Middle East University launched the “Cinema Club” under the patronage of Her Excellency Dr. Haifa Al-Najjar, Chairperson of the Culture and Youth Committee in the Senate, and in the presence of a prominent official and cultural and academic presence, in a step that is the first of its kind among private universities in Jordan, as this launch was attended by the Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Yacoub Nasereddin; the President of the University, Prof. Salam Al-Mahadin; the Jordanian Artists Syndicate; Director Mohammad Al-Abadi; Dean of the Faculty of Media, Dr. Ramez Abu Hasira; and other specialists.
The launch of the club came within the framework of the university’s commitment to enhance the creative skills of students and provide an interactive platform specialised in visual arts that allows for dialogue and critical thinking and contributes to the formation of contemporary visual and cognitive awareness.
At the ceremony, which was moderated by a faculty member at the Faculty of Media, Prof. Hani Al-Badri, Prof. Al-Mahadin stated that cinema is an integrated system with its own specificity, stressing that cinema is a unique case that needs its own methodological and cognitive tools.
Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Al-Najjar expressed her appreciation for this initiative that allows the young generation to shape their cultural awareness and identity, saying that we live in a world where political and cultural agendas overlap, whether we agree with them or not, and there are narratives imposed on us that keep us away from our right to ask questions and build self-awareness.
According to Dr. Abu Hasira, the launch of the film club at the university represents a strategic step in integrating the visual arts into the educational process and reflects the commitment of the Faculty of Media to provide interactive educational experiences that go beyond the classroom, adding that the faculty believes in the importance of preparing a generation of media professionals who are able to read the image as well as the text and understand and analyse visual discourse in depth and responsibly.
The event was followed by an open discussion on the artistic and symbolic dimensions of the film, with the participation of a number of speakers, including director Firas Tabiya, Mr. Ahmad Al-Khatib from the Royal Jordanian Film Commission, and Mr. Saif Yousef from the Faculty of Media.
Concluding the event, Her Excellency Haifa Al-Najjar and Mohammad Al-Abadi, among others, were honoured with an appreciation shield by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Yacoub Nasereddin, in the presence of representatives of the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation and the Rainbow Theatre, as well as faculty deans, faculty members, and students of the Faculty of Media.