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As part of the Global Virtual Exchange (GVE) project, which connects Yarmouk University with Shenandoah University in Virginia, USA, the Department of English at Yarmouk University, in collaboration with the International Relations and Projects Directorate, organized the American Cultural Day event.
In her welcoming remarks, Dr. Sawsan Al-Daraisa, the project director at the university, highlighted the importance of the Global Virtual Exchange project now in its second year in enhancing the skills of participating students and preparing them for professional futures in an interconnected world.
She explained that the project links Yarmouk University students with their American counterparts throughout the semester through the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) model. Through joint groups, students receive training and develop their abilities in English language skills, teamwork, academic collaboration, critical thinking, and leadership, under the supervision of faculty members from both universities and the support of specialized mentors and trainers.
The event featured a series of presentations showcasing American traditions, values, volunteer work, and cultural and artistic aspects, reflecting the spirit of cultural exchange.
The event was attended by the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Dr. Oqab Al-Shawashreh, along with several faculty members, administrative staff, project mentors, American researchers, and a group of students.
Under the patronage of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Dr. Musa Rababa, and in the presence of several professors from the Department of Modern Languages/French, a number of students participated in the activities of the Goncourt competition (n°12) with the support of the Agence Universitaire Francophone, which this year focuses on the reading and criticism of eight novels written in French in 2022.
Mr Loris Vivarly from the French Embassy and Ms Celina from the French Institute confirmed their willingness to support and encourage the participating students, as the Goncourt competition is a unique experience of cultural and civilisational communication between students from different universities.
Dr. Rababah stated that this activity represents a form of fruitful and constructive cooperation between the French Embassy and the Faculty of Arts, and he called on students to participate in such competitions because of their impact on the refinement of language skills and the acquisition of human knowledge, which would allow for constructive cultural interaction.
Mamoun Alshtaiwi (the university's representative to the Francophone University Agency), said that the students received the selected novels via the French Embassy in Amman. The students will read them and they will be ranked according to the standards and criteria of modern literature, pointing out that more than 33 universities participate in this event every year. By choosing the best novel written in French, with the support of the Middle East Office of the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie, and the French Embassy in Amman.
The meeting was attended by Professor Hussein Al-Ruhail, Head of the Modern Languages Department, and a number of faculty members from the department, as well as students from the Modern Languages Department/French Language Major.
The family of the Faculty of Arts welcomes the students and wishes them a successful semester.
Dr. Bilal Sayahen of the Translation Department at the Faculty of Arts participated in the International Translation Forum organized by the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the participation of over 70 experts from 22 countries. He moderated a discussion entitled “Technological Transformation in the Translation Industry: Toward Smart and Sustainable Practices.”
It is important to mention that the International Translation Forum is organized on a yearly basis, aiming at underlining the latest trends within the translation industry by discussing the emerging challenges along with promising new opportunities available in this sector. The forum is comprised of a number of panel discussions, workshops, and different competitions, which are specially designed to improve the skills and expertise of translators.
The President of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, confirmed that the university, through the Deanship of Student Affairs and relevant administrative departments, began preparing and developing plans to reorganize the “graduation ceremony” for the current academic year, after ceasing for about two years because of the repercussions of the Corona pandemic. He added, during his meeting with a group of students of the Faculty of Arts, that the most prominent challenge for the University is to raise the status of its students in various fields of knowledge and fields, emphasizing that the ideal outputs of the university are represented by graduates equipped with necessary knowledge and skills that enable graduates to compete in the labor market efficiently and effectively.
Massad then pointed out that the university, through its relevant councils and departments, has begun to reconsider its legislation and regulations related to the various aspects of the university life to keep pace with several developments. He further stated that the university has begun to reconsider its study plans for all disciplines at the postgraduate level, considering the need to focus on the various life skills needed by students to contribute to their community successfully. Moreover, Massad declared that Yarmouk University has allocated a considerable portion of its budget for this year to rehabilitate its campus and its various facilities, especially concerning the needs of its students with disabilities.
Finally, the president listened to students’ remarks about the various conditions and concerns of their Faculty, especially the departments' infrastructure, laboratories, and facilities. However, the meeting was attended by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Mowaffaq al-Omoush, the Vice President for Administrative Affairs, Professor Riyad al-Momani, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Musa al-Rababah, the Dean of Student Affairs, Professor Muhammad Thiabat, the Director of Public Relations and Media, Dr. Nawzat Abu Al-Asal, and several faculty and administrative staff members.
The Department of Modern Languages participated in the virtual lecture held by The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with the German University, Jordan University, and other universities from Lebanon and Iraq. Mr. Benjamin Schmaeling, the representative of DAAD in Amman, and many professors and students from the universities and countries mentioned above spoke about the scholarships provided by the DAAD to students studying German at the bachelor's and master's levels. Mr. Shmaeling answered the participants' questions. The College of Arts - represented by the Dean, Prof. Dr. Musa Rababah, who attended the meeting, along with Prof. Dr. Hussain Al-Raheel, the Head of the Department of Modern Languages, and the German language Lecturers, Prof. Mahmoud Al-Ali and Dr. Nabil Al-Awawdeh - provided a fully equipped hall with all modern technologies to enable students to attend the Online session. The Department of Modern Languages has recently received representatives from the DAAD and the Goethe Institute, intending to strengthen the existing cooperation between Yarmouk University and German representatives in Jordan, which will benefit the department's students.
The President of Yarmouk University, Prof. Dr. Malek Al-Sharairi, welcomed the American poet Phillis Levin, Honorary Professor of English at Hofstra University in New York, and a writer and editor of numerous poetry collections and literary journals.
Her visit to the university aimed at participating in the poetry seminar organized by the Department of English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Arts.
Al-Sharairi emphasized that hosting Poet Levin reflects the university’s commitment to openness to all cultures and to strengthening international partnerships, which provide numerous opportunities for both students and faculty members.
For her part, Levin expressed her gratitude to the university for the warm welcome, highlighting the importance of arts and literature in fostering connections among people of different languages and cultures.
Levin presented a selection of her works at the poetry seminar, organized by the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Dr. Oqab AlShawashreh, and Dr. Nancy Al-Doghmi, from her latest collection “Rain Selections 2025”, which received high praise from faculty members and students alike.
Notably, Levin has received several awards, including the Norma Farber Award from the Poetry Society of America, fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. She is also the editor of “Penguin Book of the Sonnet: 500 Years of the English Tradition” (2001). Her poetry is recognized for its masterful use of modern poetic techniques applied to traditional forms, such as the sonnet and Japanese haiku.
Eighteenth International Monetary Conference
Readings in the Achievement of Literary, Critical and Linguistic Studies in the Twenty-first Century
Yarmouk University - Irbid - Jordan
Department of Arabic Language and Literature - College of Arts
July 26-28, 2022
Yarmouk University has recently ended the first activity of the international project, “Transnational Communication and Localization of Social Work” which is held in partnership with Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and is funded by DAAD Organization.
The first Summer School was held for one week at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences with a participation of 12 students from the Department of Sociology and Social Work and four faculty members from the Faculty of Arts; Dr. Ayat Nashwan (Project Manager), Dr. Nancy Al-Doghmi, Dr. Mohammad Harahsheh, and Dr. Mohammad Nusairat.
The project will continue for two years and will resume again next year with the second Summer School at Yarmouk University.
