A conference was held Tuesday in Amman to launch the new European Union-funded program "Erasmus+" which seeks to upgrade higher education in Jordan and other partner countries of the bloc.
The event was organized by the National "Erasmus+" Office and in cooperation with the European Union's delegation to Jordan and the European Commission.
EU Ambassador to Jordan, Joanna Wronecka, said there are strong common interests between the European Union and partner countries, especially among the youths who want to learn from other communities and exchange views with them.
Secretary-General of the Ministry of Higher Education, Hani Domour, thanked the European Union for its continued support to the higher education sector in the Kingdom and the grants it offers.
Director of the Jordan National Erasmus+ Office, Ahmed Abu El-Hija, highlighted the main fruits of joint Jordanian-EU programs and their contribution to the development of the higher education sector in the Kingdom.
More than 250 Jordanian academics and representatives of a number of Arab and European embassies, ministries, and community organizations, as well as guests from European universities attended the conference.
The Erasmus+ program aims to boost skills and employability, as well as modernizing education, training, and youth work. Erasmus+ will support transnational partnerships among education, training, and youth institutions and organizations to foster cooperation and bridge the worlds of education and work, in order to tackle the skills gaps we are facing in Europe and many other countries in the world.
It will also support national efforts to modernize education, training, and youth systems. The program will last for seven years from 2014 through 2020.