Middle East University, in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire, launched the “Darbna” project, funded by the British Council, under the patronage of the Secretary General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women, Her Excellency Eng. Maha Ali, in the presence of the President of the University, Prof. Salam Al-Mahadin, President of the Jordanian Women Parliamentarians Forum, Prof. Tamara Nasereddin, and the representative of the British University of Bedfordshire, Dr. Christina Land, and a number of academic and relevant personalities.
The Secretary General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women, Eng. Maha Ali, stated that the Commission, given its role and mission as a national mechanism to advance the status of women in Jordan and improve their situation in various fields, is keen to network, cooperate, and expand its partnerships with various national, governmental, civil, and private sector institutions, including academic and research institutions, to contribute to national efforts to support, empower, and enhance the role of women in accordance with the high royal visions that pay attention to the empowerment of women and enhance their role in various aspects of life.
Moreover, Ms. Ali emphasised the importance of such initiatives as the “Darbna” project, an initiative of the university in cooperation with the British Council to promote work in the field of inclusive higher education that unlocks broader fields that offer professional advancement for female academics and leaders in the higher education sector.
In her remarks, Prof. Salam Al-Mahadin, President of the University, stated that this project is a qualitative step in establishing an academic environment based on gender parity and equality and overcoming the obstacles facing women in academic paths and career paths.
H.E. Prof. Dr. Tamara Nasereddin, Chairperson of the Jordanian Women Parliamentarians Forum in the House of Representatives, stressed the importance of launching a specialised electronic platform for female academics to enhance research cooperation and exchange of experiences, in addition to reviewing laws and legislations to ensure women’s access to decision-making positions.
In response, former Senator Dr. Maysoon Al-Atoum pointed out the importance of such projects, which work to empower women in leadership positions.
In this regard, speaker Dr. Christina Land, faculty member at the University of Applied Sciences, Dr. Tahrir Abu Humaidan, and Secretary of the National Centre for Human Rights, Dr. Feryal Al-Assaf, pointed to the importance of adopting more inclusive institutional policies that contribute to restructuring the higher education environment to ensure gender balance and justice.
The “Darbna” project represents the culmination of a series of institutional efforts launched in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire in the UK, where the joint collaboration has empowered more than 30 PhD students since 2018 by providing international educational programs within Jordan.
In a related context, the dialogue session titled “Breaking Barriers and Gender Differences in Higher Education for Female Academics” discussed the most prominent institutional and cultural issues that hinder women academics, with the participation of a group of parliamentary and academic figures.