Council says those involved in attacks on universities should be held accountable

AMMAN — Those who attack universities and damage property should receive severe punishment, the Higher Education Council said in a statement released late Tuesday.

Higher Education Minister Labib Khadra, the council’s president, called for a meeting to discuss the repercussions of recent incidents at Balqa, Mutah and Al al Bayt universities and their causes.

The council affirmed that universities where unrest recently took place should investigate these incidents and hold accountable those proven to be involved.

The council called for unifying the higher education sector’s efforts to address challenges facing Jordanian universities without infringing on their independence. 

Moreover, the council noted that university presidents should be treated with respect and supported in exercising their administrative role under the law, according to the statement.

On Monday, tens of employees at Karak’s Mutah University stormed administration offices in protest against not having their demands for end-of-service incentives and allowances met, smashing office equipment and prompting the university’s security staff to intervene and evacuate the building.

Also this week, administrative staff members at Balqa Applied University (BAU) held a strike over labour demands, which the university administration agreed to meet later that day. 

An employee at BAU who preferred to remain unnamed, claimed that BAU President Nabeel Shawaqfeh was “forced to leave his office” and that the university announced suspension of classes on Sunday.