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The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, met with the Director of the USAID Pre-Service Teacher Education and Training Program in Jordan, Cameron Mirza, and the Agency’s Project Management Specialist, Omar Al-Daoudia, to discuss the latest developments of the Higher Diploma Program for Teacher Education supported by the USAID and implemented by the university in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Queen Rania Academy for Teacher Training, the Civil Service Commission, and the Commission for Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions and Quality Assurance.
Massad affirmed Yarmouk's keenness to continue cooperation with USAID to implement this qualitative program due to the importance of preparing teachers and qualifying them to practice the teaching profession in an efficient and trustworthy manner. He stated that Yarmouk University has graduated the first batch of 101 students of this diploma, stressing its keenness to attract more students to be part of the second cohort of the academic year 2022/2023. He then explained that the Faculty of Education is working hard, in cooperation with USAID, to prepare more teaching halls and laboratories to accommodate the number of students registered in the program, in addition to holding training courses to prepare the individuals in charge of supervising the program.
In return, Mirza valued the university’s success in having such a program, emphasizing that USAID is always looking forward to an effective and continuous partnership in various scientific and cultural fields. Likewise, Daoudia praised the distinguished level and procedures carried out by the university to implement the diploma project, noting that Yarmouk University is one of the most attractive partner universities in the program.
Yarmouk University concluded its celebrations of the graduation of the 43rd batch of students of the first and second semesters of the academic year 2021/2022 by having its president, Professor Islam Massad, handing over certificates to graduate students in the presence of the deans of the faculties, a number of faculty members, and students' families. The student, Fairouz Al-Tayyar, gave a speech on behalf of her fellow graduates, in which she expressed her joy for their academic achievement acknowledging the support of the university administration. It is noteworthy that since its start, Yarmouk University has graduated 23,479 graduate students from various disciplines.
As part of the Summer Youth 2022 activities organized by the Deanship of Student Affairs, the president of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, welcomed Dr. Muhammad Abu Hammour, former Minister of Finance, and Dr. Muhammad al-Momani, former Minister of Media, to an interactive symposium entitled “Yarmouk Success Stories”. Massad stressed that students are in need to meet with experienced individuals such as Abu Hammour and Al-Momani to get inspired by the journey and success of such individuals as evident in the important roles played by Abu Hammour and Al-Momani during their tenure of the Ministries of Finance and Media.
Abu Hammour stated that meeting the youth causes him to feel that there are opportunities for change and development for the better, stressing that assuming positions is not an indicator of success; rather, it is to master the work that indicates success. Abu Hammour then reviewed his career since studying at the Faculty of Economics at Yarmouk University, travelling to Britain to complete his postgraduate studies, and working in several positions in Jordan.
For his part, Al-Momani stressed the need for students to engage with extracurricular activities and volunteer work because of their positive impact on building students’ personality and enabling them to conduct several responsibilities and better understanding the political life. He also reviewed his academic career at the Department of Political Science at Yarmouk University and his active participation in student clubs, student union councils, and extracurricular activities, especially political ones, which has provided him with the experience of how to talk about various political currents, how to write a statement, and how to organize election campaigns and rallies. He also called on students to take advantage of opportunities and practice the process of objective self-assessment by answering questions like, Have I done enough? Have I taken sufficient steps to reach what I want? Finally, he emphasized the significant role of the Deanship of Student Affairs in refining students' personality and developing their skills through organizing national and political seminars, interactive and sports activities, art exhibitions, and volunteer work.
Al-Hijjawi Faculty for Engineering Technology at Yarmouk University organized a panel discussion entitled “Strengthening the Role of Youth in Political Life” as part of the activities of Youth Summer 2022, with the participation of the member of the Jordanian Senate, Madallah Tarawneh, the member of the Royal Committee for the Modernization of the Political System, Dr. Laith Nasraween, the director of Muhafathati institution, Engineer Abdullah Bani Hani, and the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Muwaffaq Otoom. Madallah Al-Tarawneh said that Jordan is experiencing a new stage at the level of the political, parliamentary, and partisan work explaining that the political scene is crowded with parties and that all these parties address young people, calling on students and youth not to get involved in any party that does not present viable political programs and visions. He further stressed that with the new Parties Law of 2022, there is no longer any fear of belonging to any political party in Jordan as the Law of Parties provides people with the right to file any governmental or police violation against their own right of party affiliation. Nasraween congratulated the university youth on the occasion of the International Youth Day, noting that the message of His Majesty King Abdullah II stressed to the Chairman of the Royal Committee for the Modernization of the Political System emphasized the need to define the parliamentary work, empower youth and women, and strengthen the partisan life in Jordan. He then mentioned that the Royal Committee for the Modernization of the Political System is divided into sub-committees: a constitution committee, an election law, and a law of parties, youth, and women. Bani Hani stressed the need for youth to participate in the formulation of policies and decision-making processes, especially since the law guarantees people the right to be part of the next political stage and system. He pointed out that His Majesty, through the fourth discussion paper, emphasized that Jordanians should work together, find solutions, and be part of the next political stage heading "towards democratic empowerment and active citizenship".
The Chairman of the Board of the Independent Election Commission, Engineer Musa Al-Maaytah, sponsored the opening of the activities of the symposium entitled "Jordanian Youth and Sustainable Community Development" organized by Queen Rania Center for Jordanian Studies and Community Service and the Sustainable Development Studies Center, in the presence of the University President, Professor Islam Massad, the former Minister of Culture, Sabri Erbihat, the former Minister of Labor and head of the Higher Council of Youth, Dr. Atef Odaibat, and the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Ali Al-Khawaldeh. In his speech, Al-Maaytah said that the Independent Election Commission works within the national campaign to promote the public participation in the political life and that it targets the youth coping with royal directives that emphasize educating youth politically, integrating them into the political life, and motivating them to engage in the active political work. Al-Maaytah stressed the importance of educational institutions in spreading the political awareness and enhancing youth’s confidence in the seriousness of reform and modernization conducted by the Jordanian government. In his turn, the President of the University, Professor Islam Massad, welcomed the participants in the activity emphasizing that Yarmouk University has always been a beacon of scientific and civilized energy, and a center for enlightenment and knowledge. He stressed that the issues of the Jordanian youth are a national priority present at the highest levels in Jordan and that the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II have always stressed the importance of giving youth full attention and empowering them in all aspects of economic, political, and social life. For his part, the Director of the Sustainable Development Center and Queen Rania Center for Jordanian Studies and Community Service, Dr. Abdul Basit Athamneh, delivered a speech in which he pointed out that the sustainable community development includes all aspects of life and imposes on the population an economy in the depletion of its non-renewable resources, pointing out that the Jordanian youth are able to overcome various difficulties if they are provided with a stimulating environment, real empowerment initiatives, and solid bridges to cross to a promising future. For his part, Erbihat pointed to the role of universities in the community service wondering whether education shackles individuals so that they do not interact with society. He then stressed the value of having young people aware of their role and value, pointing out that the society needs to formulate appropriate policies for youth so that they get aware of their needs, their power and time, and the availability of management and investment programs in order to benefit from such a constellation in developing the society. Al-Odaibat expressed his pride in the Jordanian youth and their technical skill and administrative abilities, pointing out that the Jordanian youth led qualitative campaigns for the development and modernization of various fields in a number of brotherly countries, which proves that they can do the same for Jordan. He then said that the participation of youth in the political and partisan process is the only way to bring about change and reform and achieve sustainable development, especially with the presence of the supreme political will of the country's leader and the positive legislation that emphasizes the value of youth in achieving the political success. For his part, Al-Khawaldeh thanked Yarmouk University for holding such a symposium that discusses the political participation of youth, which implies their participation in decision-making and government management. He added that youth today has the opportunity to engage in the political and partisan work, as the new legislation removes the obstacles that used to stand against people’s will, which stresses the responsibility of the political parties in presenting partisan development programs. The former president of the House of Representatives, Dr. Hamid Batayneh, who moderated the symposium, said that since the establishment of the Jordanian state, there has been emphasis on the need to train the human cadres to be responsible for building the state and its institutions. He also stressed the importance of the scientific research in addressing various societal issues and challenges, calling for the establishment of a higher authority for scientific research directly linked to the Prime Minister and sponsored by the state treasury. He explained that this authority will be responsible for finding effective solutions to challenges and issues that may trouble the society through scientific research.
Jihad al-Momani, a board member of the Independent Election Commission, said that the youth involvement in the party work is protected by legislative and royal guarantees as well as the guarantee of need as Article 4 of the Political Parties Law stipulates that students in higher education institutions should not be attacked because of their party or political affiliation and activity and that the Jordanian citizen -in cases of infringement of constitutional or legal rights- has the right to resort to competent courts to file any objection or claim compensation for material and moral damage.
During the dialogue workshop organized by Yarmouk University entitled "the Role of Political Parties in Youth Development", which is held as part of a series of dialogue workshops covering the discussion papers of His Majesty the King, Al-Momani indicated that the royal guarantee is from His Majesty King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, who emphasized in various local forums the need to encourage the youth to be part of the political system and to engage in the partisan work. He added that the law of the Jordanian Parties simulates the time stage desired by His Majesty the King, which is the stage of shifting from loyalties to sub-identity and then to a community of parties that will be able to form governments. He also called on the university students, as the center of the reform process, to be careful in choosing the national parties.
The Vice President of Yarmouk University for Administrative Affairs, Professor Riad Almomani, said that empowering the youth is not only concerned with the political work, but with science, economics, society and culture, stressing that engaging in the partisan work is an important experience for students as well as the society in general. He then explained that the university will work to take all legislative and logistical measures and formulate instructions to manage the partisan work inside the university campus. Besides, the dean of the deanship of Student Affairs, Dr. Muhammad Thiabat, emphasized that Yarmouk, through the various activities of Youth Summer 2022, aims at consolidating freedoms among university students, refining their personalities, empowering them as leaders, and encouraging them to engage in the partisan work.
In his participation in the dialogue seminar entitled "A simulation of the new election law: reality and ambition", which was organized by Yarmouk University as part of the activities of the youth summer 2022, the Director of Rased Center, Dr. Amer Bani Amer, said that the elections must maintain social stability and societal cohesion and that councils represent all segments of the Jordanian society. Bani Amer explained that the new election law meets the best international standards in the field of election integrity represented by justice, transparency, and freedom. He then pointed out that the goal of approving the new law is to reach a strong parliament that is capable of evaluating the government’s performance and that the new amendments included in the new election law support women’s participation in the elections. However, an extensive dialogue took place during the session where Bani Amer answered students' questions and inquiries about the new electoral law and youth participation in the political work.
Yarmouk University chess team won the third place cup, two gold medals, and one bronze in the Chess Championship of the Federation of Jordanian Universities, which was organized by Jordan Sports Federation at Al al-Bayt University with the participation of 18 public and private universities. The university team included nine players, five males and four females, among whom outstand Siwar Abu Al-Sheih and Ismail Hammad, who won two gold medals for the first and second table respectively.
The member of the Jordanian Senate, Dr. Khaled Al-Bakkar, praised Yarmouk University’s organization of Youth Summer 2022, which is considered as a model for integrating the Jordanian youth into the reform process in its various political, economic, and administrative aspects. During the interactive workshop covering the discussion papers of His Majesty the King, “the Economic Reform and its Role in Achieving the Desired Political Reform,” organized by the Deanship of Student Affairs at Yarmouk University in the presence of the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Muhammad Al Thiabat, Bakkar stated that Jordan, in its first centenary, was able to build successful models to accomplish outstanding achievements in its academic institutions, public services, health and education, pointing out that despite all the challenges, Jordan was able, under the leadership and wisdom of the Hashemites, to be part of the political map of the world and to turn challenges into opportunities. He also said that the royal directive emphasized that we will welcome our second centenary with political and economic reform accompanied by a vision for administrative reform. He then stressed that the first step in the political reform is to reform the parliament: If the parliament is reformed, then the state will be reformed. Moreover, he mentioned that the Jordanian economy suffers from some chronic distortions, such as unemployment, poverty, indebtedness, and weakness in development, and that the higher education sector suffers from several challenges, such as stagnant majors and the labor market’s failure to absorb the increasing number of graduates. Besides, Bakkar pointed out that the economic vision of the country aims at improving and developing services for citizens and achieving sustainable economic growth by strengthening growth drivers, namely foreign investment, developing domestic investment, and controlling expenditures, pointing out that the royal speech stressed the need for political parties that can demonstrate the extent of their programs to achieve such goals and address the gaps in economics.
