“We are fully aware that Jordan has a group of young people that wants to be heard, and we want to be part of their future through our activities in education, society, English and art. All our activities will therefore aim to accompany Jordan on its journey towards a prosperous, inclusive, more democratic and open society.”
With these words, the British Council addressed the Jordanian youth, in dedication to the British-Jordanian education agreements and partnerships in the field of education, the latest of which was the visit of the British Ambassador to Jordan, Bridget Brind, to Zarqa Governorate, which hosts three universities and many educational institutions.
The Hashemite University hosted Ambassador Brind, who confirmed during her visit that the Hashemite University benefits from the British Council’s “Partnerships for Globality” programs, which support academic students to establish international links and become more competitive on the global stage. As the university has received funding through the British Council’s “Partnership for Gender Equality” to support women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In addition, the university has run a number of programs in partnership with British academic institutions through the scientific cooperation program called Newton Khalidi.
During a dialogue with the students, Brind reiterated the UK’s commitment to championing the values of Education for All, and its efforts to improve access to quality education for boys and girls from communities in need inside Jordan.
Ongoing Support
She also highlighted the UK’s support for international education partnerships and opportunities that give Jordanian students the opportunity to study at outstanding UK universities, as well as benefiting from Chevening Scholarship, which is fully funded by the UK government, providing a number of Jordanians each year the opportunity to study in the UK in order to earn a master’s degree.
During a discussion at the “We Participate for Civil Society Development” Centre, the Ambassador listened to the perspectives and aspirations of young women and men, in the context of a new partnership with the United Kingdom under the umbrella of the “Inclusive Security and Youth Resilience” program that aims to support the development of citizens’ skills in order to build a harmonious and prosperous society. During her visit she also mentioned the benefits of studying in her country, which has two of the top three universities in the world, in addition to 26 other universities ranked among the top 200 global universities.
In conclusion, Brind expressed her happiness to celebrate the International Day of Education, noting that her country has strong academic partnerships with Jordanian institutions to support educational programs and Social Resilience Supporting program. “By supporting education and Social Resilience Supporting program, the UK is delighted to invest in Jordan’s future to ensure today’s youth acquire the knowledge and skills they will need to develop and accelerate tomorrow’s economy,” Brind concluded.
This visit is not the ambassador’s first activity in the field of education, as she discussed recently cultural relations between the two countries with the Minister of Culture, Bassem Tweisi.
It is important to mention that in 2022, the British Council’s work in Jordan reached 639,000 people, which is considered an excellent number that forms 10% of the total population, in addition to another half a million of social media interactors and website visitors.
The Council aims to be seen as the leading cultural relations organisation promoting positive change across Jordan, through dialogue and exchanges with the UK and other countries in the region and beyond. This can be done with the support of the British Council’s network of offices in 110 countries around the world.
