which has a distinguished scientific reputation at the international level. Then she called for strengthening cooperation between the two sides by receiving a number of Yarmouk students at St. Olav College for conducting studies and scientific research specializing in asylum and displacement issues.
In response, Dr. Ayat Nashwan, the director of Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies Center, reviewed the establishment of the Center, its objectives and activities on various issues related to asylum. She pointed out that the Center seeks to communicate with refugees inside and outside the camps and works to find effective solutions to the problems they face through research and field studies conducted by the Center in cooperation with various international organizations.
However, during their visit to the university, the delegation reviewed the support and service unit for refugee students at the university R-SOS Unit of the Rescue project in which YU participates and aims to build research cooperation with participating universities to deal with refugee issues. As Prof. Al-Khasawneh explained, this unit was established and outfitted with modern equipment that enables the Refugees and Displaced Persons Center to develop its research and training programs and build sustainable services that serve refugees and refugee issues.
