By Suha Al Subaihi
The Fifth Erasmus+ International Staff Week, organized by the university's International Affairs Unit under the theme “Bridging Cultures, Strengthening Partnerships, and Advancing Sustainability in Higher Education” kicked off Sunday at the University of Jordan (UJ).
The event features participation from 60 entities representing 23 universities across 13 countries worldwide, with the goal of fostering international dialogue, exchanging expertise, and developing sustainable academic partnerships.
In his opening remarks, UJ President, Prof. Nathir Obeidat, the event’s patron, affirmed that "the university is doing all the possible efforts to achieve its goals in the process of internalization". He noted that these efforts align with the goals of the Erasmus+ program, which aims to promote academic mobility and establish a high and sustainable standard of education and training, in addition to building cultural bridges and strengthening partnerships.
He added, “We view Erasmus+ as a concept that connects people from different countries and cultural backgrounds. We believe that the joint programs born out of this collaboration—such as joint doctoral and master's programs—not only enhance the standing of our academic offerings but also a key to achieving high educational standards and a competitive environment for innovation.”
Obeidat emphasized the need to focus on shared objectives such as digital transformation in education, green transition policies, equity in access, and innovation ecosystems. He underscored the importance of joint efforts to bridge the digital divide and promote interdisciplinary cooperation to tackle global challenges.
For his part, EU Ambassador to Jordan, Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas, expressed his appreciation for the fruitful cooperation between the University and the Erasmus+ program, highlighting the program as a success story in Jordan, with 600 to 800 Jordanians benefiting annually from academic exchange opportunities.
Director of the Erasmus+ National Office, Prof. Ahmad Abu Al-Haija, noted that the UJ is among the top Jordanian universities benefiting from Erasmus+ programs, maintaining numerous successful partnerships with European universities. He emphasized the importance of these partnerships in enhancing the quality of higher education in the Kingdom.
Director of the International Affairs Unit, Dr. Sameh Al-Zubaidi, spoke about the university’s leadership in this domain, the alignment of its international projects with the Sustainable Development Goals, and the launch of the first joint doctoral program with Hamburg University of Technology—a direct result of Erasmus+ projects. He also noted that the university holds more than 250 international agreements and memoranda of understanding with over 200 institutions in 60 countries, with nearly 75% of its European partnerships conducted through Erasmus+.
He further pointed to the significant expansion in mobility partnerships, now exceeding 85 partnerships, which has led to a record number of exchange activities, reaching nearly 200 student and staff exchanges during 2024 and 2025.
The week-long program is full with diverse activities aimed at building bridges and strengthening partnerships. The second day features sessions for experience sharing and presenting collaboration opportunities between participating universities, as well as showcasing Erasmus+ student experiences at the university. Tuesday includes presentations on sustainability initiatives at the university within Erasmus+ projects, visits to various university departments, and meetings with university leadership.
Wednesday will host a university fair, where participating institutions will present promotional materials and share information about their programs and cooperation opportunities.