Student Counseling and Empowerment Center opens in GJU
06-26-2018
In cooperation with NCFA, the German Jordanian University (GJU) inaugurated a counseling and empowerment center in its campus with a view to provide students with counseling and awareness services and assist them in finding solutions to challenges that confront them during their educational path.
The center's opening comes as a translation of HM King Abdullah's directives in his 7th Discussion Paper on education in which he calls for universities to be drivers of critical thinking and factories for workforce, productive powers and laboratories which tend to discover students' potentials and sharpen their skills and abilities.
During the ceremony, Natheer Abu Obeid, President of (GJU) said that the center reflects one of the messages that the university wants to reinforce which affirms that a university student is a first degree citizen who has rights and obligations, noting that the university has the right to hold the student accountable for any violation, stressing at the same time that such accountability teaches good citizenship and respect for the rule of law and does not aim to punish but rather reform by understanding the reasons that led the student's mistake.
"This pioneering initiative strengthens the participatory approach adopted by the two parties and is a culmination of a memorandum of understanding signed last year between the two", indicated NCFA Secretary-General Fadel Al-Hmoud, emphasizing the importance of psychological counseling and awareness for students in handling their problems and modifying their social behaviors and in building a generation that can stand up to challenges and be able to create and be productive.
Since its establishment and under the directives of HM Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, NCFA has worked to promote the concept of family counseling in society, enhance both aspects of awareness (preventive and therapeutic) and provide integrated counseling services to preserve the structure and stability of the family, added Al-Hmoud.
On his part, Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Omar Shbeilat pointed out that GJU is known for its openness to the outside world through its curricula which includes a one academic year in Germany for which the center will work to deepen students' experiences and skills following up-to-date counseling and guidance methodologies to make best use of such an experience.
The center will also cooperate with NCFA to systematize the way that Jordanian laws in force are observed with respect to matters such as mental health, individual and family protection and alternative penalties, added Shbeilat.
Dr. Ihklas Ahmed from University of Jordan and the supervisor of the center said that it will provide support for the students, improve their psychological well-being, develop their personalities and help them cope with their everyday challenges including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, failed experiences and social adjustment issues through scientific methods that respect students' privacy.
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives from local and national institutions concerned with psychological counseling including Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Development, Institute for Family Health, Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, National Center for Human Rights, Jordan River Foundation, Higher Council for Affairs of Persons with Disabilities, Family Protection Department and concerned university faculties.
It is to be noted that through this center GJU seeks to network with institutions such as the aforementioned to receive their technical and institutional assistance through signing cooperation agreements
