Transformations In Student Activism In Jordan: Models Beyond Institutional Frameworks

2025-10-19 03:29:39

(MENAFN- Amman Net) Student activism at Jordanian universities represents an important arena for understanding social and cultural transformations among youth and serves as an indicator of how students engage with their intellectual, cultural, national, and regional concerns. This understanding has often been framed through institutional and official structures, whether via student unions, clubs, politically affiliated blocs, or licensed groups and activities sanctioned by university administrations. However, this institutionalized form of student activism, coupled with bureaucratic procedures, has frequently constrained students' ability to express themselves freely and limited independent action, placing students under the authority of the university administration.

Over the past two decades, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordanian universities have undergone profound changes, including the narrowing of spaces for student activity, prioritizing academic-professional concerns over political, cultural, and intellectual engagement, and emphasizing individual over collective action. The pandemic also caused a prolonged disconnection from public campus spaces and transformed patterns of education and interaction, weakening the accumulation of student experience and creating a generational gap-both in terms of age and experience. This gap is not only measured by chronological age but also by the erosion of knowledge about the significance of student activism and its roles, compounded by the absence of student figures who previously served as references for organizing and mobilizing future generations.

Within this context, a new generation of students emerged without the opportunity to experience field-based student activism, as university administrations maintained strict control over activities within their institutional frameworks. Nevertheless, the digital transformations imposed by the pandemic and the decline of traditional frameworks opened space for flexible, independent initiatives operating through digital platforms and social networks. These initiatives redefined student participation, expanding its scope from union-centered activities to intellectual and cultural networked spaces.

Several factors have contributed to reshaping the student scene, including tightened administrative and security restrictions on public activities, the declining role of traditional unions and student blocs, the expansion of e-learning, and increased individualism following the COVID-19 pandemic. This period marked a critical turning point in student interactions. With the temporary shift to remote learning, in-person presence and direct student interaction decreased, weakening traditional forms of organization. Conversely, it allowed the emergence of flexible, non-institutional initiatives that leveraged digital spaces to redefine student engagement and expand it from union-based frameworks to cultural, intellectual, and networked spaces. Most importantly, these changes affected students' awareness of the value of student activism and their personal convictions.

In this sense, it can be said that transformations in student activism have not only produced new forms of organization but have inaugurated a distinct phase of networked action characterized by decentralization, horizontal collaboration, and self-initiated engagement across digital platforms, reflecting the spirit of the new generation and its desire to redefine collective action both inside and outside the university.

From this perspective, independent experiences have emerged attempting to revive the“spirit” and essence of student activism. These are diverse models that challenge the traditional system and create parallel, active spaces outside conventional student frameworks, structures, and limits.

The following are several examples of these new and independent models:

Diwan Fatima [1]: A student cultural club launched in November 2023 at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Jordan, primarily targeting female students while engaging the broader student community. The Diwan aims to fill cultural and intellectual gaps and create a fruitful discussion environment in areas of thought, literature, and science, building a bridge between students of scientific faculties and humanities. It draws inspiration from revelation, Arab-Islamic culture, and its literary and historical heritage.

Named after Fatima al-Fihri, the scholar, writer, and jurist who founded the world's first university in Fez, Morocco, the Diwan seeks to combine knowledge with real societal engagement and to remind participants of the importance of restoring the civilizational and intellectual roles of Muslim women. The Diwan fosters spaces for critical thinking and inquiry, gathering students from diverse disciplines and backgrounds, operating outside traditional organizational structures or official university approvals, and functioning in flexible digital and community spaces close to the students' realities.

The Diwan represents a new model of networked student action that transcends university centralization, building small knowledge communities that intersect in interests and interact horizontally, through both closed discussions and open sessions featuring intellectual and cultural figures. Its transnational nature has enhanced this networked dimension, with students from across the Arab world participating remotely, fostering a sense of belonging to a shared intellectual space and transforming students' awareness of the role of public engagement and knowledge in social change.

Meetings are preceded by dedicated readings and discussions cover works such as Women and Political Work: An Islamic Perspective [2], The Curse of the Millennium [3], The Wasted Human [4], and The Responsibility of the Intellectual [5].

The events of October 7, 2023, further intensified the Diwan's relevance, as it focused on the Gaza conflict and related questions regarding awareness, efficacy, and the limits of engagement. Discussions addressed questions such as the value of university studies in a crisis context and the role students can play in society in line with principles of freedom and knowledge responsibility. The Diwan thus adapted networked student spaces to major events, translating theoretical debate into practical questions of action and change. It emphasizes commitment to Islamic values and faith-based reference points while remaining independent from student blocs and focusing on cultural knowledge and its potential for impact [6].

Masari [7]: Launched in 2024, Masari aims to enhance students' and professionals' competencies in social, psychological, and educational fields through specialized knowledge and skill-based training. The program engages experienced professionals and targets multiple universities, primarily the University of Jordan and Yarmouk University, with plans for future expansion. Activities are held both in-person and online, providing flexibility and enabling broader participation.

Despite being less than a year old, Masari continues to emphasize the“Islamization of knowledge,” drawing inspiration from Islamic heritage while integrating scientific methodology and practical skills. It benefits from the involvement of independent scholars and preachers popular among committed youth.

The Student Blog [9]: Launched in 2022 on social media, the blog covers student rights and issues in Jordanian universities. It includes an official website documenting student activism through articles and personal experiences, emphasizing freedom of expression, political participation, fair evaluation, safe transportation, and adequate facilities. The blog responds to declining student freedoms, rising educational costs, and the diminished role of student unions. It encourages students to document events and reflect on personal experiences, cultivating skills and political literacy.

Fastamsik: Launched in 2020 at Yarmouk University, this Quranic educational initiative targets female students. Initially limited within the university, it moved off-campus to maintain continuity and effectiveness, demonstrating the adaptability of student-led initiatives in navigating institutional constraints.

ZoomIn Team: An independent student media team at Yarmouk University, formerly affiliated with an Islamic campus bloc, now operating independently. The team focuses on developing media skills and providing practical training while maintaining moderate value-based orientation. It operates both within the university when possible and in independent spaces to bypass administrative restrictions.

These examples (Diwan Fatima, Masari, the Student Blog, Fastamsik, ZoomIn Team) demonstrate the diversity of independent student spaces within and beyond Jordanian universities. While their goals vary, they share a focus on intellectual, cultural, rights-based, and knowledge empowerment, providing critical discussion spaces outside traditional administrative frameworks. They can be categorized as: knowledge/cultural (Diwan Fatima, Masari), media/rights-oriented (Student Blog), and educational/religious (Fastamsik, ZoomIn).

Viewed through a networked lens, these initiatives bypass traditional university hierarchies, creating dynamic spaces for interaction, learning, and knowledge exchange. Despite operating independently, informal interactions occur across initiatives, forming a flexible network that enables student expression, knowledge production, and engagement beyond official constraints, reflecting a shift from centralized to networked student activism.

These experiences reveal that student activism in Jordan is no longer confined to traditional institutional frameworks. Instead, it has reshaped itself in independent and flexible spaces, reflecting deeper transformations in university youth consciousness and perceptions of their role within and outside the university. These models signal shifts in religious, cultural, and rights-based activism among a new generation of Jordanian students and redefine the student-university-society relationship.

The critical question remains whether these initiatives can sustain themselves as alternatives to traditional student activism, attract participation, and thrive under the increasing“legalization” of student work, or whether they will remain transitional efforts influenced by institutional, social, and political constraints.

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