AMMAN - The University of Jordan (UJ) will soon establish a branch that will be the first university in east Amman, according to UJ President Khalid Karaki.
The site and the budget for the university, which will offer postgraduate and scientific research programmes, have yet to be defined, UJ Spokesperson Kamal Fraij told The Jordan Times on Saturday.
The decision to establish the branch came as part of the university's desire to create a specialised institute offering postgraduate degrees, and to encourage scientific research, he added.
"The institute always supports scientific research and we will continue to extend this support," Fraij said, noting that UJ has provided financial support for registering 21 new patents for university PhD holders.
During a meeting with UJ postgraduate students last week, Karaki expressed his dissatisfaction with the quality of the university's upper-level degree programmes, stressing the importance of offering master's and PhD programmes in agriculture, energy, health and education studies.
Karaki reiterated that UJ will place a priority on the quality of postgraduate students rather than the quantity, adding that the new university will only accept students with above-satisfactory marks.
Early last month, the University of Jordan announced the establishment of a branch in Aqaba specialised in business administration, IT, marine sciences, languages, and tourism and hospitality studies.
Under an agreement signed with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), the branch will be established on 250 dunums provided by ASEZA, with the university set to open its doors to students for the 2009-2010 scholastic year.
By Khetam Malkawi
© Jordan Times 2008
