The University of Jordan News
University Security Forum Held to Tackle Campus Violence

A lack of extracurricular activities and overcrowding in universities are the leading causes of university violence, according to Minister of Higher Education Adel Tweisi.

 

Speaking at the launch of the University Security Forum, held under the patronage of Senate President Faisal Fayez on Thursday, the minister commended the universities’ work in this regard, while highlighting the reappearance of what he called “social violence” on Jordanian university campuses.

 

“Thanks to policies and measures applied by Jordanian universities, not even one case of violence was reported since 2013, but it reemerged recently through social violence,” Tweisi noted.

 

The focus given to university violence has had a negative impact on Jordanian universities, the minister said, noting a decrease in the number of foreign students.

 

The University Security Forum, held at the University of Jordan (UJ), seeks to shed light on the issue of university violence and to unify the efforts of state institutions and Jordanian citizens in combating the issue.

 

The event offers a platform to discuss the causes of the problem and aims to propose solutions to be implemented through a national strategy in the Kingdom’s universities.

 

Speaking at the event, Fayez said: “This phenomenon is intruding against the values of our society and has a deeply negative impact on it.”

 

Fayez demanded that universities take responsibility for the matter and increase their role in fighting violence alongside the media, religious authorities and civil society institutions, through focusing on extracurricular activities and enhancing a culture of voluntary work.

 

According to the higher education minister, Jordanian universities are at overcapacity by around 48,000 students.

 

Fayez also called for holding a national conference for all concerned parties to discuss the causes of campus violence, its impacts and possible solutions.

 

The General Manager of Friends of National Security Organisation (FNSO) Ashraf Keilani, said that the forum is an opportunity to increase students’ participation and introduce new concepts and values which promote peaceful coexistence on campus.

 

A student at UJ, Banan Fauri said that university violence is “uncivilised behaviour” and said she wished students would be more aware of its consequences.

 

”We need a national programme to get rid of this phenomenon,” she told The Jordan Times.

 

The event was organised by the Ministry of Higher Education and FNSO, in cooperation with the Public Security Department, the National Council for Family Affairs, UJ and the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management.

 

Jordan Times: March 11, 2017.

2017/05/14