Prof. Ekhleif tarwaneh
university of Jordan President
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Brief on Higher Education Sector in Jordan
 Higher education in Jordan began with the second half of the twentieth century,
namely the sixties,, when numerous Teachers' Colleges were established throughout
the country,
The first public Jordanian university The University of Jordan (UJ), was established
in 1962. Yarmouk University followed in 1976, and eight more public universities were
established in different parts of the Kingdom since that date.
In 1989 the Council of Higher Education endorsed the first policy document
authorizing the establishment of private universities. Amman University, the first
Jordanian private university, was established in 1990 .
During the last two decades, the sector of higher education in Jordan witnessed a
prominent development as well as progress evidenced by the increasing number of
institutions of higher education, enrolled students, faculty members, administrative
and academic members.
The number of public universities reached now (10), besides (20) universities that are
private, and (51) community colleges.
This progress in numbers of universities accompanied by significant increase in
number of students enrolled to study in these universities nearly (250) thousand; (28)
thousand out of the total are from Arab or foreign nationalities.
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The objectives of the Jordanian Government’s higher
education agenda are:
• to support a higher education system that Is
characterized by quality, diversity and equity
of access;
• Contributes to the development of cultural
and intellectual life in Jordan; and
• appropriate to meet Jordanian’s social and
economic needs for a highly educated and
skilled population.
3
Employability and Jordan Higher Education Sector
In Jordan employability and its relationship with higher education has
become a more important issue over the past few years .
The new graduates will have to be self sufficient, self directed, lifelong
learners; understand when they need information and what kind of
information they need .
Consequently, the last five years have witnessed an accelerating speed
of commitments with employability within the higher education sector in
Jordan.
In some institutions, they have been developed into an integrated, holistic
strategy, most recently linked to learning and teaching policy.
Evidence suggests that the way forward in employability strategies
within higher education is through this integrated approach.
The necessity for higher education institutions to share experiences in
developing further employability plans is fundamental if Jordan wants to
create a joined-up approach to employability development in higher
education.
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FACTORS INFLUENCING THE EMPLOYABILITY OF
GRADUATES In Jordan
Even currently there is a global tendency that the employability of graduates is
used as a benchmark to measure the quality of higher education, graduate
employability cannot be a purely institutional achievement, it is rather
contingent on a number of variables such as :
Students’ previous experience( the process of professional identity development that takes place
during the final year before graduation is an important factor in affecting graduates’ first career choice and their
early feelings of career success).
Extracurricular activities students received.
Students’ career intentions and networks.
 The peculiarities of the recruitment procedures used by the employer.
The employability process of graduates and the position they occupy.
The strengths and weaknesses of specialty area as perceived by graduates in their work place.
The position of specialty area as a profession compared to other competing profiles.
The generic versus discipline-specific competencies orientation of the educational program.
a strong relation between learning and direct working experience acquisition.
 Informal methods are used both by job seekers and firms to find jobs and to fill vacancies
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Growth of numbers of students at public Jordan
universities in the past nine years.
200000
184247
180000
152430
160000
Number of students
140000
160502
177490
178201
182041
167754
139342
129599
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012
Academic year
6
Total Demand for university entry at Jordan
total demand for university entry
100000
90000
80000
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
2007/2008
2008
2009/2010
2011/2012
2013/2014
2015/2016
2017/2018
7
Growth of numbers of faculty members at public Jordan
universities in the past nine years.
8000
7000
5790
Number of faculty members
6000
6153
6370
6603
6778
5268
4819
5000
4086
4311
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
2003/2004
2004/2005
2005/2006
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
Academic year
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Jordanian Universities
At present, there are ten public and twenty private universities in Jordan. The Bachelor's
and Master’s degree is offered at both types.
THE 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 programs.
Many current and former staff members head important academic, administrative, and
political establishments in the Kingdom; many have served as ministers in a number of
government cabinets, top advisers to the Jordanian leadership, members of Parliament,
and presidents of Jordanian public and private universities.
Faculty members OF The University of Jordan shoulder the responsibility of delivering a
quality education to the 44,000 students who are pursuing a wide variety of undergraduate
and graduate programs.
All programs offered by the University combine traditional academic lecturing with the
more liberal methodologies of instruction that 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 programs offered by the University.
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Recent university strategy
2013-2018 Focus on:
(i) Increasing emphasis on Teaching & Learning,
and recognition of the ‘scholarship of teaching’
(ii) Shifting of focus from ‘Teaching’ to ‘Learning’;
(iii) Calling for greater transparency and
accountability in university programme.
University of Jordan vision : is
managing and organizing a society of
knowledge and leading the University to
be a world – Class University within 2018.
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The mission of The University of Jordan is
Growing to become a leading university
among world – class universities, Providing
students with: quality education and learning
experience, adopting research program,
producing and disseminating theoretical and
practical knowledge, contributing effectively
in building up the culture of "lifelong"
learning, and improving the quality of life
within its local, regional and international
community.
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Core Values
Transparency, Accountability, and Academic
Integrity,Freedom:
Equity
and Justice:
In achieving
its vision,
goals and
Leadership
and
teamwork:
the mission,
University
is committed,
in
its
relation
with
Innovations
and
excellence:
the University
of Jordan
is
Response:
the
University
is
committed
to
follow
up
a method
the
University
is
committed
to
promote
individual
community,
with
cores
of
justice,
humanity,
opinion
Professional
Discipline:
the
University
is
committed
tocommunication
encourage
innovative
the
University
is
committed,
with
what
serves
committed
to
the
following
values
and
and
institutional
roles
of
leadership
which
contribute
characterized
with
openness,
and
respect,
freedom of individuals,
equal
opportunities,
the
University
is
committed
with
professional
ideas
and
creative
solutions
of
learning
andwith
its
mission,
to
meet
the
beneficiaries'
in
achieving
the
comprehensive
development
principles:
accountability
in
all
educational
issues,
scientific
professional ethics, and also committed to be away from
discipline
behavior,
positive
and
constructive
research
to
attain
excellence
deep
belief
in
professionalism,
responsibility
and
requirements
and
needs
through
administration
matters
.
double research
standardsand
of judgments
issued by
the standard
University
participatory.
interaction.
services
and programs.
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Graduates of the Bachelor Program
Open mindedness:
The
University
isthe
committed
Understanding
importance
Lifelong
learning
skills: to
curiosity
and the
awareness
ofofthe
the
Analyze
issues
logically,
examine
the
and
continuous
pursuing
to
acquire
knowledge
•Acquire,
organize,
analyze,
and
assess
knowledge
acquiring
and
improving
knowledge
followings:
limitations
of
the
current
Respect
the
diversity
in
the
ethnic
and
religious
•Work
within
a
teamwork
whether
as
a
member
or a
controversial
assumptions,
take
into
Convey
information,
discussions,
and
and
convey
it totoothers.
and
new
skills
in
order
face
different
including
information
technology.
leader.
cultural
backgrounds
inamong
Jordanand
society,
valuefields
the
and
the
relations
various
consideration
different
views
opinions,
make
•Promote
national
belonging
and
respecting
laws,
environmental
and
professional
challenges.
effective
verbal
and
written
analysis
•Thestandards
commitment
to
be engaged
ininto
serving
the
moral
and
translated
them
form
of
regulations,
and
instructions
of
the
society.
decisions,
actof
with
knowledge
flexibility,
harmony,
.
and
community.
sense
of responsibility
workplace
society
•Conduct
scientific research,
collect
andand
assess
data,
creativity
in within
different
positions
•Understand international views from different
and use thecultural.
findings effectively.
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Employability and Jordan University
There is a generally accepted set of graduate attributes included in the UJ
strategic Plan (all the courses included in programs’ curriculum plans required
to have a clear competence and intended learning outcomes(ILO’S) profiles)..
The delivery of these competences and attributes are either through standalone courses or they are embedded in the curriculum. Since 2012, all UJ
faculties’ have been required to specify their generic graduate attributes in
Quality Assurance and Improvement plans. Also The Jordanian Higher
Education accreditation Commission (HEAC) recently administrated tests
nationally for students in higher education at the final year of a bachelors
degree to monitor the degree in which they master liberal arts’ competencies
and skills (critical thinking, problem solving, interpersonal understandings
,information literacy , Team work , logical reasoning verbal reasoning,
mathematical reasoning, and written communication). The results were sent to
the universities to discussed them and to take a certain of measures to
improve these results when needed .
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How University Of Jordan address Employability?
The employability agenda has been addressed in different
ways by different higher education institutions in Jordan
and some have been quicker than others in adopting
measures to help students move easily from higher
education to employment. In order to improve the
employability of students, University Of Jordan adapted
numerous approaches such as:
 Embedded skills.
 Additional core-skills and work-experience.
Evaluation of what has been learned.
Embedded attribute development in the program of
study .
Innovative provision of work experience opportunities
within, or external to, programs of study.
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The University of Jordan Employability Strategy
Our understanding of Employability that
Employability is an individual’s capability and confidence and transferable
skills needed to make one is ‘employable’, to enter and manage a career path
which fulfils both his potential and aspirations, whilst enabling him/her to
contribute fully and effectively to the economy and society. so It is a set of
skills, knowledge, understanding and personal attributes that make a person
more likely to choose and secure occupations in which he can be satisfied
and successful.
Aims of interest in Employability
We have four key aims that of interest in employability :
to ensure that every student has a high quality, fulfilling student experience that will
enhances their employability.
to provide students with the best possible curricular and co-curricular support in
developing their employability.
to ensure that the University of Jordan graduates’ are recognized nationally, regionally
and internationally among potential students and recruiters them for their exceptional
knowledge, competencies and skills.
to develop graduates who are characterized by their liberal arts skills, commitment to
innovation and creativity, and their ability to realize their full potential as leaders, and to
compete at the highest level and collaborate with others.
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The University of Jordan Employability Strategy
In order for University of Jordan students’ to be highly employable, students need to
acquire certain essential transferable skills, particularly in relation to their personal
and interpersonal; along with disciplinary knowledge and other, relevant attributes
and capabilities. These skills can be obtained through academic study and through
engaging with the variety of opportunities offer to them throughout their university
experience. :
We expect that students will acquire the following generic skills :
Basic/fundamental Skills: such as literacy, numeracy, IT application.
People-related skills: such as communication, interpersonal, teamwork,
customer service skills.
Conceptual/thinking skills: such as collecting and organizing information,
problem-solving, planning and organizing, learning-to-learn skills, thinking
innovatively and creatively, systems thinking.
Personal skills and attributes: such as being responsible, resourceful and
flexible, being able to manage one’s own time, having self-esteem.
Business skills: such as innovation skills, enterprise skills
Community skills: such as civic or citizenship knowledge and skills be
stakeholders in their own learning,
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The University of Jordan Employability Action plan
In order to achieve the aims of this Strategy University of Jordan committed
to ensure that:
all students have a personal employability plan by the end of their first year, and
understand their role in developing and achieving it .
all academic departments address the employability of their students, and, in
collaboration with the Careers Service and the Academic Support Office, work to
ensure that their graduates compete successfully among the best .
all students have the opportunity to access high-quality, work related activities and
experiences that develop their creativity and innovative thinking and an international
outlook .
the institution provides a wide range of mechanisms for recording and
acknowledging these experiences.
all student have access to high quality careers information advice and guidance;
including information on employment-related opportunities and occupations that
reflects their aspirations and needs.
academic and support departments maximize, and develop further, relationships with
employers, professional organizations and alumni - promoting the excellence of our
graduates at every opportunity.
the quality of graduate destinations is improved.
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Meeting employability needs vs. the academic standards
In order to bring together the standpoints of academia and industry two
actions were taken:
a series of special discussion sessions has been conducted under
supervision of UOJ. Academics, university administrators and employers from
industry took part in the discussion. discussion allowed developing a set of
competences that are necessary for the university graduates to be employable
and competitive on the labor market. However, the discussion demonstrated
some divergences of opinions of academics and employers. these
divergences rooted from the difference between business and academic
organizational cultures which are a factor highly influencing on the
management systems .
Allow to stakeholders to be represented in the curriculum committees at
the department and faculty levels.
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Thank you for
your keen
attention and
listening
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