Queen inaugurates crèche at Hashemite University, tours several facilities

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Wednesday inaugurated the Hashemite University’s nursery, and toured several other facilities on campus that "reflect the university’s commitment to social progress and innovation".

The Queen commended the university’s compliance with Article 72 of the Labour Law, which requires organisations to establish day cares on their premises for children of their female employees, according to a statement from Her Majesty's office. 

Through this provision, the law aims to increase the economic participation of Jordanian women.

The crèche at the Zarqa-based university, established in collaboration with the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) and the Arab Gulf Development Programme, receives children under the age of four.

The launch was also attended by University President Kamal Bani Hani, NCFA Secretary General Fadel Hmoud, Dean of Queen Rania Faculty for Childhood Umaya Al Hasan and NCFA Deputy Secretary General Mohammad Miqdadi.

During the visit, Queen Rania stopped by Shoman Social Work Library and spoke with students involved in extracurricular activities. 

Her Majesty said the Hashemite University is a role model to look up to, voicing hope that other institutions would follow suit and adopt creative ways to advance their education programmes.

Queen Rania praised the university as a pioneer in creating an environment that supports innovation despite its lack of resources and the various challenges it is facing.

She commended the institution’s management, faculty and student body on their commitment to education, and described it as one that will go down in history.

While on campus, Her Majesty also visited the Clinical Skills Education and Testing Centre (CSETC). 

The centre’s manager, Ayman Al Sharaa, briefed Queen Rania in the presence of medical students on the High-Fidelity Manikin, which is an advanced human patient simulator.

The High-Fidelity Manikin, an innovative tool for medical students, is computerised to simulate real-life scenarios, which significantly enhances the learning process, the statement said.

Established in 2012, CSETC is a "state-of-the-art" realistic medical environment that includes both human and computer-simulated experiences. 

The centre also has 23 specialised training clinics, each equipped with different types of High-Fidelity Manikin parts. These allow students to get hands-on experience and train for integrated and comprehensive medical treatments.

Her Majesty also visited the Princess Iman Bint Abdullah II Family and Childhood Library, where she explored the Childhood Education and Special Education Divisions at the Queen Rania Faculty for Childhood.

At the end of her visit, Bani Hani presented Her Majesty with a plaque in recognition of her support for education and innovation.