Navigating the University of Jordan: Location and Campus Overview

The University of Jordan (UJ), a prominent government university, is situated in Amman, the capital city of Jordan. Often called "the Mother University," it holds the distinction of being the first established university in the country. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the university's location, campus layout, and key facilities.

Prime Location in Amman

In 1962, the University of Jordan selected the Jubaiha area as the construction site for its campus. The university is located in the Jubaiha District of Amman. Spanning an area of 1,200 dunums, equivalent to 0.463 square miles (1.20 km2). The university's main campus in Jubaiha borders University Street (Queen Rania Street), a major road connecting eastern and western Amman. This strategic location provides easy access to various parts of the city, making it convenient for students, faculty, and visitors.

Campus Layout and Access Points

The campus has twelve gates, including one on the southern side, two on the eastern side, two on the northern side, and seven on the western side, notably the University Street side, which includes the main entrance. The multiple entrances ensure smooth traffic flow and accessibility from different directions.

Aqaba Campus: A Southern Branch

Aqaba Campus serves as the southern branch of the University of Jordan. It is located in Aqaba, Jordan, and was established in 2009 as part of a national strategy to expand higher education and spur development in the Aqaba region. His Majesty King Abdullah II laid its foundation stone in April 2009. The campus is located on the northern outskirts of Aqaba and offers a range of facilities and infrastructure to support student life. It features modern academic buildings. Recreational and sports facilities are also part of the campus, such as a multi-purpose gymnasium for indoor sports and other leisure amenities available to students.

Key Facilities and Landmarks

The University of Jordan boasts a wide array of facilities catering to academic, research, and student life. Here's a glimpse into some of its prominent features:

Academic Hubs

The university comprises various schools and faculties, each dedicated to specific disciplines. These include:

School of Science: Covering fundamental scientific disciplines.
School of Agriculture: Focusing on agricultural studies.
School of Engineering: Established in 1975, it has grown to be the university's largest faculty. It comprises departments in civil, electrical, mechanical, chemical, industrial, and other engineering areas; notably, by 2021 all its departments had attained ABET accreditation.
King Abdullah II School of Information Technology (KASIT): Founded in 2000 under the patronage of King Abdullah II.
School of Arts: The first school in the history of Jordan. It is a leading center for humanities, social sciences, and literature.
School of Sharia: Established in 1964, focusing on Islamic theology and jurisprudence.
School of Business: Founded in 1965, comprises seven departments (such as management, finance, and accounting) and was the first public university business school in Jordan to achieve AACSB accreditation.
School of Physical Education: Providing programs in sports science and physical training.
School of Arts and Design: Established in 2002, fostering fine arts and design education.
Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II School of International Studies: Established in 2008, dedicated to politics and international relations. It is one of the only academic institutions in Jordan specializing in those fields in English.
School of Foreign Languages: Offering degree programs in a variety of languages and literature.
School of Medicine: Established in 1971 and the first medical school in Jordan.
School of Nursing: Opened in 1972 and the first program in the country to offer a bachelor's degree in nursing. It played a key role in training professional nurses for Jordan's healthcare system.
School of Pharmacy: Founded in 1979 and Jordan's first pharmacy faculty.
School of Dentistry: Followed in 1982 to train dentists in oral health and dental surgery.
School of Rehabilitation Sciences: Established in 1999 and one of the university's youngest faculties.

The University of Jordan Library (UJL)

The University of Jordan Library (UJL) was established in 1962 with the founding of the university. It occupies more than 12,000 square meters, with an additional 4,000 square meters of reading rooms distributed across faculties and research centers. Its collection exceeds one million print and electronic items and serves faculty, students, researchers, and visiting scholars. It was the second public library in Jordan, after the Central Library founded in 1960. The UJL is organized into three departments: Technical, Library Services, and Information. These departments manage acquisitions, cataloging and classification, lending, reference, deposits, and library systems. Holdings include historical documents and archives, parliamentary minutes, newspaper runs dating to 1870, and records from Jerusalem's Sharia courts and the Mamluk Sultanate. It also serves as a depository for United Nations and other international-organization documents. An American Corner opened in September 2018. The library is open 90 hours per week, and serves about 11,000 users daily. Also, it provides facilities for visually impaired students. Since 1986 it has been a repository for theses and dissertations from Arab universities accredited by the Association of Arab Universities.

Jordan University Hospital (JUH)

Jordan University Hospital (JUH) is a public teaching and research hospital in Amman. It was founded in 1973 under the name Grand Amman Hospital. It became the country's first university teaching hospital in 1975 when it was incorporated into the University of Jordan and renamed Jordan University Hospital. JUH offers a comprehensive range of medical services across numerous specialties and has introduced advanced procedures such as cochlear implants and bone marrow transplants. It also serves as a major center for medical education and research. It provides clinical training for medical, nursing, and allied health students, and it supports postgraduate specialist training.

Other Important Centers

Jordan Academy of Arabic: One of 10 academies in the world that regulate Arabic language and literature. The academy is considered one of the world's top references for Arabic language and Arabic literature.
Center for Strategic Studies: Established in 1972 to promote the study of Arabic and Islamic heritage, and to provide researchers with original and primary sources.
Center for Political Studies: The center was established in 1998 aiming to perform political and economical studies on the national and regional level. The center also performs polls with high levels of accuracy.

A Historical Perspective

Before the University of Jordan was founded, Jordanians repeatedly called for establishing a national university. In the 1950s, many students pursued higher education abroad. In 1962, a British Army delegation met with the commanders of the Jordanian Army to negotiate terms for aid from the British government intended to help with the establishment of the University of Jordan. Before issuing the royal decree, King Hussein bin Talal discussed the project with Prime Minister Wasfi al-Tal, and they agreed to proceed.

On the Opening ceremony of the university, King Hussein bin Talal, accompanied by his convoy, Prince Hassan bin Talal, and Jordanian Prime Minister Wasfi al-Tal, arrived at the university. During a ceremony held on 17 April 1965, King Hussein was presented with the university's first degree, an honorary doctorate. With fervent and faithful words, I proudly declare, on behalf of the unified Jordanian family, the establishment of the University of Jordan in our beloved country on the second day of September 1962. Today, I stand here, grateful to God, witnessing the joyous celebration of the inauguration of our beloved university. It brings me great joy to hold its certificate, robe, and badge. On 25 December 1965, the University of Jordan commenced its first day of teaching. At its inception, the university operated from three buildings with a budget of 50,000 dinars and eight faculty members, along with a small number of international professors. Early faculty included Nasir al-Din al-Asad, Abdul-Karim Gharaybeh, Fakher Aqel, Shawqi Daif, and Hashim Yaghi. In its early years, the administration expanded infrastructure and added new faculties. Jordanian media in late 1962 referred to the University of Jordan as "the Mother University". In its early years, instruction was in Arabic for the humanities and in English for scientific and technical fields.

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Despite political and security disruptions in Jordan in the late 1960s and early 1970s (including regional hostilities and the Black September conflict), the University of Jordan expanded. Between 1970 and 1990 it added new faculties and established research centers. During this period, Jordan's economy grew with financial assistance from the United States and several Arab states. The university added ten faculties, including Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Engineering, Nursing, Agriculture, Law, and Physical Education. Other developments included establishing the Deanship of Student Affairs and the Deanship of Scientific Research. The university mosque was inaugurated on 10 June 1980 in a ceremony attended by King Hussein and Prince Hassan. Financial support for the university fluctuated during this period.

Following the lifting of martial law in Jordan, a period of political liberalization coincided with continued expansion at the university. During this period, the administration adopted a single-vote system for electing student representatives to the University Council. In 1998, the University Board of Trustees was reinstated, and the university regained academic, administrative, and financial autonomy. In 2000, government funding to the university fell to 400,000 Jordanian dinars.

In the following years, the enrollment and faculty numbers increased. The university introduced new admission categories in 2000. It also admitted large cohorts under scholarship schemes based on social and political criteria. In the early 2010s, the administration adopted a plan to position the University of Jordan as an internationally oriented, research-focused institution. Student activism also intensified during the 2010s, with several influential student organizations shaping campus political discourse.

Notable People

The University of Jordan's faculty has included scholars and public figures across several fields. Nasir al-Din al-Asad, a founding faculty member, served as the university's first president (1962â1968) and later as Jordan's minister of higher education. Abdelsalam al-Majali, a physician and former university president, later served twice as prime minister. Kamel Abu Jaber, professor of political science and former dean, was appointed foreign minister. Mohammad S. Obaidat, a professor at the King Abdullah II School of Information Technology, is an IEEE Life Fellow. In the sciences, Shaher Momani is known for work in fractional calculus. Jordanian press reported that he was "nominated" for the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics, and he has appeared in lists of leading researchers in the field. Rankings place him among the global top 2% and identify him as a top-ranked Arab mathematician. The late Ali H. Nayfeh, who taught in mechanical engineering, was the inaugural winner of the Thomas K. In law, Kamel al-Saeed and George Hazboun taught on the faculty and contributed to the development of legal education at the university. Several academics also moved into public service: Khaled Toukan served as dean of engineering at the University of Jordan, later became minister of education.

The humanities at the University of Jordan have included writers and critics who taught and held leadership roles. Abdulkareem Khalefah taught from the early years, and served as the university's president (1968â1971), and later headed the Jordan Academy of Arabic. Ibrahim al-Samarrai, an Iraqi poet and scholar of classical literature, has taught in the Arabic department. In history, Abdul-Karim Gharaybeh wrote on Jordanian and Arab history. Hashem Yaghi produced studies of modern Arabic poetry and prose. Mahmoud al-Samra was a literary scholar and former minister of culture. In English literature and translation, faculty have included Mohammad Shaheen (joined 1985), whose teaching and research in English and comparative literature extended over several decades. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of literary studies in Jordan. Also Rula Quawas, professor of American literature who introduced courses on feminist theory and founded the Women's Studies Center in 2006. Albert Jamil Butros, department chair in the 1960s and 1970s who later served as Jordan's ambassador to the United Kingdom and published on Middle English, including Chaucer. Notable alumni of the University of Jordan have made contributions across politics, science, business, literature, journalism, and other fields.

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Campus Maps and Navigation

For those unfamiliar with the campus, campus maps are invaluable tools. These maps provide detailed layouts of buildings, roads, and other essential landmarks.

Digital Campus Maps

Official App for Campus Maps Free Â· InâApp Purchases The only campus map made by a student, for students. Need a Map? The All Access Pass is a weekly subscription.

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