AMMAN — The University of Jordan (UJ) has launched a new master’s programme in sustainable development, the “first such specialisation ever taught in Jordan”.
The two-year programme, which is supported by the Columbia University Middle East Research Centre (CUMERC) and the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, will incorporate the basic sciences required for sustainable development, including health, nature and social administration.
During the launch, held at CUMERC on Monday, UJ President Ekhleif Tarawneh said the university has implemented similar academic programmes in cooperation with European universities in Germany and Sweden.
The new MA programme, to be implemented in cooperation with Columbia University in the US and CUMERC, is part of UJ’s quest for further international recognition, Tarawneh added.
Planning Minister Ibrahim Saif stressed the importance of the new programme in providing decision makers with scientific and specialised research on sustainable development.
CUMERC Director Safwan Masri said the master’s programme is taught at 22 universities worldwide, including the New York-based Columbia University, highlighting the potential contributions of such a branch to Jordan’s development endeavour.
Ziad Edynat, dean of UJ’s school of international studies and political sciences, said the programme is expected to equip a generation of researchers and specialists with the basic skills to address problems related to development in their countries.
The programme, according to pamphlets distributed during the ceremony, seeks to provide students with the skills and knowledge required to design sustainable development projects in sectors they are involved in that enable them to tackle a variety of challenges including poverty, climate change and contagious diseases.
The programme will also feature field training that employs theoretical aspects in projects agreed upon with the Planning Ministry and other institutions involved in sustainable development.
The core courses in the programme include theories of human development, public health, agriculture, water management, environment impact assessment and research methods in development studies.
UJ will begin accepting applications for the programme this month.
