QFFD and Jordan’s education ministry sign agreement to strengthen education sector

Tribune News Network Doha The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Jordan signed a memorandum ...

Tribune News NetworkDohaThe Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Jordan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop and strengthen the education sector by rehabilitating and improving the educational capabilities of young people, in cooperation with Education Above All Foundation (EAA) which will implement and manage the related projects.The agreement was signed in the presence of Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of Jordan Nasser Shraideh. The MoU will benefit 800 students of Jordanian nationality and refugees hosted by the country to provide them with educational services, in accordance with the selection criteria by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Luminus Technical University College (LTUC) that will implement the programme. The programme will include the provision of several certificates, including the bachelor’s degree, local diploma and technical diploma. On this occasion, Khalifa Al-Kuwari, director-general of the QFFD, stated, “The agreement comes in the context of joint cooperation between the two brotherly countries, which 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 will cover the costs of tuition fees.“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 generalising primary school enrolment and gender equality in Jordanian schools.”Prof/ Dr Mohammed Khair Abu Qudais, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, stated, “This programme will have the greatest impact on Jordanian students by enabling them to complete their studies in technical and applied disciplines required in the local and regional labour market. The programme will also provide support to a large number of refugee students residing in the Kingdom and ensure a safer future for them.”He stressed that the government of Jordan looks forward to more cooperation with the QFFD, which is a Qatari public institution entrusted with coordinating and implementing foreign development aid projects on behalf of the Qatar. Commenting on the partnership, Fahd bin Hamad Al-Sulaiti, CEO of EAA, said, “Education is an essential tool to support the growing numbers of Syrian refugees in Jordan, and combat poverty, social inequality, and the continuing 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.”Minister Nasser Shraideh praised the depth of the bilateral relations between Jordan and Qatar, which were laid down by His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein and his brother, The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. He expressed 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 also referred to the support provided by Qatar to the development efforts of the Jordanian government. “As part of this, Qatar Charity recently offered a grant of QR10 million to provide coronavirus vaccine to the Ministry of Health. The QFFD contributed to the joint account of donor countries in the health sector (MDA) by providing a grant amounting to $4.2 million, as this account has an important role in enabling the Jordanian Ministry of Health to provide health services in light of the difficulties it faces due to the spread of COVID-19 and the large number of Syrian refugees in the country.”HE Sheikh Saud bin Nasser bin Jassim Al Thani, ambassador of Qatar to Jordan, 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 EAA, is completing the mission of providing education facilities to developing countries and helping students to complete their education journey in line with Qatar’s support for education, which includes the QFFD’s vision of giving hope and promoting peace and justice through sustainable and comprehensive development.