German-Jordanian University

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The German-Jordanian University (GJU) is one of the ten public universities in Jordan. After the practical idea of a joint university had developed over a period of several years, both Jordan and Germany started to put the project German-Jordanian University into practice in fall 2004. The German project office is affiliated to the Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal, University of Applied Sciences in the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany. The University is actively supporting the project team in many ways.

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[edit] Foundation

On April 24, 2005, the foundation stone for the university building was laid in Madaba (close to Jordan’s capital Amman) by Prince Ali Ben Nayef who deputized for King Abdullah II. Dr. Labib Khadra, a telecommunications engineer educated in Germany and the USA, was named founding president shortly after.

The project GJU is receiving government aid through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research; also the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs Saxony-Anhalt and the University of Bremen are contributing. Also, there are first commitments from the Jordanian private sector concerning financial support. The Jordanian Government is paying its part from resources stemming from a debt swap agreement.

The new university is planned for five thousand students who will declaredly be recruited in Jordan as well as in neighbouring countries and regions. There will be strong emphasis on the culturally sensitive attendance of the special needs and interests of female students and their families.

[edit] Courses

Beginning with the winter term 2005/2006 in its temporary location, the Royal Scientific Society, the GJU is going to offer eleven Bachelor Courses. These are going to be:

  • School of Management and Humanity Sciences [Business Studies, Logistics]
  • School of Medical Sciences [Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering]
  • School of Natural and Applied Sciences [Environmental Technology, Water Management and Technology]
  • School of Technological Sciences [Energy Engineering, Software Engineering, Maintenance Engineering, Mechatronics, Plant Engineering and Management]

Concerning the course "German as a foreign language", the GJU cooperates with the respective professorship at the Saarland University.

Within the next few years there will also be the following programmes:

  • Archaeological Heritage and Museum Studies
  • Architecture / Interior Design
  • Biotechnology
  • Autotronics
  • Foreign languages: Translation, Interpreting, Language Teaching (German and English)
  • Media and Communications
  • Public Health and Hospital Management
  • Control and Systems Engineering
  • Tourism Management
  • Public Administration
  • MBA

The actual programmes were chosen following consultation with Jordanian experts from the education and the business sector as well as leading representatives from the private sector.

[edit] The role of the German Fachhochschulen [Universities of Applied Sciences]

In close cooperation with the Magdeburg-Stendal University, the project team has already bound about seventy dedicated German Universities of Applied Sciences to a cooperating consortium. Its members will support the designing of the study programmes' curricula, the recruiting and selection of qualified German academic staff and host students during their German year. The consortium is open to more German-language Universities of Applied Sciences who are interested in joining the project.

The five-year study programmes at the GJU will be designed following the model of the German Fachhochschulen, Universities of Applied Sciences. These universities are mainly characterised by their philosophy of strict relation to practice and their application oriented approach to knowledge transfer. The percentage of German professors among academic staff will be high. Studying comprises a large amount of German and English as foreign language lessons; after an initial phase in English, courses will predominantly be taught in German. Regional studies as well as cross-cultural communication are part of the curricula.

The founding process of the GJU takes place on a high-ranking political and institutional level in both countries; the new university is generally perceived as an additional contribution to traditionally excellent relations between the two countries. Its philosophy aims at an ambitious, excellent and reputable training of young people who will move back and forth between Europe and the Middle East, culturally at ease. With professional know-how they will economically and in many other ways strengthen and embellish the existing good relations.

[edit] External links

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