The NQF-J project is a continuation of strategies of previous Tempus projects such as ‘Enhancing Quality Assurance Management in Jordanian Universities’ (EQuAM) and ‘ENPI South: Knowledge of Recognition Procedures in ENPI South Countries’ (RecoNow) among others. Extensive discussions took place with partners in Jordan, with top officials in the ministry and HEAC, and with experienced European partners. These discussions led to the realisation of this proposal as a key objective in the reform of Jordan’s HE system. The underlying provision is that NQF-J will serve as a tool to better connect Jordan to Europe and enable its higher education institutions to engage with the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) leading to enhanced mutual recognition of degree, mobility of students and staff, and internationalisation in general.

The wider objective of the project is to support the structural reform of the higher education system in Jordan, develop a qualifications framework for higher education in line with national priorities, and implement at different institutional levels. The project will clearly demonstrate the standards of Jordanian higher education awards and their national comparability. Additionally, through rigorous comparison with other national QFs, the project will demonstrate comparability of Jordanian higher education wider awards with international norms and expectations, thus supporting mobility and employability.

The specific objectives of the project are to:

• Strengthen and support national and institutional capacities for developing a national qualification framework in HE,
• Create a model for a Jordanian national qualification framework and the develop statements at sectorial levels based on learning outcomes,
• Build the capacity of higher education institutions to produce and assess learning outcomes that are based on descriptors related to different educational disciplines,
• Pilot the new national qualification framework at partner universities,
• Implement the national qualification framework within the higher education sector at the level of study programs,
• Self-certificate the higher education levels of the national qualification framework against the European framework.

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Workshop on the adaptation of NQF in Jordanian H.E.

Dr. Kay Taaffe, QEU, will represent UCC at a Workshop in the Ministry of Higher Education of Jordan in Amman from 2-4th June, 2018. This workshop will consist of discussions on the adaptation of selected study programmes to the recently established Jordanian Qualification Framework and will be based on the results of the compatibility study conducted by Jordanian partners. 

More information will be available following the NQF-J workshop.

NQF-J Workshop and Study Visit

Following the development of a National Qualifications Framework in Jordan, six Jordanian Universities are conducting pilot projects to phase in the implementation of the NQF across a number of selected disciplines. Dr Kay Taaffe, QEU, attended a three-day study visit (2-4 July 2018), designed to support this pilot process, at the Ministry for Higher Education in Amman, Jordan. The primary purpose was to facilitate discussion on the adaptation of the selected study programmes to the recently established NQF and evaluate the results of the compatibility study conducted by Jordanian partners. The trip to UCC in September (see below), by the Jordanian partners, will be a natural follow-on to further develop this process.

A group of approximately 24 people from Universities across Jordan will visit UCC from 26-28 September 2018. This Study Visit will include talks on implementing the NFQ (policy and practice), on academic development and Governance and there will also be a number of workshops on Learning Outcomes made available to the visiting delegation.