Amman:Minister of Education and Human Resources Development Azmi Mahafzah engaged in discussions on Sunday with a high-level Iraqi delegation to enhance academic, scientific, and vocational training cooperation between Jordan and Iraq. The delegation included presidents of Iraqi technical universities and officials from Iraq's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
According to Jordan News Agency, Mahafzah praised the historical ties between Jordan and Iraq, emphasizing the academic accomplishments of Iraqi universities. He provided an overview of Jordan's higher education landscape, which encompasses 10 public universities, 21 private universities, and 78 higher education institutes, collectively offering 644 academic programs to approximately 470,000 students.
Mahafzah highlighted Jordan's strategic direction towards applied and technical education, aiming to align educational outcomes with the evolving demands of the labor market. This initiative is part of Jordan's Economic Modernization Vision and public sector reform roadmap.
The Iraqi delegation, led by President of Middle Technical University Waddah Hatem, included presidents from Southern, Northern, and Al-Furat Al-Awsat technical universities. They praised the advanced status of Jordanian higher education institutions in applied learning and shared Iraq's ongoing reforms in its technical and vocational education and training sector. These reforms focus on modernizing curricula and meeting labor market needs.
Discussions centered around student and faculty exchanges, joint research projects, mutual university admissions, and expanding scholarships, including the "Study in Iraq" program. Both parties also explored collaboration in quality assurance, academic accreditation, female empowerment in technical fields, and curriculum development in high-demand areas such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
The two sides agreed to establish a joint committee to coordinate future cooperation and activate existing academic memorandums of understanding into practical initiatives. They also committed to maintaining continuous engagement with Jordan's Higher Education Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission.
The visit was facilitated by the Tawasal project, which supports the development of Iraq's technical and vocational training ecosystem by promoting regional knowledge transfer and building institutional capacity.