By Zayed Alzyoud
The House of Representatives’ Education Committee praised the University of Jordan (UJ), describing it as a national benchmark for higher education reform, following a policy meeting with UJ President Prof. Nathir Obeidat. The committee said the university’s progress reflects concrete institutional upgrades aligned with Jordan’s higher education modernisation agenda and improved teaching and learning outcomes.
The meeting was chaired by Member of Parliament Dr. Ibrahim Al Qaralleh and attended by committee members, alongside media representatives.
Obeidat highlighted gains across international performance indicators, noting that UJ ranked fourth among Arab universities in the Arab Ranking for Universities issued by the Association of Arab Universities, and 324th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026.
He said the university has advanced a campus wide modernisation programme that is nearing completion, while absorbing substantial costs and achieving budget savings this year without taking on debt. He added that upgrades have been completed for 345 classrooms and 20 lecture halls out of 26 under the broader campus development plan, with the impact expected to become more apparent next year.
Obeidat said UJ is pressing ahead with its strategic plan to strengthen teaching quality and boost research capacity, adding that progress in global rankings reflects institutional stability and quality standards. He noted that this momentum will enable reinvestment in facilities and expanded support for research.
He also outlined reform priorities centred on academic modernisation and digital transformation, including digitising course content, updating academic programmes and reshaping university wide requirements to place greater emphasis on soft skills, language proficiency and communication, with the aim of enhancing graduates’ competitiveness in the labour market.
On campus violence, Obeidat said such incidents do not reflect UJ’s values, stressing that disciplinary sanctions remain a key deterrent against misconduct and damage to university property. He added that approving disciplinary measures in violence cases is personally difficult.
Committee members called for continued policy alignment to accelerate higher education reform, highlighting the need for programme modernisation, stronger research output, wider integration of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning, expanded support for technical and vocational education and training, and a two track approach combining prevention and enforcement to curb campus violence and strengthen the regional and international competitiveness of Jordanian universities.
In remarks during the meeting, Al Qaralleh said Jordan is witnessing qualitative shifts in research and innovation that have expanded opportunities for academic partnerships and strengthened universities’ ability to attract research projects and investment, reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as a regional hub for knowledge and education.
He also proposed establishing a national laboratory for applied scientific research to serve universities nationwide, describing it as a strategic asset that would provide advanced research infrastructure and create an integrated space linking universities with the public and private sectors, with the goal of turning academic research into practical solutions and innovation driven projects with measurable economic and developmental impact.