| Universiti Putra Malaysia

UPM strengthens educational partnerships with four Jordanian universities

By Mohd Nazri Md Yasin

AMMAN, Jan 27 - Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) delegation has managed to improve the university’s academic cooperation and internationalisation of education programmes with four Jordanian universities recently.

The delegation, led by Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato' Dr. Mohd Fauzi Ramlan had a working visit to Amman Arab University (AAU), Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), Yarmouk University and the University of Jordan.

He described the visit was an initial stage to cooperate more closely through  internationalisation ventures with universities in Jordan and the Middle East.

"This visit meets its targets by achieving positive understanding and commitment given by the four Jordanian universities.

"This is an effort to improve academic and research success, besides encouraging students/staff of universities in Jordan to come to UPM," he said.

He held a meeting with Arab Amman Universiy (AAU) President, Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) President and Yarmouk University Vice President on January 26 to ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and a letter of intent with the universities.

UPM delegation also inked another MoU after a meeting with the University of Jordan management officials on January 27.

All sides have agreed to cooperate in the fields of academic and research through students/staff exchange programmes, offer dual degree (jointly awarded degree), organise international conferences, seminars and research collaborations.

Prof. Dato' Dr. Mohd Fauzi also expressed his wish to invite the University of Jordan president and management officials to UPM to witness its facilities and academic system.

Also present during the visit was Education Malaysia Jordan Director, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Azidan Abdul Jabar.


MoU document exchange between UPM Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dato' Dr. Mohd Fauzi Ramlan and Amman Arab University President, Prof. Dr. Omar Al-Jarrah, witnessed by UPM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International), Prof. Datuk Dr. Mad Nasir Shamsudin a


Amman Arab University
Amman Arab University was established in 1999 as a private, non-profit institution, specialises in graduate studies and under the name of Amman Arab University for Graduate Studies, it has become the first Jordanian university which was competent in offering master's and doctoral programmes. The institution is also a member of the Association of Arab Universities.


Gifts exchange between JUST President, Prof. Abdallah I. Hussein Malkawi and Prof. Dato' Mohd Fauzi Ramlan, witnessed by Prof. Mad Nasir Shamsudin


Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST)
 
Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) is a comprehensive, state-supported university located on the outskirts of Irbid, in northern Jordan, 70km north Amman, the capital city of Jordan. JUST was established in 1986 as an autonomous national institute of higher education with the main objective of producing outstanding professionals in specialisations that match the needs of Jordan and the region.
 
Since its establishment, JUST has been at the forefront of higher learning in the Arab World. It also maintains a high reputation among the Middle Eastern universities due to its faculty and administrative staff, multi-disciplinary educational system and broad diversity of students. The university was described as the best scientific institution in the Kingdom by King Abdullah II during his last visit, and it was ranked as the top research university in the country, and amongst the top 50 universities in the Islamic World, according to a study carried out by the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC).
 
JUST is considered today as one of the region's leading universities in teaching and research. The number of students has increased significantly since the university’s establishment. Today JUST has more than 800 full-time faculty members, with 20,000 undergraduate and 1800 graduate students, in contrast to 2,300 students in the 1986/1987 academic year. JUST comprises more than 5,000 international students of 60 nationalities, rendering it the most cultural-diverse university in Jordan.
 
The university provides a wide range of advanced degree programmes at the undergraduate and graduate levels, many of them are not offered by any other Jordanian university. At the present time, the university comprises 12 faculties (Medicine, Engineering, Science & Arts, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, Architecture, Information Technology, Applied Sciences, Nursing and Graduate Studies) and 55 departments offering 42 undergraduate programmes and 95 postgraduate programmes. These programmes are constantly reviewed to improve their quality and to ensure that the students are always updated with the latest scientific skills and knowledge. All departments, faculties and service units are working together to ensure that the education offered is both supportive and rewarding.


Signing a Letter of Intent between UPM and JUST, Jordan, represented by Prof. Dato' Dr. Mohd Fauzi Ramlan and Prof. Ahmed M. Elbetieha


Yarmouk University

Established in June 1976 by a Royal Decree, Yarmouk University has developed steadily into one of the largest and most prestigious state-supported educational institutions in Jordan.  The university currently houses 27,850 students, 936 faculty members, and 1,740 administrative and technical staff spread over 13 faculties that offer 56 bachelor degree programmes, 63 master degree programmes, and 19 PhD programmes in a variety of specialisations. It also has 11 centres for research and career development.

Discussion with Yarmouk University Vice President, Professor Abdulla Moh'd Al-Jarrah in his office along with the university’s top management. Also present was Education Malaysia Jordan Director, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Azidan Abdul Jabar (2nd from right)


University of Jordan

The University of Jordan is both a modern as well as old institution of Higher Education in Jordan. Established in 1962, the University has, since then, applied itself to the advancement of knowledge no less than to its dissemination. In its capacity as a comprehensive teaching, research and community-service institution, the University of Jordan enables its students to choose from a wide range of programmes - more than 3500 different courses are offered by some 18 faculties.
 
At the undergraduate level, students have the choice to select from among 63 different programmes in the Arts, Business Administration, Science, Shari'a (Islamic Studies), Medicine, Nursing, Agriculture, Educational Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Law, Physical Education, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Humanities and Social Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences, Information Technology and, most recently, Arts and Design. For those interested in graduate education, the University offers 30 doctoral programmes, 81 Master's programmes, 16 programmes in Higher Specialisation in Medicine, one programme in Higher Specialisation in Dentistry, 3 Professional Diploma programmes, and 6 interdisciplinary Master's programmes across the wide spectrum of academic disciplines.
 
From an international perspective, the University offers 63 international programs at the undergraduate level, and 130 international programmes at the graduate level and in all fields of specialisations. All programmes offered by the University combine traditional academic lecturing with the more liberal methodologies of instruction which are based on dialogue, research and creative thinking. Theoretical instruction is further assisted with interactive multimedia teaching techniques and computer-based instructional materials to support, and eventually discard, traditional teaching methodologies. Field work, practical training, and applied research are essential components of most of the programmes offered by the University.

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