Local

AMMAN — Akram Abu Zahrah, a Jordanian who recently finished a 14-year prison sentence in Israel, arrived in the Kingdom on Thursday morning after Israeli authorities had released him earlier in the day, according to a family member.

Abu Zahrah followed his pledge not to break a hunger strike that had lasted since January 23 until he reached his mother’s house in Zarqa, some 22km east of Amman, his eldest sister Mukarram said.

“We arrived home at around 3pm and he broke the strike with some soup and water,” the sister told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Akram began his hunger strike on January 23 and started refusing water on Saturday, protesting his continued detention after the end of his prison term.

The father of two finished his sentence on January 14 after serving 14 years for protesting against former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon’s visit to Al Aqsa Mosque, which sparked the second Palestinian Intifada (uprising).

The Israeli authorities had extended his prison term because they cannot allow him to stay there without a residence permit, so they decided to keep him in prison until Jordanian authorities approve his return.

Mukarram expressed her and the family’s joy over Akram’s return, thanking security personnel at the Jordan Valley Border Crossing for their cooperation and good reception of her brother.

“My mother was so happy for his return that she fainted once she saw him crossing the border,” the sister said.

AMMAN — As only 10 electric cars have been cleared from the free zone in Zarqa, Nabil Abu Rumman, president of the Jordan Free Zone Investors Association, called for speeding up the construction of charging stations to increase demand.

"Some traders started to import electric cars in mid 2015 after the government introduced exemptions. But the demand is very low," Abu Rumman told The Jordan Times recently.

"The lack of charging stations necessary for powering these cars is the main issue that prevents motorists from buying them, although they are very economical and environment-friendly," he added.

According to traders in the zone, prices of electric cars start from JD12,000 and can reach JD80,000, depending on the model and specifications of each car.

"Demand on these cars will boom in the next five years, especially after charging stations are available," Rumman added.

Last year, the Cabinet decided to exempt electric cars from registration fees, which range between JD8,000 and JD9,000. 

The government has previously exempted such vehicles from customs duties and sales tax.

Also in 2015, the Greater Amman Municipality signed an agreement with the French Hyseo International to set up 10 electric car charging stations in Amman with the support of the French government.

Electric cars are currently used by some officials in Jordan, including Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, several Cabinet members, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh and Senate President Faisal Fayez, in addition to several ministers and senior officials.  

During the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa in May last year, held on the eastern shores of the Dead Sea, Jordan signed a memorandum of understanding with manufacturers of electric cars — Tesla, BMW and Renault — to gradually adopt electric vehicles in the public sector.

In an initiative to support this move, Manaseer Group will offer supercharge services for electric vehicles at various gas stations throughout Jordan. 

Mercedes has also announced its intention to launch its electric car models in the Middle East, starting with Jordan.

AMMAN — Border Guards on Wednesday night foiled an attempt by two Arab nationals to cross from Jordan into a neighbouring country, a source from the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) said Thursday.

The source told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the troops dealt with the situation according to the rules of engagement and arrested the infiltrators. 

The source did not specify the nationality of the infiltrators, nor the countries they were attempting to cross into.

Also on Thursday, an army source said Border Guards received 118 Syrians over the previous 48 hours.

Children, women and the elderly represented the majority of the arrivals.

Arrangements were made to transfer the refugees to the Zaatari and Azraq camps in Mafraq and Zarqa, Petra reported.

The Border Guards in 2015 received a total of 16,997 Syrian refugees, offering them the assistance and transporting them to camps, according to official JAF figures.

The army recorded 85 cases of infiltration attempts involving 132 people last year.

Also last year, JAF personnel stationed on the borders confiscated huge amounts of weapons, ammunition and narcotics of different kinds and foiled many infiltration attempts.

According to the statement, the troops seized 1,473 pieces of various weapons and 6,659 bullets.

The army also confiscated 16,768,684 Captagon pills, 893,060 palm-sized sheets of hashish and 20,000 Tramadol pills. 

AMMAN — Changing daily habits and lifestyles have contributed to an increasing percentage of obesity in the Kingdom, specialists have agreed.

Around 40 per cent of Jordanian adults are obese, while child obesity in the Kingdom stands at more than 50 per cent, due to genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle changes, said endocrinologist Abdelkarim Khawaldeh.

Faten Nashash, owner of a centre for nutrition consultation, said more than 80 per cent of Jordanian women are either overweight or obese, with an increasing percentage every year.

Nashash told The Jordan Times that although people today are not as physically active as those from previous generations, awareness of healthier ways to cook food has increased over the years.

Khawaldeh said the most common cause of weight gain is eating a lot of junk food and sugar-rich sweets, in addition to not getting enough hours of sleep.

The proper amount of sleep for adults ranges between six and eight hours per night depending on the individual, he said, noting that many teenagers nowadays sleep all day and stay awake all night, which he described as unhealthy. 

“Six to eight hours of sleep are beneficial for the body. Processes like metabolism and ovulation occur while sleeping,” Nashash agreed.

Obesity rates can be measured using the Body Mass Index, in which the body’s mass is divided by height in metres squared (kg/m2). This figure indicates the status of the human body in regard to muscle, water and fat rates.

If the result is less than 18.5, the person is underweight, and if the outcome ranges between 18.5 and 24.9, the weight is normal, Nashash said.

“If the result is between 25 and 29.9 they are overweight, from 30 to 34.9 the person suffers from obesity level one, 35 to 39.9 obesity level two, higher than 40, obesity level three,” she noted.

To achieve a healthier lifestyle, one has to change a daily cycle, she said, adding that “it is a balance cycle of eating, moving, drinking water regularly and getting enough hours of sleep” .

As for children, paediatrician Fawzi Hammouri said obesity is an epidemic among them that needs to be dealt with, with lifestyle changes and bad eating habits responsible for around 95 per cent of obesity cases. 

“Obesity rates are increasing globally, yet with a higher percentage in the region. Children nowadays don’t walk, work out, or play football in courts. They have replaced outdoor activities with indoor games on technological devices,” he told The Jordan Times. 

Even the food most children eat is high in calories and starch, and the preferred type of cooking is frying, Hammouri said, which is a factor behind the increasing rate of obesity. 

“Gaining weight is the result of [food] intake and consumption stored in the form of fat,” he added.

The 5 per cent of obesity cases that cannot be attributed to lifestyle or eating habits are caused by other factors such as insulin resistance, diabetes, lack of pyroxene in the blood, or excessive secretion of cortisone, according to Hammouri.

Khawaldeh singled out insulin resistance as one of the important factors in gaining or failing to lose weight.

“Insulin is a hormone in the human body produced by the pancreas to regulate the amount of glucose in the blood. However, the deficiency of the hormone can cause type 2 diabetes or obesity,” he said. 

Symptoms of insulin resistance include brain fogginess, high levels of blood sugar, intestinal bloating, sleepiness, weight gain, fat storage, difficulty losing weight, increased blood pressure, depression and increased hunger.

The nutritionist urged the public to check insulin rates in the body when they start to sense these symptoms and take proper medication if needed. 

Nashash observed that many people tend to follow the pattern of “crash diets”, which are low in calories, in order to lose weight; however, she said these have a negative impact on muscle mass and water retention in the body.

The nutritionist added that eating regularly in small portions helps the body perform metabolism, emphasising the importance of not skipping meals. 

“The more regular the meals are, the better the metabolism,” she said. “If one skips more meals the fat is stored inside the body to avoid dizziness.”

“Roasting food instead of frying it is healthier,” Nashash noted. “The food can also be boiled, but it tastes better when roasted.” 

She also noted that the human body does not distinguish between hunger and thirst, advising people to drink water when they feel hungry.

The specialists agreed that dishes should include healthier ingredients on a daily basis, rich with fibre and protein, and people should regulate their meals so the body will have a specific time for all digestive processes.

Werner Hoyer

AMMAN – President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Werner Hoyer on Thursday said the bank will respond to what Jordan identifies as its economic needs and priorities as part of its long-term plan for the Kingdom.

In an e-mail interview with The Jordan Times, Hoyer said the EU bank has been working closely with the Jordanian authorities on several strategic plans that include the Water Sector Capital Investment Plan for Jordan 2016-2025, which, he said, was approved very recently by the board of directors. 

This sets out for the next 10 years the measures, investments and actions needed to manage scarce water resources, he said, adding that the Luxembourg-based bank has also started discussions on an "important" programme called the Mediterranean Hotspots Programme, which will support priority investments with a mixture of EIB and EU resources. 

Hoyer, who was participating in Thursday's Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in London,  said the EIB group is engaged in the region — financing infrastructure projects and private sector support that can benefit both refugees and the local population. 

"We need to do more of this, and we need to do it quickly, hand in hand with partners, in close cooperation with other financial institutions and donors. We can help with hospitals. Children need schools. We know that provision of basic services such as water and sanitation also helps to bring stability to the region, creating jobs. But these projects need to be bankable with underpinning grants and guarantees from donors," he said. 

In Jordan, he said, an EIB loan is blended with EU investment grants to support the Wadi Al Arab Water System project to address the pressing and urgent issue of water scarcity, made more urgent by the influx of Syrian refugees. 

The project will improve drinking water availability for the growing population in the northern governorates, which has been significantly increased by the large number of Syrian refugees in the area. 

"At the same time, we are looking closely at how we might further develop lending to small businesses in Jordan as we are doing in Lebanon and Egypt with impressive results," the EIB chief said. 

‘World should do more’

Hoyer said the international community can and should do more to help countries like Jordan at the front line of the refugee crisis to handle these challenges. 

“It is clear too that the will is there to do this and we have heard their expression from many corners at the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference that we have been attending in London. It is clear that the repercussions of the Syrian conflict are being felt well beyond the country itself and nowhere more so than in Jordan,” he added.

Hoyer said, however, that the supporting Syria conference’s pledges must be translated into action. 

That means in the first instance, humanitarian assistance, but also measures to promote economic development, to support resilience, and job creation and key infrastructure that can help the men, women and children affected by this crisis, he said. 

“As the EU’s bank we are prepared to support this effort with ambition and expertise,” he said.  

More investments 

Hoyer said that in the coming five years the EIB plans to lend over 15 billion euros ($16.5 billion) in its ten Mediterranean partner countries and in Turkey.

Increasing this further could be done, in partnership with donors and partner countries, combining EIB expertise and ability to leverage scarce resources with grant funding, the EIB chief said. 

The bank is ready to step up its efforts even further by offering to lend an additional 3 billion euros (of which about 2 billion euros in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt alone) over the course of the next five years within its current mandates and own balance sheet. 

London conference 

On the importance of the London conference and expectations, Hoyer said one of the prime aims of the London conference is precisely to bring this economic assistance to host countries. 

“I believe we must be ambitious and I have told the conference that with these necessary conditions in place, total EIB Group financing to Turkey and the MENA region over the next five years could be up to 23 billion euros. That is another 50 per cent on top of what we had planned.” 

EIB’s investments in Jordan

The EIB financed the Tafileh Wind Farm Project, which comprises the construction and operation of a greenfield wind farm independent power producer to
produce 117 megawatts of electricity in Jordan. 

On future opportunities, Hoyer said decisions about the precise nature of the investments rest ultimately with the Jordanian authorities “with whom we are in close contact”. 

Certainly the investment in energy, and in particular the renewables sector, is a priority both for Jordan and the EU’s own external policy, he said. 

“We would also like to help develop Jordan’s private sector with different initiatives from microfinance to support for start-ups and SMEs. These offer opportunity, jobs, long-term growth and — vitally at the moment — hope,” Hoyer noted. 

AMMAN — A cold air mass is expected to start affecting the Kingdom on Saturday, bringing heavy rain and thunderstorms, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said on Thursday.

The impact of the cold and wet air mass is expected to continue prevailing until Monday morning, head of the JMD weather forecast section Raed Rafed said, noting that the cold air mass will cause a tangible drop in mercury levels.

On Friday, however, above average temperatures are forecast, with sunny and relatively warm weather across the country, according to the JMD.

Temperatures will be 6o-7oC above their annual average of 13°C for this time of the year, Rafed said, noting that daytime temperatures will be 19°C, dropping to 7°C at night in Amman.

As the impact of the cold air mass starts prevailing on Saturday, the meteorologist said the weather will gradually become cloudy, with rainfall expected to start in the northern region and move downwards to central areas.

"Rainfall is likely to be heavy in the evening, especially in the northern and central parts of the country and to be accompanied by thunder, lightning and hail. In addition, snow showers are expected after midnight on the Sharah mountain range [in the south]," Rafed told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Temperatures during the day will be 12°C, dropping to a low of 4°C at night in the capital, while winds will be southwesterly brisk, raising dust in the badia, and turning to westerly brisk by nightfall.

A further drop in temperatures is expected on Sunday, as the Kingdom remains under the impact of the cold air mass.

"Cold, cloudy and rainy weather is expected, as well as thunder, lightning and hail at times. A heavy downpour that could cause flood formation is also likely in valleys and low-lying areas," Rafed noted.

Winds will be northwesterly brisk and temperatures will range between a maximum of 10°C and a minimum of 3°C in Amman, according to the JMD.

The impact of the cold air mass is expected to ease off on Monday, when morning showers are expected, the department said.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday held separate meetings in London with the chairmen and members of the defence, foreign affairs and the intelligence and security committees in the UK parliament as well as political and ideological leaders, a Royal Court statement said.

The meetings covered issues in the Middle East, particularly the Syrian crisis, efforts to combat terrorism and the donor conference scheduled to take place in London on Thursday.  During the meeting with the defence and foreign affairs committees, His Majesty highlighted the growing burdens Jordan is shouldering as a result of hosting Syrian refugees. 

The Monarch stressed the importance of the donor conference in London and said it should come up with decisions that enable the Kingdom to deal with the Syrian crisis through development and economic projects and support affected sectors to overcome increasing pressures. 

Now is the time for the international community, the EU and regional and international organisations to step forward and offer the necessary support to Jordan, the King said, noting that the Kingdom is offering more than its capabilities allow.

Moreover, he voiced appreciation for the UK’s support to Jordan which enables it to resume offering humanitarian services to the Syrian refugees residing in its lands. 

As for the developments in Syria, the King renewed Jordan’s stance that calls for finding a comprehensive political solution to the crisis that ends the violence and preserves the unity of the land and the Syrians.

Discussing the issue of combating terrorism, the King stressed the importance of intensifying efforts and standing up to terrorist groups within a strategic comprehensive approach, as terrorism targets the whole world.

The King also highlighted the UK’s role in combating terrorism through its participation in the anti-Daesh international coalition.

His Majesty stressed the importance of intensifying international efforts to revive the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations to reach a two-state solution, noting that the lack of the negotiations only increases violence and extremism and helps terrorist groups achieve their goals.

The meeting also covered the situation in Iraq and Libya and the importance of supporting them to enhance their security and stability as well as the depth of the Jordanian-UK relations in all fields, particularly security and defence.

For their part, the chairmen and members of the two committees voiced the UK’s appreciation of His Majesty’s efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East and to defeat terrorism. 

In a separate meeting with the chairman and members of the UK parliament’s intelligence and security committee, the Monarch said not reaching a political solution to the Syrian crisis would only worsen the security and humanitarian conditions in the region, causing more refugee influx to the world.

For their part, the chair and members of the UK parliament’s intelligence and security committee commended Jordan’s efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region and the world.

His Majesty also met with British intellectual and political leaders and discussed the latest regional developments, especially in Syria and the fight against terrorism.

Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan and Jordan’s Ambassador to the UK Mazen Hmoud also attended the meetings.

In remarks to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Hmoud said the donor countries and international banks participating in Thursday’s conference will focus on the principles of the Jordan Response Plan to support the state budget and host communities.

Support for Jordan’s efforts in hosting Syrian refugees will target the state budget, local host communities, infrastructure, schools, hospitals, energy and the labour market, by creating more job opportunities, the ambassador told Petra.

AMMAN – Lafarge Jordan has a plan to turn its dusty site of 1,880 dunums for cement production in Fuheis into an "environment-friendly urban hub", but it still awaits decision makers' nod, the company's CEO Amr Reda said. 

In an interview with The Jordan Times, Reda said the envisioned project was considered after the merger of Lafarge and Holcim in July last year to create LafargeHolcim, which he described as a new leader in the global building materials industry.

On details of the envisioned plan, the Lafarge Jordan CEO said it would be an entire clean energy city that would include shopping malls, residential and commercial properties, medical facilities and restaurants, adding that the scheme would be "a great investment opportunity" for regional and international developers, the local community and the country. 

On the value of the project, Reda said it would exceed JD2 billion when it is ready, indicating that the company sent an official letter to the Investment Commission in October 2015 informing them about the plan but still has not received any response. 

The size of the land, fully owned by Lafarge, is 1,880 dunums, according to the CEO, who said that the Paris-headquartered leader in the cement and building solutions industry has the expertise and
know-how to develop green schemes. 

“If we obtain the government’s approval for this development project, economic returns for the country and the area would be double. It would create a large number of job opportunities,” he said, adding the firm is ready to embark on this project as soon as possible.

“This would be the group’s first of its kind project in the world, if approved,” he said, adding the company can bring in an international engineering firm to design the project and invite local, regional and global developers to invest.

He said that Lafarge Jordan is considering the development plan as it seeks economic salvation to the problems facing its factories in the town of Fuheis –– just few kilometres northwest of Amman –– which have been non-operational for several years due to pressure from the local community over their environmental impact, according to Reda. 

“The company seeks a new strategy to end the status quo here [Fuheis],” he said. 

He said that between 2005 and 2009 the company developed the factories to reduce the environmental impact by using latest technology to monitor emissions to be in line with international standards. 

In 2011, Reda said Lafarge established a factory to be run on pitcoke in Fuheis but again the local community objected, leaving the two lines of production and 200 engineers and workers in complete halt for several years. 

“We have to pay JD5 million a year in compensation for the local community due to environmental impact. What impact and the factory is not operational?” he asked.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah has urged the world to invest in peace by giving refugees a future and assist host communities through a feasible approach that focuses on development and long-term planning.

In an op-ed in The Independent published Wednesday, he warned that the alternative is to push refugees to despair, crime and dependence. “It is not an alternative we can live with for our region, for Europe or for the world.”

His Majesty set three requirements that shape the new approach: the international response must be sustainable over the longer term; it must recognise Jordan among key regional host countries as the lynchpin of global action; and the initiatives involved must be comprehensive, “to meet the complex crisis of refugee displacement and lay the groundwork for it to end with a positive future ahead”.

Following is the full  text of the article:

The Syrian conflict is about to enter a sixth brutal year, with more than 250,000 Syrians dead and more than half the population displaced. By far the majority have clung to safety in neighbouring countries, especially Jordan, but increasing numbers are turning to Europe. This desperate situation has put enormous pressure on our global system. Community fears have collided with core social values, putting new strains on the principle of “united in diversity” – which is, after all, not just the EU motto but a basis for co-existence worldwide.

It is apparent from the shattered lives of children washed up on Europe’s shores that our current approach to handling refugee crises is not working. It is time for a new response that takes better account of the realities we face.

Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures. Tomorrow, the nations of the world will gather in London to address the Syrian refugee crisis. This conference comes at a critical juncture, when we have an opportunity not only to ease the heart-rending suffering, but to safeguard the future for my region and Europe as well.

This is a conference in which we all must step up for the stability of the region and for the opportunity to bring peace to Syria. It will test our will and ability to act as one – to save human lives, to protect human dignity, and in doing so, to save the future we share.

This requires from us a new paradigm for action. Recognising that the crisis is complex and protracted, our strategy can no longer be focused on emergency and humanitarian relief alone. It should be based on sustainable development-based goals.

Three requirements must shape our approach. First, the international response must be sustainable over the longer term: this crisis is too large and too widespread to end soon, even if the political process for a settlement in Syria makes progress. Second, our response must recognise Jordan among key regional host countries as the lynchpin of global action: to invest in our refugee response is to support an ally that can lift a burden that would otherwise fall elsewhere. Third, our initiatives must be comprehensive, to meet the complex crisis of refugee displacement and lay the groundwork for it to end with a positive future ahead.

Even if the Geneva peace conference moves forward, even when Daesh and its cohorts are defeated, it will likely be years more before the refugee situation resolves. This means years more pressure on displaced people, communities and countries hosting them. The needs of both must be addressed on a stable, viable basis.

Refugee-related costs now consume 25 per cent of Jordan’s national budget. The economies of the US and EU combined are more than $35 trillion and they are grappling with the influx of slightly over one million refugees. By comparison, Jordan’s economy is less than 0.001 per cent of the US and EU economies and has been coping with an even greater challenge of hosting nearly 1.3 million Syrian refugees. This is not to mention the refugees Jordan received during previous and ongoing conflicts. The amount of external shocks — the countless disasters and wars that we had no role in, but had to contend with over the decades — is unprecedented.

To assure that Jordan will be able to continue carrying the burden of Syrian refugees, it is vital to provide immediate support to the country’s infrastructure. It is also essential to ensure that doing the right thing does not come at the expense of Jordan’s youth and the opportunities our next generation will have in life. And, finally, creating new job opportunities through industry, trade and investment is an essential part of our comprehensive approach, now and for the future.

The world needs to build hope for the refugee population we host, so that they become effective citizens in the future of Syria, equipped with education, skills and opportunities. The alternative is to push refugees to despair, crime and dependence. It is not an alternative we can live with for our region, for Europe or for the world.

Investing in peace and helping Jordan in a real and transformative way will support a country that has been tried and tested throughout time, always emerging stronger for ourselves, stronger for our friends and stronger for our neighbourhood.

AMMAN – Half of the students at the country’s largest university are interested in politics, but 66 per cent of them said they were not affiliated with an intellectual or political movement, a survey has showed. 

The study, conducted at the University of Jordan (UJ) in December, explored the trends of students’ opinions on issues such as politics, gender, the educational system and social habits. The results were shared with the media on Wednesday by UJ’s Centre of Strategic Studies (CSS), which carried out the survey.

Around 25,662 students out of UJ’s current population (who registered this semester) of around 37,000 responded to the survey, said CSS director Musa Shteiwi.

The political affiliation figures show that 12 per cent of the total respondents were pan-Arabists, 11 per cent Islamists and 7 per cent nationalists.

The survey included questions about the terrorist groups in the region and whether students support their ideologies.  The findings showed that 94 per cent said they did not support any terror group.

The remaining 6 per cent expressed support for a variety of groups such as Al Qaeda, Daesh and their affiliates, and even the Iraq-based Shiite militia, Asaib
Ahl Al Haq. 

“This [the 6 per cent] is not something we will disregard, yet, the vast majority does not support any of the terror groups, and this is something we should highlight,” Shteiwi told The Jordan Times. 

However, not terror, but the economy’s status, corruption and the Syrian refugee crisis were the top issues the students believed to be posing the major challenges to the country.

Regarding students’ stands on gender-related issues, some findings were unexpected, especially since females constitute some 66.7 per cent of UJ’s students. For example, a majority of respondents, almost 55 per cent, believe that women’s jobs impact the household negatively.

However, about 78 per cent of them said they support a woman’s choice to have a job.

“This result shows that we still have this conventional image of women, and even though this generation has developed in many areas, we still hold on to the old mindset. We will be working on that as well,” Shteiwi told The Jordan Times.

In the survey, students were asked to rate democracy and its suitability in Jordan.

On a scale of 0 to 10, the average rate of democracy in the country stands at 5.3, while the suitability of having democracy in the Kingdom gave an average of 5.7.  

Around 40 per cent of the survey takers believe there are restrictions on expressing opinions on social issues. 

As for educational issues, around 53 per cent of the survey takers said the educational system in local universities does not promote creativity, while 54 per cent said education in Jordan focuses on the academic aspect and disregards others.

According to the university’s president, the results are sufficiently reliable to build policies on. 

“The university is a small city, representing the entire Jordanian society. These findings can be generalised to provide us with insight into the trends of our youth in other universities,” Ekhleif Tarawneh said.

He told The Jordan Times he believes Jordanian universities would work hand in hand on problems such as the ones highlighted in the survey’s findings. 

Shteiwi and Tarawneh added that such studies help re-evaluate the situation on campus, adding that solving campus problems would, naturally, reflect positively on society.

The council of deans will map plans for future activities and events to encourage students to work in the field and do more community service, the president said.

“We will tailor activities that would benefit students in the long run,” Tarawneh said.