By Khetam Malkawi

AMMAN – Jordanians pursuing their higher education in Yemen will be admitted to the Kingdom’s universities starting next academic semester due to the current turmoil in the Arab country, a government official said on Sunday.

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Secretary General Mustafa Odwan said 926 Jordanians are enrolled in Yemen, with 910 of them studying medical subjects.

“It is not easy to absorb this high number of students in medical departments, but we do not have any other choice,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone yesterday.

Odwan noted that four public universities in the country teach medical courses: the University of Jordan, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Mutah University and Hashemite University.

Noting that medical departments are already crowded with students, Odwan explained that offering evening classes is an option.

In order to compensate for a shortage of professors, he noted that there is a potential agreement with the Royal Medical Services to provide universities with qualified doctors to help with teaching.

However, fourth- and fifth-year students might be forced to repeat some of the courses they have already studied in Yemen, according to Odwan.

“In order to graduate from any Jordanian university a student should finish at least 50 per cent of the accredited courses in that university; so some students will have to repeat some of the courses,” he explained.

In addition, around 1,200 Jordanian currently study in Syria, the majority of them medical students, according to Odwan.

However, no decision has been taken yet about those students, he noted.

Hashemite University, one of four public universities in the country where Jordanians studying in Yemen will be admitted (JT file photo)