The
Department of Arabic Language and Literature at the University of Petra is the
proper environment for a distinguished academic, cultural, and social affairs
and activities. It is the source of dissemination of knowledge at the local and
distant communities.
The
department has always been and is still the venue for its graduates’ future
success, prosperity and innovation.
Dr.
Amani Suleiman, the Head of the Department of Arabic Language and Literature at
the University of Petra underscores the department’s vision for establishing
the link between Arabic Language with its diverse fields of specializations and
technology. The department graduates who are equipped with the proper
linguistic skills, critical thinking and computer skills make their way at ease
to the job market as language specialists, editors, and revisers, news reports
editors over and above securing employment at the Radio and Television stations
as language specialists and translators.
The
department constantly seeks to explore in line with its mission, students who
show talent, creative thinking which the department promotes and continues to
pursue their intellectual growth and critical thinking skills at their early
stages leading them to be mature graduates to enter the job market. The
department further provides the students in their respective fields of
specialization through their programme course offerings that are geared towards
that end, namely compulsory and elective courses at the department and college
levels.
The
department has adopted the vision for linking the university institutions with
the local community. This is not just a venue for knowledge but also an
opportunity for awareness raising through a series of events such as literary
contests in poetry, short story and literary essays writing to all schools of
the kingdom.
Within
its commitment to continue interaction with the local community, the department
hosts other series of events on campus and off campus for cultural events by
inviting experts of cultural studies and linguists whereby interaction between those experts/ scholars and the department students is achieved. The
students will share their literary and academic contributions and success
stories with those experts. In addition,
the department places adequate emphasis on the development of students’
literacy and reading skills through regular sessions for debates on specific
topics with their professors.
The
department offers two programmes leading to the BA and MA degrees. The students
are taught and instructed by a group of first-rate professors and instructors
who book authors and writers. In fact, some of the department professors have
won several prizes in literary criticism. Consequently, the university
continues to work diligently towards achieving its ultimate goals for critical
thinking, excellence in teaching and research through joint research projects
or as individual research initiatives.