Jordan University of Science and Technology: A Comprehensive Overview

Introduction

The Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), often abbreviated as JUST, is a comprehensive, state-supported university located on the outskirts of Irbid, at Ar Ramtha in northern Jordan. Since its establishment in 1986, JUST has been at the forefront of institutions of higher learning in the Arab world, maintaining a high reputation and standard amongst the universities of the Middle East. JUST and the University of Jordan in Amman are considered to be the two premier institutions of higher education for engineering and medicine in the country, although numerous other faculties and specializations are represented as well.

History and Establishment

Having its roots at Yarmouk University in Irbid, a royal decree was issued in 1986 to establish JUST, which emerged as an independent university on 1 September 1986. JUST detached five faculties from Yarmouk University to form its academic nucleus. These faculties were the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Dentistry, the Faculty of Pharmacy, the Faculty of Nursing, and the Faculty of Engineering. Started with 110 faculty members, JUST in 2018 hosted 985 academic faculty members, of which 249 were full professors. A total of 2,300 students enrolled in 1986, but as of the academic year 2017/2018, 22634 undergraduate and 2213 postgraduate students were enrolled at the university, representing 51 nationalities.

Campus and Location

The university campus is located in Ar Ramtha, 70 km north of Amman, the capital, and 20 km east of Irbid. It covers an area of approximately 11,000 dunums (11 km2). The campus is divided into two sections: the Medical Faculties Complex and the Engineering Faculties Complex.

Medical Faculties Complex

The Medical Faculties Complex is located at the northern part of the university and houses the faculties of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Applied Medical Sciences, Pharmacy, and Science and Arts.

Engineering Faculties Complex

The Engineering Faculties Complex is located in the southern part of the university and comprises the faculties of Agriculture, Computer and Data Technology, Engineering, Architecture and Design, and Veterinary Medicine.

Libraries and Laboratories

There are two libraries in JUST, one in the Engineering Faculties Complex and the other in the Medical Faculties Complex. Every department has a computer laboratory for the students to use. There are also two open labs one in each campus and six additional labs, which are available for the graduate and undergraduate computer science students and students who are taking related courses at the PH building located at the Medicine Faculties Building. The library collection comprises 115,000 books and 45,000 volumes of periodicals back issues.

King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH)

Named after the first king of modern Jordan, Abdullah I bin al-Hussein, the King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH) is the largest hospital in northern Jordan, serving approximately one million inhabitants of the Irbid, Ajloun, Jerash, and Mafraq governorates. It is also the teaching hospital affiliated with Jordan University of Science and Technology, located within the campus adjacent to the university's Medical Faculties Complex. The hospital is staffed with full-time physicians and surgeons who are faculty members of the JUST Faculty of Medicine, in addition to many others from the Ministry of Health, and the Royal Medical Services (RMS). The overall area of various hospital buildings is 95583m², in addition to a double story car park of 9000m² area. Structurally, the hospital is composed of a 15-storey high-rise building, in which all hospital beds are located, and a 3-story low-rise buildings in which patient clinics, diagnostic and other services are located. As the faculty's main teaching hospital, KAUH provide students with the opportunity to attend lectures, tutorials, clinics, ward rounds, and surgeries.

Academic Programs and Faculties

Jordan University of Science and Technology offers a variety of majors in various academic fields, including engineering, medicine, medical sciences, humanities, management, and others. The university aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in their professional lives. The University includes 12 faculties and 84 departments. The academic structure comprises various faculties, each specializing in distinct fields of study.

Faculty of Medicine

The Faculty of Medicine awards the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) after completion of six years comprising three years of medical sciences and three clinical years. Students are admitted to medicine based solely on their grade point average in their high school national general exam (Tawjihi); there are neither entrance interviews nor psychometric exams. The cutoff average used for admissions into medicine is the highest among all the other disciplines offered by universities. Although in the minority, the faculty of medicine accepts students from Israel, Palestine, Syria, Arab states of the Persian Gulf, Malaysia, and other countries. Tuition is significantly higher for the foreign students. During the first year and a half of their program, students are taught basic science in a traditional format. module fashion, the next year and half is devoted to studying nine body systems: cardiovascular, respiratory, hematopoietic, digestive, endocrine, musculoskeletal, neuroscience 1 and 2, and reproductive and urinary. Towards the end of the third year students begin direct contact with patients in hospital settings. The last three years are spent in supervised inpatient and outpatient settings to develop their diagnostic and treatment competencies; the clinical years begin fully at the beginning of year 4 where students rotate through various areas of general clinical medicine. Year 5 continues this pattern focusing more on specialized areas of medicine and surgery. In total, students are required to complete 257 hours of classes divided among compulsory and elective courses. Evaluations are based primarily on written exams (marks are based on two midterms and one end of term exam) and percentage grades appear on transcripts. Practical exams are solely based on an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) type of standardized exams. Students looking to specialize can apply for residency programs after completion of imtiaz (internship). Most residency programs are four years in length, but notable exceptions include neurosurgery (6 years), general surgery (5 years), orthopedic surgery (5 years), and urology (5 years). Residency programs are divided into two broad groups: major and minor specialties. Major programs include internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, while the rest are considered minor. Medical students graduating from JUST are widely renowned for their achievements in the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), gaining postgraduate positions in well-known global institutions. Furthermore, the Faculty of Medicine has been an active participant in medical research and has hosted numerous international events and conferences, with focus on subjects in relation to myocardial protection and research, pediatrics, anesthesia, and internal medicine.

Faculty of Dentistry

The Faculty of Dentistry at Jordan University of Science and Technology was founded by a royal decree on 16 September 1983 and the first group of students was admitted in the academic year 1984/1985.

Faculty of Pharmacy

The Faculty of Pharmacy, the first in Jordan, was established as a department of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Yarmouk University by a royal decree in 1979. The rapid growth and development of the department led to the transformation of the department into an independent faculty on 19 September 1983. Three years later -in September 1986- the Faculty of Pharmacy became affiliated with JUST.

Faculty of Nursing

The Faculty of Nursing was established in 1983 with only 2 faculty members and 23 students.

Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences

The Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences was established in 2000, and was housed in several makeshift facilities. It was created to educate allied health professionals to fill crucial shortages in the health care needs of the people in Jordan. The faculty has since become a dynamic and vital member of the university health team. The faculty also has a number of sponsored students who are pursuing graduate studies leading to M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in various majors at well-known universities in the US, UK, and Australia.

Faculty of Science and Arts

The Faculty of Science and Arts was established by a decree from the Council of Higher Education on 26 January 1987. It commenced its duties as of 1 September 1987.

Faculty of Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering is the largest faculty in the university, with its 61 research and teaching labs. It comprises the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering power and mechatronics, and Nuclear Engineering.

Faculty of Agriculture

The Faculty of Agriculture was established by a royal decree on 2 October 1985. Study began at the faculty in 1989/1990 with 71 students, to grow into over 1100 students in the academic year 2006/2007, including 100 graduate students. The faculty began with only nine faculty members upon its establishment.

Faculty of Architecture and Design

The Faculty of Architecture and Design awards both bachelor's degrees and master's degrees and comprises the departments of architecture and urban planning.

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was established at JUST in 1990 as a response to the national objective of improving animal health and productivity by increasing their efficiency and thereby reducing the cost of animal production. It is the only Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Jordan. It also houses a Veterinary Health Center (VHC), which serves the purpose of clinical training for students and provides veterinary services to the public. The faculty is a research and a consultative center, in addition to its basic function in promoting and sustaining high standards of undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

Faculty of Graduate Studies

The Faculty of Graduate Studies provides advanced studies in different fields including Medicine, Applied Medical Sciences, Science, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Agriculture, Engineering and Computer Technology.

Research and Innovation

JUST has given its utmost priority to academic research. In this vein, the Deanship of Research commenced its activities at the early stages of the university establishment during the academic year 1986/1987. Research, basic and applied, is amongst the principal priorities of the university. Research funding has steadily grown since the establishment of JUST in 1986, and an average of 200 research projects are sponsored and funded each year. Nature Journal has reported Jordan as having the highest number of researchers in research and development per million people among all the 57 countries members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The Deanship of Research at JUST is the administrative and technical body that facilitates, regulates and observes the processes concerning research. It works in a collaborative and complementary manner with other faculties and administrative bodies of the university. The university was described as the best scientific institution in the Kingdom by King Abdullah II during a visit in November 2010.

Research Centers

Training and supervision in research methodology, especially for postgraduate students, is reinforced by several research centers, such as the Queen Rania Center for Environmental Science and Technology, Consultative Center for Science and Technology, Energy Center, Pharmaceutical Research Center, Princess Haya Biotechnology Center, and the Agricultural Center for Research & Production.

Nuclear Research Reactor

Jordan's efforts to develop and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and lessen its dependence on fossil fuel, and in co-ordinance with the Department of Nuclear Engineering of JUST, a nuclear research reactor, the first in the country, has been set to be inbuilt the university campus which can function Associate in Nursing integral a part of the nuclear technology infrastructure of Jordan. The nuclear research reactor center will include radioisotope production and training facilities, future expansion of the center will include a fuel fabrication plant, as well as radioactive waste and cold neutron facilities.

Student Life and Activities

The university encourages participation in student clubs and events that enhance the students’ university experience. The clubs organize a variety of cultural, sports, and artistic activities, which helps students expand their social network and develop their personal skills, and reflects the spirit of cooperation among students.

Student Services

The University of Science and Technology provides a comprehensive range of student services that aim to support students in their academic journey. These services include academic counseling, psychological and social support, and health centers. These services contribute to providing an ideal educational environment that helps students succeed and excel. Health care is available to all students, the cost of which is included in the semester fees. It covers 100% of most services offered by the University Health Centers, including King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH) and the JUST Health Center (HC). The university provides free life insurance coverage to all students. JUST Health Center (HC) in Irbid was established in 1983 to provide medical care to students, faculty and staff.

International Students

The number of international students at JUST continues to rise; in the academic year 2005/2006, more than 3,500 students of 48 nationalities came from outside Jordan. As of the academic year 2009/2010, the university had 5,415 international students from 61 different nationalities, rendering it the most cultural-diverse university in Jordan. The International Student Office (ISO) was established in 2005 and is supervised directly by the president. Highly qualified coordinators and staff provide cultural, social and legal consultation, field trips, social events, and meetings with the president.

Student Housing

The first building was established in 1993. Due to increasing demand, the number of buildings was gradually raised to eight fully occupied buildings. Each building consists of four floors, the ground floor included. Each floor consists of two major wards, each of which contains eleven rooms, in addition to an adequate number of bathrooms and showers associated with each ward.

International Cooperation and Partnerships

The University of Science and Technology seeks to enhance its global standing by establishing partnerships with prestigious educational institutions around the world. These partnerships provide students with the opportunity to learn about new cultures and exchange knowledge, which contributes to the development of the quality of education. The university offers student and researcher exchange programs aimed at enriching the educational experience. These programs provide students with the opportunity to study at international universities, develop their research skills, and broaden their academic horizons.

Rankings and Recognition

JUST was ranked as the top research university in the country and came 3% of universities in the Islamic world. The University also ranked 91st Young University Ranking in the year 2019. According to the Latest 2019 Times Higher Education University Ranking forefront of Universities in Asia. It is ranked from 68th only last year to 54th for the current year 2019. The university was defined as the best scientific institution in the Kingdom by King Abdullah II, and it was ranked as the top research university in the country, and amongst the top 50 universities in the Islamic World, according to a study carried out by the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries (SESRIC).

Notable Alumni

Abdul Malek Al Jaber (President - Peppers & Rogers Telecommunications Group)
Dr. Said Al-Hallaj (CEO -All Cell Technologies)

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