QFFD signs agreement with Jordan' s education ministry

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) * MoU inked under umbrella of Qatar Scholarships Programme to develop and strengthen education sector, in co-operation with EAA Foundation      Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Jordan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to contribute to the development and strengthening of the education sector by rehabilitating and improving the educational capabilities of young people, in co-operation with Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, which will implement and manage all the designated projects.
The MoU was inked in the presence of Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Co-operation, Nasser Shraideh. The MoU will cover 800 students of Jordanian nationality and refugees hosted by Jordan to provide them with educational services, in accordance with selection criteria of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Luminus Technical University College will implement the programme, which will include the provision of certificates such as bachelor's degree, local diploma and technical diploma.
On this occasion, QFFD director-general Khalifa Jassim al-Kuwari said“this agreement comes in the context of co-operation 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 Programme for Youth of the Qatar Scholarships Programme. The scholarships cover the costs of tuition fees.
He added, "Qatar Fund for Development is proud to support the higher education sector in sisterly Jordan, as 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. We also affirm, once again, the State of Qatar’s keenness to support education with the aim of securing decent life and empowering youth.”
Prof Dr Mohamed Khair Abu Qudais, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, noted:“This programme will have the greatest impact on supporting Jordanian students and enabling them to complete their studies in technical and applied disciplines required in the local and regional labour market. The program will also provide support to a large number of refugee students residing in the kingdom and ensure a safer future for them, as they will also be able to complete their studies.”
He stressed that the government of Jordan, represented by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, looks forward to achieving more co-operation with QFFD, which is a Qatari public institution entrusted with co-ordinating and implementing foreign development aid projects on behalf of Qatar. QFFD has provided assistance to many countries all over the world in line with the objectives of international co-operation set forth by the Qatar National Vision 2030, a press statement notes.
Commenting on this partnership, Fahd bin Hamad al-Sulaiti, CEO of EAA Foundation, asserted: "We are pleased to witness the agreement concluded between Qatar Fund For Development and the Jordanian Ministry of Education, aimed at providing important educational opportunities for marginalised youth, as we also witness new co-operation between Qatar and Jordan in the education sector."
He added,“Education is an essential tool to support the growing number of Syrian refugees in Jordan, and combat the exacerbating effects of poverty, social inequality and the continuing impact of the 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.”
Shraideh praised the depth of the bilateral relations between Jordan and Qatar, which were laid down by King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, while expressing 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 stressed the Jordanian government’s appreciation of the QFFD and EAA Foundation for contributing to the financing of the scholarship programme for youth, as this initiative will contribute to supporting Jordanian students and enabling them to complete their studies in technical and applied disciplines required in the local and regional labour market. This is in addition to the fact that the programme will provide support for a number of refugee students residing in the kingdom.
He also referred to the support provided by Qatar to the development efforts of the Jordanian government, wherein Qatar Charity recently provided a grant of QR10mn to provide Covid-19 vaccines for the benefit of the Ministry of Health. QFFD contributed to the joint account of donor countries in the health sector (MDA) by pumping a grant amounting to $4.2mn, as this account had a basic and important role in enabling the Jordanian Ministry of Health to provide appropriate health services in light of the difficulties it faces, represented by the repercussions of the spread of Covid-19 and the continuing challenge of hosting Syrian refugees.
Sheikh Saud bin Nasser bin Jassim al-Thani, Qatar's ambassador to Jordan, said: "We are proud of the progress made by the two countries in the educational fields at all levels, and are looking forward to further to accomplish progress and partnership in this area."
“May Allah protect our two brotherly countries and grant them all the reasons for progress and prosperity under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Amir of the country, and his brother, His Majesty King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein.”
QFFD, along with its strategic partner, EAA Foundation, is completing the mission of providing educational facilities to developing countries and helping students complete their education journey in line with Qatar's support for education, which includes the Fund's vision of giving hope and promoting peace and justice through sustainable and comprehensive development.    

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