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His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein laid the foundation stone of the University of Jordan in Aqaba in April 2009. The University was founded in response to His Majesty’s royal directives and insightful vision to bring about economic growth in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone through efforts based on long-term planning for development and to provide residents of the city of Aqaba and the entire Southern region with high quality education. This project would enhance the significant role played by the University of Jordan in the rapid development of the city of Aqaba, taking into account the strategic location of this coastal city as a regional and international link and an appropriate investment venue for mega projects. The aim of establishing a branch of the University of Jordan in Aqaba was in compliance with the university’s strategic plan to extend its educational services to various governorates in the country and abroad with the purpose of offering high quality education to individuals and the local community institutions. The University of Jordan in Aqaba was founded in 2009 with only five schools as an initial stage, in addition to having a future plan to establish a School of Medicine partnering with a teaching hospital to support development in Aqaba, attract foreign students from abroad, and provide the entire region with highly qualified cadres. | Vision |
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The university’s mission is providing the local community with science and expertise to achieve social mobility and developmental progress in Aqaba, supporting the economic growth in Jordan in general and in the Southern region in particular, and providing Aqaba governorate with highly qualified and trained personnel capable of making an efficient contribution to its development and construction, and the improvement of its facilities, which will reflect positively on the national economy. | Mission |
| | | | | - Excellence - Creativity ,innovation, and entrepreneurship - Diversity - Civic engagement and social responsibility - Good governance | Values |
| | | 1.Good governance and modern management | 1.Strategic Objectives | - Strengthening good governance practices including participation, transparency, justice, accountability, and effectiveness.
- Anchoring quality assurance practices and rooting values of quality and accreditation.
- Developing institutional performance to keep pace with global best practices .
- Achieving financial stability for the University by diversifying funding sources.
- Enhancing digital transformation and automating processes and procedures .
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 2.Purposeful and motivating learning and teaching experience for students and a supportive environment | 1.Strategic Objectives | - Developing academic and professional programs to keep pace with labor market requirements and contemporary challenges.
- Adopting learning and teaching strategies that keep pace with modern developments.
- Developing transparent, fair, and impartial measurement and evaluation processes in accordance with academic standards that contribute to continuous improvement.
- Developing students' creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship skills.
- Continuous preparation and motivation of students for purposeful learning, critical thinking, and self-development.
- Adopting modern technologies and digital transformation to enhance and enrich learning and teaching processes.
- Modernizing educational resources at the university to support learning and teaching processes.
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 3.Knowledge-producing scientific research with impact on development | 1.Strategic Objectives | - Creating a stimulating, advanced and sustainable research environment.
- Rooting the culture of research paths and teams inside and outside the University.
- Engaging in collaborative research projects at the local and global levels.
- Directing support for research projects concerned with solving contemporary problems, issues, and challenges within the national priorities and sustainable development priorities.
- Enhancing the role of graduate programs in the production of impactful research and knowledge.
- Increasing external funding for research projects.
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 4.Effective societal role | 1.Strategic Objectives | - Developing an administrative system for social responsibility.
- Developing value-added community development services.
- Developing the culture of voluntary work and social entrepreneurship among students, faculty members, and employees.
- Enhancing the University's awareness-raising, educational, national, and religious roles in national issues.
- Enhancing local community involvement in the various university activities.
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 5.Outstanding academics and researchers | 1.Strategic Objectives | - Supporting the University with outstanding academics and researchers.
- Encouraging academic and research creativity and excellence
- Continuous development of the capabilities and skills of academics and researchers
- Investing the creative and innovative capabilities of academics and researchers and translating them into entrepreneurial projects
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 6.Competent and outstanding administrative staff | 1.Strategic Objectives | - Supporting the University with qualified and outstanding administrative staff
- Developing skills and capabilities of administrative staff
- Motivating administrative staff to work effectively and encouraging them to perform with distinction
- Empowering administrative staff and involving them in decision-making
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 7.Safe and stimulating university environment | 1.Strategic Objectives | - Providing a safe, healthy, and sustainable university environment
- Providing appropriate support for students with disabilities and qualifying them to perform their duties
- Providing excellent counseling and guidance services to students in the educational, psychological, and professional fields
- Raising awareness among students and educating them about the value of parties and enhancing their role in political participation
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 8.Sustainable and impactful partnerships | 1.Strategic Objectives | - Building active local, Arab, and global strategic partnerships
- Establishing local, Arab, and international partnerships to enrich students' learning experience and enhance their employment opportunities
- Enhancing the participatory and mutual relationship with the alumni
- Building partnerships that achieve sustainable development goals
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 5.A catalyst for cultural enlightenment and effective social development | 1.Strategic Objectives | 1. To provide value-added community services.
2. To assist the local community in matters pertaining to development.
3. To enhance University’s awareness spreading, cultural enlightenment and communication with the community.
4. To invest in the relationship with the alumni.
5. To support participation of academics in national / international committees in all fields.
6. To increase the efficiency of the university’s cultural and community service apparatus. | Strategic Priorities |
| | | 5.A catalyst for cultural enlightenment and effective social development | 3.Strategic Initiatives | · Support for "Professor for Every Factory" program.
· System for managing alumni relations.
· Initiative to link research and master's and doctoral dissertations with community issues.
· Community-service student associations and clubs.
· Initiative for effective social work.
· Cultural radio programs for dissemination of knowledge.
· Open days for community service.
· New Community Service Initiative.
· Initiative for effective, efficient, and creative community service centers.
· National project for community issues.
· Effective communication with the UJ Alumni Club.
· Alumni Conference.
· Annual cultural program.
· Hosting thinkers in the various fields of knowledge.
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 6.National, regional, and international strategic partnerships | 1.Strategic Objectives | 1. To develop effective local, Arab and international strategic partnerships.
2. To forge relations with external bodies that support scientific research and capacity building.
3. To offer joint graduate programs in partnership with international universities and international institutions.
4. To exchange experiences and knowledge globally.
5. To establish a global information system for the documentation and classification of Arabic publications.
6. To maximize benefit from international grant programs.
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 6.National, regional, and international strategic partnerships | 3.Strategic Initiatives | · Initiative to establish an advanced Arab research center or institution.
· Participation in Arab / regional / international research networks.
· Program for exchange of academics and students with international universities.
· Joint programs in postgraduate studies.
· An international partnership project for each department.
· Project for partnership with Arab universities.
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 1.World-class academic staff and students | 2.Details | Academic staff
Objective |
Performance KPI |
Result KPI |
To invest in academic staff's capacity-building and to increase their efficiency and effectiveness |
Number of activities held for faculty members |
Number of faculty members attending those activities |
To support academic staff and enable them to achieve global recognition |
Number of distinguished UJ academics recognized globally and regionally |
Number of awards received by the academic staff and prominent positions held |
To enhance the interaction between academic staff and students |
Number of academic staff meetings with students |
Level of student satisfaction over their meetings with academic staff |
To provide academic staff with opportunities for continuous professional development and enhance their creativity and pioneering spirit |
Number of academics participating in professional development programs
Number of academics joining professional associations
Number of creative proposals submitted by academics |
Number of patents, intellectual property, certificates of attendance, and noticeable accomplishments |
To promote and attract excelling academics in the various academic fields |
Establishing a mechanism for selecting distinguished faculty members |
Number of distinguished faculty members annually appointed |
Students
Objective |
Performance KPI |
Result KPI |
To support students’ creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship spirit |
Number of programs that develop student creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship spirit |
Number of creative proposals and projects submitted by students |
To offer students excellent creativity, guidance, and career services |
Number of activities and services pertaining to student academic advising and counselling |
Degree of student satisfaction with these services |
To promote students’ pursuit of distinction at the local, regional and global levels |
Number of programs / activities aimed at preparing students for international competitions |
Number of students awarded local / regional / international awards and recognition |
To diversify student intake and enhance the proportion of non-Jordanian students |
· Ratio of non-Jordanian to overall students
· Efficiency of programs that attract foreign students |
Satisfaction level of non-Jordanian students |
To develop mechanisms that would facilitate students’ interaction with the local community |
Number of student activities in community service programs |
Level of community satisfaction with students’ interaction |
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 2.Attractive programs and advanced learning and teaching | 2.Details | Objective |
Performance KPI |
Result KPI |
To promote cognitive, professional and life-long learning skills |
Percentage of learning outcomes that enhance students' cognitive, professional and problem- solving skills |
Students’ passing rates in university requirements and basic-skills courses |
To improve the quality of learning outcomes |
Percentage of programs whose learning outcomes are subject to periodic review and development |
Degree of satisfaction with the learning outcomes by students and faculty members |
To develop interactive and innovative blended learning based on clear learning outcomes and specific assessment criteria |
Percentage of courses that utilize blended learning methods |
Degree of satisfaction with blended learning methods by students and faculty members |
To employ modern teaching and learning methods |
Percentage of courses employing best global practices and research-based teaching methods |
Degree of satisfaction with the quality of learning and teaching that students and teachers exhibit |
To review study plans periodically in accordance with the best global practices |
Average of study-plan-revision cycle for each program |
Degree of student satisfaction with the quality of academic programs |
To expand the role and contribution of online learning and teaching |
Percentage of online courses |
Degree of student satisfaction with online learning methods |
To strengthen the link between academic disciplines and market needs |
Number of academic programs that have been developed or frozen in response to labor market needs |
Employers degree of satisfaction with the performance and quality of university graduates |
To advance university standing in global ranking. |
Percentage of resources allocated for obtaining higher ranking. |
Level of university standing in various rankings. |
To incorporate national and global accreditation and quality standard in all academic programs. |
Amount of resources allocated for obtaining international accreditation. |
Number of programs internationally accredited. |
To strive to achieve global standards pertaining to the faculty student ratio. |
Adhering to enrollment capacity in academic programs. |
Ratio of academic programs adhering to enrollment capacity. |
To upgrade facilities and tools pertaining to teaching-learning at the university. |
Number of facilities and tools which have been upgraded. |
Degree of student and faculty satisfaction with facilities and tools. |
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 3.Robust knowledge-generating research | 2.Details | Objective |
Performance KPI |
Result KPI |
To generate knowledge and scientific research of world-class quality |
Number of interdisciplinary research teams |
Percentage of publication per faculty member each year |
To focus research efforts on current problems, issues, and challenges that concern the national, regional, and global community |
Number of scientific research agreements with local, regional and international community institutions |
Degree of satisfaction by local, regional, and international community institutions with the university’s research programs/studies and with the solutions to problems pertaining to Arab and international community |
To give attention to theoretical and applied research that leads to patents |
Number of research projects leading to patents |
Percentage of patents and intellectual property rights recorded |
To allocate sufficient resources for the development of research infrastructure |
Proportion of expenditure on scientific research and infrastructure development to university budget |
Degree of academic staff's satisfaction with allocation of resources for research and development of research infrastructure |
To make available sufficient information resources for the purpose of research |
Number of subscriptions to global databases |
Degree of satisfaction by students and academic staff with amount and quality of information resources |
To encourage publication in world-class high-index journals and to promote research citations |
Number of scientific papers accepted for publication in international journals, conferences, and publishing houses |
Number of annual citations and the global classification of researchers |
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 4.Smart, progressive and financially stable campus environment & high institutional efficiency | 2.Details | Objective |
Performance KPI |
Result KPI |
To ensure sustainability of financial resources |
Ratio of actual revenues to estimated revenues |
Ratio of actual revenue to actual expenditure |
To enhance the university’s financial standing through endowments and donation campaigns |
Number of initiatives pertaining to endowment and donations campaigns |
Financial and material revenue generated |
To expand investment and to develop investment venues |
Number of investment programs / projects in collaboration with external partners |
Return on investment per investment unit/project |
To provide a safe, healthy and environment-friendly campus |
Number of environmental conservation programs |
University standing in international environment-based rankings |
To transition into a Smart University |
Automation of procedures |
Completion percentage of the Smart University Project |
To meet quality assurance requirements in all administrative and academic university facilities |
Number of procedures developed in accordance with quality assurance requirements |
Degree of employee satisfaction with the quality of performance and procedures at various university units |
To spread the culture of quality among all university employees |
Number of activities for the dissemination and enhancement of quality culture |
The degree of improvement in institutional performance |
To promote institutional competitiveness in accordance with best management and governance practices |
Number of internal, administrative, academic, and financial audit programs |
Level of administrative productivity |
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 5.A catalyst for cultural enlightenment and effective social development | 2.Details | Objective |
Performance KPI |
Result KPI |
To provide value-added community services |
Number of contributions by faculty members to community services |
Community’s degree of satisfaction with the university's contribution to societal services |
To assist the local community in matters pertaining to development |
Number of projects, studies and dissertations contributing to community development |
Number of implemented projects |
To enhance University’s awareness spreading, cultural enlightenment and communication with the community.
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Number of media and cultural programs targeting the community |
The community’s degree of satisfaction with the university's cultural awareness and communication campaigns |
To invest in the relationship with the alumni |
Alumni’s contributions to the university |
Number of programs supported by the alumni and endowments given |
To support participation of academics in national / international committees in all fields |
Amount of participation in national / international committees |
Level of university academic reputation |
To increase the efficiency of the university’s community service apparatus |
Number of cultural and community service activities |
Degree of satisfaction by recipients of such services |
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | 6.National, regional, and international strategic partnerships | 2.Details | Objective |
Performance KPI |
Result KPI |
To develop effective local, Arab and international strategic partnerships |
Number of signed cooperation agreements |
Financial and non-financial return from partnerships |
To forge relations with external bodies that support scientific research and capacity building |
· Degree of diversity in partnerships
· Number of partnerships per department / school |
Number of published research resulting from such partnerships.
Number of recipients of capacity building programs. |
To offer joint graduate programs in partnership with international universities and international institutions |
Number of academics / administrators benefiting from partnerships |
Number of joint graduate programs with international universities and international institutions |
To exchange experiences and knowledge globally |
Number of joint activities with partners (e.g., meetings, seminars, conferences, etc.) |
Number of students benefiting from such partnerships (as in job opportunities, training opportunities, etc.) |
To establish a global information system for the documentation and classification of Arabic publications |
Number of partnerships in the system |
System completion rate |
To maximize benefit from international grant programs |
Number of activities for awareness of international grant programs |
Return on each external program / grant |
| Strategic Priorities |
| | | | | Dear Students,
It is my pleasure to address you with the sincerest and warmest feelings to convey to you my best wishes for success while you are studying at the University of Jordan, which historically has always been the mother of all Jordanian universities and will remain so in the future. From this dear podium and this forum, I express to you my deep joy and happiness at being selected as President of the University of Jordan, Aqaba Branch. Together, faculty and students, we shall start a new stage in which we achieve the objectives we seek for our institution. The University of Jordan in Aqaba was founded in September 2009 in response to the insightful vision and Royal Decree of His Majesty King Abdullah II with the aim of transforming the Aqaba Special Economic Zone into an outstanding regional and international center of investment and tourism.
We will work together towards achieving this royal vision for our university which was founded as a royal gift from His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, to his people in the southern region and in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone. His Majesty the King laid the foundation stone of the University of Jordan's Aqaba Branch in 2009 and thus announcing the starting point for a new stage of local community development. His Majesty's conviction is that universities are one of the most important foundations of civilization and development, the source of advancement for countries aspiring to keep up with the accelerated pace of science and technology and to contribute to the progress of humanity.
Since that year, the university of Jordan in Aqaba, despite its limited financial capabilities, has been moving progressively to overcome the challenges and difficulties resulting from this financial deficit. Despite such challenges, the University of Jordan in Aqaba has for many years been able to achieve a high level of academic competence and progress at various levels. Nowadays, it has become a center of education excellence in the local community of Aqaba and has even become an academic destination for students from all over the kingdom.
Additionally, through the laborious efforts of faculty members in its various schools, the University of Jordan's Aqaba Branch, was able to provide students with excellent education. To achieve its primary goal of becoming a center of education excellence, the university recruited highly qualified professors, established laboratories, and continually caters for students' academic activities. Moreover, the University of Jordan in Aqaba signed many agreements with American and European universities to offer graduate studies scholarships to our outstanding students so that they obtain higher education degrees from prestigious universities.
The University of Jordan in Aqaba continuously strives to implement comprehensive quality assurance standards and spread its culture in various educational and administrative aspects, thus strengthening its position as an important partner with other universities, higher education scientific institutions and various research centers locally, regionally, and internationally. In addition, the university and its advanced research centers are committed to providing the local community with creative and highly qualified cadres who play an important role in the economic and social development of the country. The University of Jordan in Aqaba acts as an integral partner with other universities with the aim of achieving continuous development and modernization of higher education in our country.
The unique mission of the University of Jordan in Aqaba is emanated from a royal vision that was and still seeks to invest in the human resources in the Jordanian society. Thus, the university's mission is to equip the Jordanian youth with knowledge and academic competence and enable them to keep up with the world's rapid scientific and economic growth. This will reflect positively on their lives and will enhance their roles in the advancement and development of the country.
At the end of my speech, let me wish our university more success and progress.
Sons and daughters,
I wish you all continued success and the best of luck in achieving the university's mission and in the dissemination of such mission even after your graduation by conveying the academic, ethical, and scientific values you learned at university to other people. I hope that you all become effective and productive members in the development of our beloved nation.
PROF. DR. NAZEEH AL BTOUSH
| From the President |
| | | | | The Strategic Plan has been modified in the summer of 2019 after two years of implementation in light of developments and relevant feedback, for the purpose of making the university:
1. Global.
2. Smart.
3. Attractive.
4. Productive.
5. Progressing.
6. Financially stable.
7. A catalyst for cultural enlightenment.
| Plan Development |
| | | | | | SMOT Analysis |
| | | | | - Becoming a pioneering Jordanian university and a center of education excellence in the city of Aqaba overlooking the Red Sea in the Gulf of Aqaba by complying with national and international quality assurance and accreditation standards to ensure providing students with high quality education.
- Making a significant contribution to enable the Aqaba region to become a tourism and investment attraction and a focus of civilization through providing students and the local community with science, expertise, and high-quality education and playing a vital role in the regions’ development and boosting its economic growth.
- Reinforcing the major role played by the University of Jordan as a regional and international center of education excellence.
- Reducing the suffering of many students in Aqaba governorate seeking a high quality university education.
- Providing the Aqaba region with highly trained personnel capable of contributing effectively and efficiently to its development, improving its facilities, and thus have a positive influence on the national economy.
| Goals |
