US embassy cable - 04AMMAN9855

UNCLAS AMMAN 009855 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ECA/PE/V/C/P; ECA/PE/V/G/N; NEA/PPD; NEA/ARN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV OEXC JO 
SUBJECT: HIGHER EDUCATION COUNCIL (HEC) RESHUFFLE OF PUBLIC 
UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS. 
 
 
1.  THE MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION DR. ISSAM ZABALAWI 
ANNOUNCED THE RESHUFFLE OF SEVEN (OUT OF EIGHT) PUBLIC 
UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS, EXCLUDING DR. WAJIH OWEIS, PRESIDENT 
OF THE JORDAN UNIVERSITY FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.  THE 
RESHUFFLE TOOK PLACE ON DECEMBER 3, 2004. 
 
2.  THE NEW PRESIDENTS WILL BEGIN THEIR JOBS UPON THE 
ISSUANCE OF A ROYAL DECREE ENFORCING THEIR APPOINTMENTS, 
EXCEPT FOR DR. EID DAHIAT, PRESIDENT OF MU'TAH UNIVERSITY, 
WHO WILL REMAIN AS PRESIDENT OF MU'TAH UNIVERSITY UNTIL THE 
END OF HIS TERM ON THE FIRST OF MARCH OF 2005. 
 
3.  ACCORDING TO THE 2001 PUBLIC UNIVERSITY LAW, PRESIDENTS 
OF STATE-RUN UNIVERSITIES ARE APPOINTED BY A ROYAL DECREE 
FOR A FOUR-YEAR TERM RENEWABLE FOR A SECOND TERM. 
 
4.  THE FOLLOWING ARE THE NEW PRESIDENTS: 
 
--DR. OMAR SHDEIFAT, PRESIDENT, HASHEMITE UNIVERSITY.  DR. 
SHDEIFAT WAS THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE COUNCIL OF HIGHER 
EDUCATION.  HE PARTICIPATED IN THE VOLUNTARY VISITOR PROGRAM 
ON "HIGHER EDUCATION" IN 1993 WHEN HE WAS THE ASSISTANT TO 
THE PRESIDENT AT AL-AL BAYT UNIVERSITY. 
 
--DR. ABDUL RAHIM HUNEITI, PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF 
JORDAN.  DR. HUNEITI WAS THE DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE 
ACCREDITATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION AT THE COUNCIL OF HIGHER 
EDUCATION. 
 
--DR. ABDUL SALAM ABBADI, PRESIDENT OF AL AL BAYT 
UNIVERSITY. DR. ABBADI IS THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE 
HASHEMITE RELIEF AGENCY AND FORMER MINISTER OF AWQAF AND 
ISLAMIC AFFAIRS. 
 
--DR. MOHAMMAD SAEED SABARINI, PRESIDENT OF YARMOUK 
UNIVERSITY. DR. SABARINI WAS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF YARMOUK 
UNIVERSITY. 
 
--DR. OMAR RIMAWI, PRESIDENT OF BALQA APPLIED UNIVERSITY. 
DR. RIMAWI WAS THE DEAN OF SCIENCES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF 
JORDAN. 
 
--DR. SULEIMAN ARABIYAT, PRESIDENT, MU'TAH UNIVERSITY. DR. 
ARABIYAT IS A PROFESSOR AT THE FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE AT THE 
UNIVERSITY OF JORDAN.  HE WAS THE PRESIDENT OF APPLIED 
SCIENCE UNIVERSITY AND FORMER MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
--DR. RATEB AL ORAN, PRESIDENT OF AL HUSSEIN BIN TALAL 
UNIVERSITY. DR. AL ORAN WAS THE DEAN OF TAFILEH COLLEGE, 
BALQA APPLIED UNIVERSITY. 
HALE