Prof. Ekhleif tarwaneh university of Jordan President

1. Prof. Ekhleiftarwaneh university of Jordan President 1

2. 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. 2

3. The objectives of the Jordanian Government’s higher education agendaare: • 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

4. 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. 4

5. 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 5

6. Growth of numbers of students at public Jordan universities in the past nine years. 6

7. Total Demand for university entry at Jordan 2008 7

8. Growth of numbers of faculty members at public Jordan universities in the past nine years. 8

9. 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. 9

10. 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.

11. University of Jordan vision : is managing and organizing a society of knowledge and leading the University to be a world – Class University within 2018. 11

12. 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. 12

13. Core Values • In achieving its vision, goals and mission, the University of Jordan is committed to the following values and principles: Transparency, Accountability, and Academic Freedom: the University is committed to follow up a method characterized with openness, communication and accountability in all educational issues, scientific research and administration matters. Integrity, Equity and Justice: the University is committed, in its relation with community, with cores of justice, humanity, opinion respect, freedom of individuals, equal opportunities, professional ethics, and also committed to be away from double standards of judgments issued by the University Innovations and excellence: the University is committed to encourage innovative ideas and creative solutions of learning and research to attain excellence Leadership and teamwork: the University is committed to promote individual and institutional roles of leadership which contribute in achieving the comprehensive development with deep belief in professionalism, responsibility and participatory. Response: the University is committed, with what serves its mission, to meet the beneficiaries' requirements and needs through standard services and programs. Professional Discipline: the University is committed with professional discipline behavior, positive and constructive interaction. 13

14. Graduates of the Bachelor Program The University is committed to the followings: Open mindedness: curiosity and the awareness of the limitations of the current knowledge and the relations among various fields of knowledge. Lifelong learning skills: and continuous pursuing to acquire knowledge and new skills in order to face different environmental and professional challenges. Understanding the importance of acquiring and improving knowledge including information technology. Convey information, discussions, and effective verbal and written analysis Analyze issues logically, examine the controversial assumptions, take into consideration different views and opinions, make decisions, act with flexibility, harmony, and creativity in different positions Respect the diversity in the ethnic and religious cultural backgrounds in Jordan society, value the moral standards and translated them into form of sense of responsibility within workplace and society • Acquire, organize, analyze, and assess knowledge and convey it to others. • Promote national belonging and respecting laws, regulations, and instructions of the society. • Conduct scientific research, collect and assess data, and use the findings effectively. • Work within a teamwork whether as a member or a leader. • The commitment to be engaged in serving the community. • Understand international views from different cultural. 14

15. 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 stand-alone 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 . 15

16. 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. 16

17. Student Employability Strategy 2010 to 2015 The Vision Our vision is that every student has access to, engages with, and benefits from, the highest standard of support for his personal and career development. In order to be highly employable, students need to acquire certain essential transferable skills, particularly in relation to their personal, interpersonal and entrepreneurial abilities. These skills, along with disciplinary knowledge and other, relevant attributes and capabilities, can be obtained through academic study. They can also be supplemented and enhanced by co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. We expect that students will be stakeholders in their own learning, and that through engaging with the variety of opportunities on offer throughout their university experience they will develop the skills of most relevance and importance to them. Underpinning this Strategy are seven key objectives, to ensure that: 1. all students have a personal employability plan by the end of their first year, and understand their role in developing and achieving it 2. 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 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. 17

18. 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,ITapplication. • 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, 18

19. . . 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. 19

20. 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. 20

21. Thank you for your keen attention and listening 21