George Washington University forged a partnership with the University of Jordan in Aqaba, Jordan, lending its expertise in tourism to support the institution’s new tourism and hospitality school.
Under the agreement signed by GW President Steven Knapp and UJ President Ekhleif Tarawneh, the School of Business’s International Institute of Tourism Studies will help UJ through an exchange of research, faculty and scholars.
“The George Washington University is honored to sign this agreement with the University of Jordan to develop collaborative research, academic programs and training projects in Jordan and the United States,” Dr. Knapp said.
GW is in a strong position to lend expertise in tourism, which is the largest private sector employer in Jordan. GW has been a pioneer in tourism management, education and research for more than 40 years, and it was the first university in the country to offer a master’s in tourism administration in 1974. The IITS was created in 1988 with the World Tourism Organization.
“At GW, we strongly believe that developing a well-educated workforce is the key to tourism that is both economically productive as well as socially beneficial,” said Kristin Lamoureux, director of IITS. “We look forward to this new partnership with the University of Jordan and to working together to build an even stronger tourism workforce for Jordan and the entire region.”
At the same ceremony, UJ President Tarawneh also signed an agreement with USAID SIYAHA to update the school’s curriculum. That agreement will help lead to state-of-the-art training facilities and equipment, as well as a specialized IT program.
Also during his trip to Jordan, Dr. Knapp met with Jordan’s Queen Rania Al Abdullah and Dr. Fayez Ahmad al-Tarawneh, prime minister and minister of defense of Jordan. Dr. Knapp also met with leaders of the Jordanian academic and medical communities, as well as Jordanian students and physicians who have received education or training at GW. GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences trains healthcare professionals and conducts student exchange programs at Jordan Hospital in Amman, Jordan.