From AAU Campus, Amman TV and Rotana Spotlight AAU’s Technical Education and New Programs

From the AAU campus, Amman TV and Rotana visited Al-Ahliyya Amman University ahead of the first day of the Summer Semester graduation ceremonies for the 32nd cohort late last week. The media teams toured the university’s latest developments, including modern buildings, facilities, laboratories and centers, and highlighted the remarkable diversity of the student body, which brings together learners from many nationalities. During their visit, the presenters interviewed Dr. Maher Hourani, Chairman of the Board of Directors at AAU. After the presenters praised the university’s success and growth, he welcomed them with a light remark, “Seeing is believing.” Responding to a question about the nature of technical education, Dr. Hourani said that it is an educational pathway that equips learners with practical, applied technical skills alongside theoretical foundations, in order to meet labor-market needs amid rapid global developments in education, the economy and technology. He noted that this type of education, with its wide range of specializations, supplies qualified cadres to bridge the gap between education and labor-market requirements, contributing to economic development and helping reduce unemployment rates by more than 40 percent overall. He explained that technical education now spans numerous fields and majors, including engineering, architecture and interior design, informatics, medical and agricultural specialties, among others. Dr. Hourani also highlighted AAU’s distinguished Nursing program. Through agreements with Austria and Germany, approximately 200 job opportunities are available for Jordanian graduates of this major, with priority for AAU graduates. From the applicants, 200 are selected after studying German, they undergo competency evaluations prior to hiring, and successful candidates receive immediate employment along with citizenship, a competitive salary, housing and additional benefits. He discussed the Cosmetology major and its importance, expressing gratitude to the Government, the Ministry of Health, the Legislation and Opinion Bureau and the Ministry of Higher Education for approving the licensure law for graduates of this specialty. Dr. Hourani emphasized Jordan’s leadership as the first Arab country to reform General Secondary Education paths by integrating the BTEC system, making education more comprehensive and aligned with global developments and reflecting the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He thanked the Minister of Education and Higher Education and the Higher Education Council for their support. He also pointed to the diversity of labor-market needs across the Arab region and beyond, and he referred to AAU’s Academic Advising services, where each college has a dedicated advisor well versed in its programs and requirements to guide students. He affirmed that a university is not only a place to grant degrees, but also a space to develop students’ personalities and life skills, adding that interaction among students from more than 60 nationalities creates a uniquely dynamic environment. The presenters also interviewed Prof. Sari Hamdan, President of AAU, who spoke about his strong support for co-curricular student activities that build character. The university grants three full scholarships to students who achieve major athletic accomplishments that raise the national flag, achievements that also enhance AAU’s reputation through sports championships. On global rankings, Prof. Hamdan said the results are the product of collective teamwork, noting that in QS, AAU ranks third nationally and first among private universities, while Times Higher Education indicators are excellent. The priority now, he stressed, is to sustain and improve these outcomes. Addressing new programs and the College of Technical Education, he stated that Artificial Intelligence and its applications have been integrated across all AAU programs. New programs include Network Security and Artificial Intelligence, while Architecture and Interior Design have become digital, and several majors, such as International Accounting, have been upgraded. Regarding the College of Technical Education’s market driven specializations, Prof. Hamdan referred to AAU’s accreditation by Pearson in the United Kingdom. Students who pass Tawjihi with an average above 50 percent study for two years to obtain a Diploma, after which work opportunities are available in more than 78 countries worldwide. Alternatively, a student may study one additional year in the United Kingdom to earn a Bachelor’s degree, or bridge at AAU to complete a Bachelor’s in the same specialization. He thanked the Higher Education Council, represented by the Minister of Higher Education, for approving that graduates of the College’s Diploma programs are exempt from the Comprehensive Exam when bridging to the Bachelor’s degree. He added that each college has an Advisory Board that includes a member from the labor market relevant to the field. He also noted that 54 percent of AAU students are international, and that the university treats everyone equally and without discrimination. Prof. Hamdan advised parents to allow their children to choose the majors they are passionate about, as that is where they truly excel. At the end of the visit, the Chairman presented the two presenters with AAU commemorative shields in appreciation of their visit.