Qatar, Jordan Sign MoU to Develop Education Sector

Qatar, Jordan Sign MoU to Develop Education Sector

 

The State of Qatar, represented by Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and the sisterly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, represented by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to contribute to the development and strengthening of the education sector in Jordan, by rehabilitating and improving the educational capabilities of young people, in cooperation with Education Above All Foundation which will implement and manage all the designated projects.

The MoU will cover 800 students of Jordanian nationalities and refugees hosted by Jordan to provide them with educational services, in accordance with the selection criteria from Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Luminus Technical University College (LTUC) that will implement the program. The program will include the provision of several certificates, including the bachelor's degree, local diploma, and technical diploma.

Commenting on the occasion, HE QFFD Director General Khalifa Al Kuwari said that the agreement comes in the context of joint cooperation between the two brotherly countries, to contributes to the rehabilitation and improvement of the educational capabilities of young people through the support and financing of the Scholarships Program for Youth of the Qatar Scholarships program. The scholarships cover the costs of tuition fees.

"Qatar Fund for Development is proud to support the higher education sector in sisterly Jordan, as this agreement is an extension of the efforts made by Jordan during the previous decades to develop the education sector, which made it one of the leading countries in generalizing primary school enrolment. We also affirm once again the State of Qatars keenness to support education with the aim of securing decent life and empowering youth," HE Al Kuwari added.

For his part, HE Jordan's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Prof/Dr Mohammed Khair Abu Qudais indicated that "this program will have the greatest impact on supporting Jordanian students and enabling them to complete their studies in technical and applied disciplines required in the local and regional labor market. This program will also provide support to a large number of refugee students residing in the Kingdom and ensure a safer future for them, as they will also be able to complete their studies."

HE the Minister underlined that the government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, represented by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, looks forward to achieve more cooperation with the QFFD, which is a Qatari public institution entrusted with coordinating and implementing foreign development aid projects on behalf of the sisterly State of Qatar. The QFFD has provided assistance to many countries all over the world in line with the objectives of international cooperation set forth by the Qatar National Vision 2030." 

Commenting on the partnership, CEO of the Education Above All Foundation Fahd Hamad Al Sulaiti, asserted: "We are pleased to witness the agreement concluded today between the Qatar Fund For Development and the Jordanian Ministry of Education aimed at providing important educational opportunities for marginalized youth, as we also witness new cooperation between Qatar and Jordan in the education sector."

"Education is an essential tool to support the growing numbers of Syrian refugees in Jordan, and combat the exacerbating effects of poverty, social inequality, and the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to provide the next generation, regardless of their economic background, with the essential pillars to reach suitable career opportunities and a better future," he added.

For his part, HE Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Shraideh praised the depth of the bilateral relations between Jordan with the State of Qatar, expressing Jordan's constant aspiration to strengthen and develop these relations at various levels to serve the interest and good of the two brotherly peoples.

Shraideh stressed the Jordanian governments appreciation of the QFFD and the Education Above All Foundation for contributing to the financing of the scholarship program for youth, as this program will contribute to supporting Jordanian students and enabling them to complete their studies in technical and applied disciplines required in the local and regional labor market, in addition to the fact that this program will provide support for a number of refugee students residing in the Kingdom.

He noted QFFD contribution to the joint account of donor countries in the health sector (MDA) by pumping a grant amounting to $4.2 million, as this account had a basic and important role in enabling the Jordanian Ministry of Health to provide appropriate health services in light of the difficulties it faces, represented by the repercussions of the spread of COVID-19 and the continuing challenge of hosting Syrian refugees.

Meanwhile, HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Sheikh Saud bin Nasser bin Jassim Al-Thani stated: "We are proud of the progress made by the two countries in the educational fields at all levels, and we are looking forward to further to accomplish progress and partnership in this area."

The QFFD, along with its strategic partner, the Education Above All Foundation, is completing the mission of providing education facilities to developing countries and helping students to complete their education journey in line with the State of Qatar's support for education, which includes the Fund's vision of giving hope and promoting peace and justice through sustainable and comprehensive development. (QNA)