Today, Sunday, at the Ministry's headquarters, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Azmi Al-Mahafzah, met with a high-level Malaysian delegation headed by His Excellency Mr. Wan Rosdy bin Wan Ismail, Chief Minister of the Malaysian state of Pahang. The meeting was attended by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Mamoun Al-Dabie, the Malaysian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Jordan, Mr. Mohamed Nasri Abdul Rahman, and the Education Advisor/Director of the Malaysian Education Attaché in Jordan, Dr. Ridzuan bin Abu Rashid.
The Malaysian delegation included Mr. Mohamed Sofi bin Abdul Razak, Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Agro-Based Industries, Biotechnology, and Education in Pahang State; Mr. Syed Ibrahim bin Syed Ahmad, Chairman of the Committee on Islamic Religious Affairs, Rural Development, and Indigenous Affairs; Mrs. Shahaniza binti Shamsuddin, Board Member of the Pahang Foundation; Mr. Andrea Mahmoud bin Mohamed Nawawi, CEO of the Pahang State Foundation; Mr. Mohamed Yesli bin Ibrahim Mohamed Younis, Chief Officer of the Private Secretariat for the Chief Minister; Dr. Ahmed Farid bin Mohamed Din, Vice President for Student Development and Diplomacy Community at Yayasan Pahang University College; and Miss Wan Faizatul Afzan binti Asmaitim, Advisor to the Deputy Head of Mission.
At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Al Mahazah welcomed the Malaysian delegation, emphasizing the depth of relations between the two countries and wishing the delegation a pleasant stay in Jordan. He pointed out Jordan’s keenness to strengthen cooperation ties between the two countries, especially in the field of higher education and scientific research, including the exchange of students and faculty members between universities. Minister Al-Muhafatha also highlighted that Jordan grants Malaysian students special privileges regarding university tuition fees, similar to students from other Islamic countries. University boards of trustees have decided that students from Islamic nations studying Arabic language and Islamic Sharia specialties will be treated as Jordanian students regarding tuition fees.
He affirmed the Ministry's commitment to providing all possible facilities to increase the number of Malaysian students in Jordanian universities, especially in medical and engineering specialties.
For his part, Mr. Wan Rosdy bin Wan Ismail, Chief Minister of Pahang State, Malaysia, expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation for the warm welcome and generous hospitality. He emphasized that Jordan is a beautiful country rich in diverse cultures and that the Malaysian delegation is keen during this visit to benefit from Jordan’s expertise in higher education. Mr. Wan Rosdy praised the competence of Malaysian graduates from Jordanian universities and their ability to integrate into the labor market in both the public and private sectors. He noted that Jordan plays a major role and has an even greater opportunity to produce a generation of Islamic students distinguished by moderation and tolerance, which serves the Islamic nation.
During the meeting, several mutual points were discussed to enhance cooperation in higher education and scientific research, particularly the signing of an executive program between the two countries in this field.
From the Jordanian side, the meeting was attended by Mr. Mohannad Al-Khatib, the Media Advisor to the Minister and the Ministry’s spokesperson; Dr. Sajida Al-Naddaf, Director of the International Students Affairs Unit; Mr. Fawzi Abu Fares, Head of the Public Relations, Customer Service, and Parliamentary Affairs Unit; and Mr. Abdullah Krishan, Head of the Educational Tourism Unit at the Tourism Promotion Authority.
It is worth noting that the number of Malaysian students studying in various specializations and academic degrees at Jordanian higher education institutions reached more than 2,000 students at the beginning of the 2024–2025 academic year. It is also noteworthy that a delegation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Tourism Promotion Authority visited Pahang State and several other Malaysian states last February to promote studying at Jordanian universities and to discuss increasing the recruitment of Malaysian students to Jordanian higher education institutions.