Under the patronage of Dr. Yacoub Nasereddin, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Middle East University (MEU), a high-profile ceremony was convened to celebrate the graduation of students from the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programmes hosted in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire. The proceedings were conducted in the presence of distinguished figures, including Hazel Mabrey, the British Vice Ambassador; Professor Adrian Dutch, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire; and Professor Salam Al-Mahadin, President of MEU. This congregation brought together a sophisticated assembly of diplomatic and academic dignitaries, members of the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors, university deans, and the families of the graduates.
Opening the formal addresses, British Vice Ambassador Hazel Mabrey underscored that education remains a vital conduit for societal cohesion and international cooperation. In this regard, she lauded the pivotal role played by MEU, in collaboration with British educational institutions, in fostering a transnational academic environment. She further maintained that this partnership provides students in Jordan with direct access to global educational standards, thereby reflecting the rigorous institutional commitment of both the university and its international partners. Notably, now entering its eighth year, the hosted British programme stands as an advanced model for the transfer of academic expertise and the expansion of high-quality educational opportunities for those unable to study abroad.
Building upon this sentiment of international collaboration, Professor Adrian Dutch reflected on the day as a moment of contemplation regarding past endeavours and a springboard toward a rapidly evolving future. He posited that the contemporary global landscape demands leaders characterised by intellectual rigour and the capacity for meaningful change—traits he believes these graduates are now eminently qualified to embody. Furthermore, Professor Dutch highlighted that the partnership with MEU has established a pioneering benchmark for the region as the first institution in Jordan to offer accredited British degrees. Consequently, the University of Bedfordshire now boasts one of its largest graduate bases within the Kingdom, affirming the sustained success of this transnational educational framework.
From an institutional perspective, Professor Salam Al-Mahadin expressed her immense pride in the achievements of the Bedfordshire students. She emphasised that the skill sets and knowledge acquired within this cross-border educational ecosystem would serve as the cornerstone of their professional trajectories and their contributions to societal development.
This institutional success was perhaps best exemplified by the graduates themselves. Representing the PhD of Business Administration cohort, Dr. Sarah Nasereddin described her graduation as the culmination of a decade-long journey. Through her engagement with the hosted PhD programme, she observed the profound value of this integrated educational model, proving that personal ambition remains attainable despite the complexities of multifaceted professional roles. In a similar vein, Sarah Hijjawi, speaking on behalf of the master’s and bachelor’s graduates, noted that receiving her postgraduate degree following her undergraduate studies at the same institution epitomised the spirit of academic continuity. Ultimately, she concluded that the challenges faced by the cohort served as the fundamental catalyst for their collective perseverance and success.
