​By Zayed Alzyoud

The University of Jordan (UJ) celebrated the graduation of its Master’s cohort in Administration and Local Development under the patronage of Minister of Interior Mazen Al-Faraya and UJ president Prof. Nathir Obeidat. The ceremony brought together representatives of the European Union Delegation, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Jordan, senior officials and academic leaders, reflecting a shared commitment to supporting local governance and sustainable development.

Al-Faraya described the graduation as a tangible outcome of cooperation between the Ministry of Interior, UJ and UNDP, highlighting the programme’s role in strengthening the capacities of public-sector and civil-society professionals engaged in local governance and decentralization. Building on that, Obeidat emphasized that the programme stands as a model of national and international partnership, stressing that postgraduate studies demand rigorous commitment and contribute directly to improving institutional performance. He pointed to UJ’s efforts to modernize its academic and digital infrastructure through smart classrooms and course digitization.

Launched in 2019 under the EU-funded Decentralization and Local Development Support Programme implemented by UNDP, the Master’s provides applied training in governance, economic development and community-focused planning, aligned with national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals.

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Majida Al-Assaf highlighted the programme’s contribution to institutional capacity-building and its support for more than seventy scholarship recipients. EU Delegation Team Leader Mary Horvers reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to aligning development assistance with Jordan’s labour-market needs and expanding cooperation within broader development frameworks.

Programme Coordinator Prof. Abdel-Hakim Akhoershaideh noted that the curriculum was designed with experts from the Netherlands and Italy, focusing on decentralization, local development and sustainable governance.

The ceremony concluded with the graduation of 82 professionals from public institutions and community organizations, now prepared to contribute to Jordan’s administrative modernization agenda and support development efforts across governorates as part of a wider national reform trajectory.