Enhancing Cooperation Relations Between Al-Ahliyya Amman University and Queen’s University “Belfast – Northern Ireland”

A delegation from AAU visited Queen's University “Belfast – Northern Ireland” recently in response to an invitation from Queen's University to ‘six’ Jordanian universities to participate in the Jordanian Leadership Forum. The delegation included Dr. Ghaleb Erekat, the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy & Medical Sciences and the Director of the Department of Admission & Registration and Dr. Aliyan Al-Qarnawi, the Executive Consultant to the Chairman of the Board of Directors “Dr. Maher Horani”. The President of Queen’s University, Professor James McElney, the Deans of the Faculties and the International Relations Director at the University, welcomed the delegation of AAU as well as the delegations of the participating Jordanian universities. In this meeting, the presidents of the participating Jordanian universities delivered speeches in addition to the Honorable Noor Bint Ali from the Jordanian Embassy in London who in her speech welcomed the delegations. Moreover, Dr. Al-Qanawi delivered his speech to the audience, which included students, researchers and scholars. He talked about AAU and its specializations, achievements and pioneering role as the first private university in Jordan and the region. He also stressed the importance that AAU provides in supporting and developing scientific research specially the quality research, as well as supporting “granting scholarships” to qualified students to obtain doctorate degrees from the best international universities. The delegations met with the sponsored graduate students who are studying at Queen’s University and listened to summaries of their doctoral dissertations including Anas Kamel, the AAU sponsored student from the Faculty of Pharmacy & Medical Sciences. On behalf of AAU, Dr. Ghaleb Erekat and on behalf of Queen’s University, Professor James McElney, signed an agreement regarding granting discounts to sponsored students on doctoral fees. He also held bilateral meetings with the deans of the Faculties of Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, Information Technology, Clinical Psychology and Nursing to prepare for agreements between the two universities, including the exchange of faculty members and joint research through sabbatical leave for certain periods of time for both parties. The agreement also stipulates initiating mutual scientific and cultural visits for students of both universities. Moreover the agreement calls for holding workshops in different specializations at AAU under the supervision of technical and scientific cadre from the Queen’s University. Furthermore, they agreed on activating sponsoring AAU students in the needed specializations. In the near future, an AAU delegation will visit Queen’s University to sign an academic cooperation agreement between both universities.