Programme certifications broaden graduates’ job prospects and expand their ability to study further
“ASU has had a long-lived vision of becoming an institution well-known internationally, delivering high-level education and research [that is] accredited by the best international accreditation bodies,” says Iman Basheti, vice president of Applied Science Private University (ASU) in Jordan.
Accreditation pushes colleges and faculty to improve the quality of their educational offering, according to Thair Kaddoumi, quality and accreditation director at ASU. “It allows us to know our weak points, your strengths and how to enhance the quality of our education,” says Professor Kaddoumi.
Since its inception in 1991, ASU has pushed a culture of accreditation, both locally and internationally. It has nine faculties – pharmacy, arts and humanities, law, business, engineering and technology, arts and design, information technology, nursing, and Sharia and Islamic students – with plans to open a medical school.
These faculties and their programmes have varying levels of international accreditation. Thanks to the university’s push to accredit its courses, it has improved the quality of its education. “This benefits students, alumni and faculty,” Kaddoumi says.
In 2003, the university received the International Organisation for Standardisation’s quality management system accreditation. It was the first university in the Middle East to receive this certification. “We have a culture of accreditation and quality assurance,” says Eyad Radwan, a professor of electrical engineering at ASU. “It helps us get international recognition and recruit international students.
The institution’s focus on accreditation allows it to offer something unique to foreign students: the ability to obtain internationally recognised qualifications while experiencing the culture and diversity of a different country, says Professor Radwan. His college’s five engineering programmes, for example, have been approved by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
“This is an advantage for local and international students equally,” Professor Radwan says. “When seeking job opportunities or employment internationally, our students have the advantage of having recognised qualifications that are equivalent to those obtained from universities in the United States and other countries.”
Similarly, those wanting to join professional bodies or pursue further studies in other countries have an advantage over those with qualifications that have not been accredited, Professor Radwan says.
The university also has a well-developed exchange programme with institutions in the US and UK, among others. “We have 24 memoranda of understanding with other institutions, with a focus on student exchange and joint scientific research,” says Professor Kaddoumi.
While the university’s exchange programme has been hard hit by the pandemic, which closed borders and curbed international travel, Professor Radwan hopes that travel restrictions will ease in the next academic year.
The university prides itself on its ability to attract international students. About 5,900 students from approximately 53 different countries are currently enrolled at the institution. In its postgraduate programmes, about 42 per cent of students are non-Jordanian, Professor Kaddoumi says. And the institution plans to attract even more students with more programmes.
The university aims to establish a new medical faculty and introduce six new programmes in the next academic year, Professor Kaddoumi says. These include courses in fintech, smart accounting and auditing, and multimedia design.
“All these areas focus on technology and using different software,” he says. ASU is working to get them accredited as soon as possible. “There is no way to run away from accreditation,” Professor Kaddoumi says. “It is hard work, but it is good for us as a university”.
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