Jordan

Jordan is an important partner of Germany in the Middle East. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research supports locally effective research projects and the development of the education system.

A Memorandum of Understanding on further active political, scientific and financial support for the German Jordanian University (GJU) was signed by the higher education ministers of both countries in July 2009.

Cooperation in education

Among the largest projects in the field of education is the German Jordanian University (GJU). This higher education institution modelled on German universities of applied sciences is currently being established in Amman and aims to combine academic training and technical expertise. A defining feature is the university’s cooperation with businesses, both Jordanian and German. The training is also to include a study period or industry practical in Germany.

Various German universities of applied sciences are participating in developing the GJU, particularly in designing the degree courses. The project is coordinated by the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences. After a four-year start-up phase co-financed by the BMBF, the GJU will be funded by Jordan alone. The GJU plans to open in October 2005 with first degree courses; however, the university will not be able to provide its full range of courses until work on the new buildings has been completed. The foundation stone for the GJU was laid on 25 April 2005 under the patronage of King Abdullah.

In terms of funding volume, the GJU is the currently largest project in the BMBF-funded programme “Study Programmes Abroad”, which is implemented by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Funding for German universities to develop study programmes abroad has been provided since 2001. The so far largest individual project was the “German University in Cairo”, which was officially opened at the beginning of October 2003. The GJU in Amman is now the largest university project in this programme.

In early July 2009, the higher education ministers of the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on further active political, scientific and financial support for the “German Jordanian University”.

Research cooperation

In order to tackle the shortage of water and find ways of using this scarce resource more effectively, the BMBF collaborates closely with Jordan in large-scale regional water projects. They have the aim of finding strategies for managing available resources in a sustainable way. One of the largest bilateral and multilateral projects of this kind is GLOWA, in which the effects of global changes on the Jordan river are being investigated. The region by the river Jordan is one of the most important areas for harvesting water in the entire region, but it is also in a critical condition because water scarcity is rapidly increasing.

The international UNESCO project SESAME, which is geared towards multilateral cooperation, has the aim of strengthening basic physical research in the entire region. The project development stage in Jordan has almost been completed. The centrepiece of the project is the German synchrotron storage ring BESSY I. Besides Jordan, the project’s other partners are Egypt, Israel, Palestine and Turkey. All these initiatives serve to improve the peaceable prospects for this region and intensify the traditionally excellent relationship between Germany and Jordan.