Prof. Adnan Badran, the Former Prime Minister and the Higher Chancellor of the University of Petra (UOP), said that education reform requires political will to achieve universities’ autonomy and realize competition, prepare qualified individuals and support scientific research projects.
Dr. Badran outlined the elements of education reform in a dialogue symposium held at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Jordan (UJ) entitled “Higher Education Concerns in Jordan”, including economic aspects, developing educational environment and twinning with the industrial sector. UJ President Prof. Azmi Mahafza attended the dialogue symposium.
Dr. Badran emphasized that "Governance requires consolidating academic, financial and administrative autonomy of the universities, supporting competition between Jordanian Universities and adoption of a meritocracy in and recruitment and scholarships". Dr. Badran called that the powers of the Higher Education Council are limited to setting higher education policy and national strategy and granting of full powers to the universities’ boards of trustees, which formulate Universities’ strategies and policies emanating from National Higher Education Policy.
“Admission conditions must be based on merit and competence. Thus, applicable exceptions must be cancelled. Otherwise, Universities must develop admission tests for each faculty,” Dr. Badran added.
Dr. Badran proposed that universities specify the number of students to be admitted according to the offered majors' capacity as well as accreditation criteria.
Dr. Badran said that students must pay up their tuition fees to enable the universities to implement its teaching and scientific research activities and establish projects that are funded by their alumni and community members for granting grants and loans to the distinguished students who lack the financial means on one side and helping the universities to meet its needs and objectives on the other.
Dr. Badran stressed the importance of agreements concluded between the Jordanian universities and foreign universities and intensive courses held for the members of teaching staff on the methods of blended teaching, interactive teaching and distance teaching.
Dr. Badran called for focusing on self-learning, critical thinking, problem-solving, research methods, updating study plans and programs to improve the higher education outputs and align them with labor market needs and setting a comprehensive strategy for quality control and assurance.
Dr. Badran noted that the requirements of education reform include creating a smart university environment, refining the students’ character, instilling the values of citizenship and democracy in them, developing positive relationships among the university staff, developing dialogue skills, respect for differences, rationality and criticism principles, improving the channels of dialogue with the students to learn about their problems and realizing a cohesive and undivided student community.
Dr. Badran made clear that education reform can be realized through university by providing services to the community and twinning with the labor market companies through concluding scientific research agreements to provide twofold feedback for these companies as well as the universities.
At the end of the dialogue symposium that was administered by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts Prof. Muhammad Al-Qudah and attended by several members of teaching staff and administrative staff and students, a detailed discussion took place on the topic and Dr. Badran responded to all raised questions.
Dr. Al-qudah said “As JU always keeps pace with the latest developments, the faculty deemed it appropriate to organize this symposium to tackle the issue of higher education, which remain the focus of much debate in all sectors”.