Queen Rania Secures Scholarships for Intensive Summer Program for Jordanian Teachers

June 27, 2007

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department - Amman) People never stop learning – and not even teachers are exempt from that maxim. Thanks to a series of meetings between Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, President Lee Bollinger of Columbia University, and President Susan Fuhrman of Columbia's Teachers College, as well as Her Majesty's visits to Columbia University, 12 Jordanian teachers will participate in a teachers' training program at Columbia University this summer where they will have the chance to learn some new techniques to bring back to their classrooms.

This will mark the beginning of a series of collaborations between Columbia and Jordan as part of a strategic plan of capacity building and training for Jordanian teachers, which Queen Rania has been advocating during her visits to various international academic institutions.

Earlier this year, Queen Rania met with Bollinger and other representatives of Columbia University to stress the importance of collaboration and teacher training between local and international academic institutions.

The group of teachers, who met Queen Rania, on Wednesday, received full scholarships from Columbia University for the intensive seven-week course.

Queen Rania expressed her pride while speaking with the teachers. "It is so wonderful to see you take part in this process of intercultural exchange… it's a brilliant opportunity and I hope you come back and train teachers and share experience with others," said the Queen.

The program attracts participants of all ages from all over the world, which serves to enrich the experience for all participants. The Jordanian participants will also have the opportunity to enjoy a number of cultural site visits and take part in various cultural activities designed specifically for their group.

During the summer course, teachers will enroll in an intensive program for teachers of English as a second language. The program includes four components: an introduction to language and linguistics; teaching and learning; classroom practices; and a practicum.

Teachers were selected from different public schools around the Kingdom after a rigorous review process by a selection committee, which included representatives of the Ministry of Education and Columbia University. By picking teachers from different governorates around the Kingdom, the ministry hopes to spread the lessons learned from the program as extensively as possible – reaching potentially thousands of students.

Her Majesty referred to such programs as essential tools in elevating the status of the teaching profession by enriching each teacher's experience.

Columbia University will cover the tuition and boarding costs and provide all the required materials.

Columbia University is one of the top academic and research institutions in the world, conducting path-breaking research in medicine, science, the arts, and the humanities. It includes three undergraduate schools, thirteen graduate and professional schools, and a school of continuing education.