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    26-Apr-2018

Convention bridges Arab, world universities over cross-cultural connection

 

By Ana V. Ibáñez Prieto, The Jordan Times

 

AMMAN — The Eurasian Silk Road Universities Consortium (ESRUC) on Wednesday celebrated the opening ceremony of its 7th Annual Convention, held at the Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) under the theme “Bridging cultures between Arab and world universities".
 
Running through April 28, the ESRUC convention provides a platform for the promotion of a greater understanding of the value of cultural diversity and cross-cultural connection, supporting the preservation of the material and intangible heritage of all ESRUC members, according to the ESRUC website.
 
The convention’s inaugural ceremony saw the attendance of over 50 academics from Jordan, Palestine, Turkey, Malaysia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China, in addition to Turkish Ambassador to Jordan Murat Karagöz and Higher Education Minister Adel Tweisi.
 
Conveying his greetings to PSUT for holding the convention, Tweisi said: “This encounter will lead to the exchange of experiences that will contribute to the enrichment of the expertise of our universities,” stressing the role of the Jordanian higher education sector in “bringing comprehensive development in a range of fields”.
 
"The globalisation process has caused rapid and extensive changes in the world, increasing the political and economic pressures, in addition to the displacement of people from their homelands and the limitation of their freedoms,” Ataturk University's President Ömer Çomaklı said, stressing the need for “dialogue, peace, equality and human rights" to put an end to this situation.
 
“This can only be achieved through further access to culture and knowledge,” he added, calling for the collaboration between countries to “put the field of higher education to good use for the benefit of fellow nations”.
 
Elaborating on his country's ties with Jordan, Karagöz said: “The exchange we have achieved up to this point is still not enough and, if we want to keep on fostering this relationship, it is our obligation to place our impetus on higher education and heritage as tools to overcome prejudices.”
 
"When we talk about the Silk Road, it is normal for people to think about trade — but we should not forget that its most important legacy lies in its role to bring people and their cultures together," the ambassador continued.
 
PSUT President Mashhoor Refai thanked ESRUC and Ataturk University for choosing his university as the host of the convention, highlighting its “excellent” relations with Turkish educational institutions and its internationalisation through a total of 22 exchange programmes. 
 
Connecting eastern and western nations, ESRUC brings together 250 universities from more than 35 countries with the aim of strengthening cooperation in the fields of scientific research and cultural exchange, in addition to building stronger economies in the member countries. 
 

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