Amman: Middle East University and the Royal Jordanian Hashemite Documentation Centre (RJDC) signed a collaboration agreement at the centre’s headquarters inside the Royal Hashemite Court. This agreement establishes a comprehensive training programme comprising diploma programmes and specialised training courses in several fields, including archival sciences, documentation, and conservation.
The meeting was attended by the Acting Director General of the Centre, Ms. Reham Al-Masri; the Director of the Technical and Studies Department, Mr. Sulaiman Al-Shuqairat; and the Director of the Consultancy, Training, and Languages Centre, Prof. Anis Al-Mansour. In addition, the Centre’s delegation was also in attendance.
In this context, Ms. Al-Masri defined the role of archiving as one that preserves history and enables future generations to access knowledge. She also noted that the importance of archiving has increased in the current era, where events are unfolding rapidly and information is spreading at a high pace. She emphasised the necessity of developing standards and strategies for digital preservation, addressing issues such as format obsolescence and data integrity. This can be achieved by leveraging advanced tools for metadata creation and retrieval.
In the view of Prof. Al-Mansour, the diploma course will provide students with a multifaceted learning experience. This will include exposure to the technological advances that shape contemporary archival practices and the ethical considerations inherent in archival work. Furthermore, the course will include case studies drawn from RDC’s extensive holdings, providing students with real-world examples to analyse and interpret. In addition, fieldwork assignments and collaboration with archivists on projects to digitise and catalogue archival materials will be included.