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Overview

Welcome

On behalf of Princess Sumaya University for Technology and the Organizing Committee of the conference, I am honored to welcome you to the Second Arab-Euro Conference on Higher Education (AECHE).  In organizing this conference we have, for the second time, brought together the Association of Arab Universities (AARU) and the European Universities Association (EUA) for a successful, well-attended conference that will to combine the strengths of their member organizations.  We are also proud to be working closely with our colleagues at the University of Barcelona, who hosted the First AECHE conference.

Higher Education in the MEDA region and Europe, as indeed in other parts of the world, has witnessed unprecedented transformations in recent times along with an ever increasing number of specializations and students.  These developments are taking place against the backdrop of a worldwide economic slowdown which has imposed heavy constraints on both public and private universities that are struggling to keep pace, despite diminishing funds.

In our view, the only way forward is to strengthen cooperation, combine resources, and share information, knowledge, and data, in a manner that fortifies rather than fragments.  No longer can any university or higher education system afford to remain an island in an increasingly globalized world.  This conference therefore aims to provide a venue for exchange of ideas, new partnerships in research and development, and discussions on how current systems may be improved to maximize efficiency and inclusive participation while working with minimum resources. The geographic proximity of the MEDA region and Europe are also compelling reasons to establish a cohesive, collaborative system that serves and strengthens all.

The conference will provide a unique opportunity to meet and share views with decision-makers, scientists, researchers, and prominent personalities in higher education from the Arab world and Europe.  We look forward to your participation and hope to welcome you to Jordan in June 2014.

 

Issa Batarseh
President

Princess Sumaya University for Technology

Objectives

This Second Conference will be what the participants choose to make of it. We have simply helped the AARU and EUA to build the Programme and will endeavour to host it to your full satisfaction. Our one goal is to make the Conference a complete and lasting success.

As the Conference overview states, this event is addressed to University leaders and its focus will be promoting, within the joint AARU and EUA framework, a sustainable process of dialogue, mutual understanding, exchange of knowledge and increased cooperation between Arab and European universities. The main objective is to encourage Rectors, Presidents and Vice-chancellors from both regions to rethink the role of the university in the current context of internationalization, and to examine the introduction of new functions to tackle socio-economic challenges in the Arab, Euro and Arab-Euro contexts.

Our hope is that the fruitful discussions held in Barcelona will form the basis for setting up a permanent framework of dialogue and for establishing a work programme which will allow us to broaden and deepen the cooperation between our institutions and, therefore, between our peoples. The University and the city of Amman will always be willing and available to promote this dialogue and to host any event that falls within this framework of permanent cooperation. We would like you to consider this a standing invitation and hope you will consider our University as your home.