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From Wildau to Amman: Democracy in action and hospitality in Jordan

What began as a return visit developed into an intensive exchange on student participation, Jordanian politics and a culture of welcome: from 30 November to 6 December, a delegation from TH Wildau travelled to the German Jordanian University (GJU). Here, Lea Kühnel, Tom Berein and Jonas Raßfeld describe their experiences during this time.

What does student participation look like in other cultures? And how can democratic structures at universities be strengthened? To answer these questions, Lea Kühnel, Tom Berein and Jonas Raßfeld, representatives of the Student Council (SturRa) and the Student Parliament (StuPa) of our university, travelled to Jordan together with Prof. Ronny Freier. The occasion was an invitation from the students of GJU, who had already visited Wildau last year to learn about models of co-determination such as StuRa and StuPa. Now it was time for a return visit to explore these topics in more depth in workshops and further strengthen the partnership between the two universities.

An overwhelming start

After arriving in Madaba, the programme started directly on the GJU campus. The aim was to gain insights into the local structures and to report on student participation at TH Wildau.

‘The first day was overwhelming and very busy,’ says Tom Berein, who represented the students of TH Wildau as president of the StuPa. After a welcome by Dr Farah Al-Atrash, Dean of Student Affairs, and a detailed tour of the campus, which included visits to laboratories, the library and the sports hall, the delegation quickly got a feel for the ‘very large campus filled with students,’ Tom continued.

Deep insights into politics and participation

The core of the trip was the professional exchange. In workshops and lecture series, the guests from Wildau presented the structures of their university, while the Jordanian hosts reported on their challenges. Particularly impressive was the contribution by Raya Fasha, President of the GJU Student Parliament. She gave a ‘really powerful and emotional speech about the structural problems of student participation at GJU and in Jordan,’ said Jonas Raßfeld, chair of the StuPa Executive Committee.

But the exchange was not limited to the campus. The delegation had the rare opportunity to delve deep into the country's political system. The programme included a visit to the Independent Election Commission (IEC), Jordan's highest electoral authority, and a visit to the Jordanian Parliament.

Jonas enthusiastically describes the visit to Parliament: ‘We had the opportunity to talk in depth with a member of parliament about current issues in Jordanian politics, the structure of Parliament and the Senate, and political structures.’ A short meeting with the Speaker of Parliament was a small highlight.

Culture that connects

In addition to political education, cultural exchange was not neglected. Together with the Jordanian students, the group visited historical sites such as Mount Nebo, a Christian pilgrimage site overlooking the Dead Sea, and a mosaic factory. They also explored the capital Amman with its Roman theatre and citadel.

However, what remained particularly memorable was the extremely personal hospitality. One highlight was an invitation from a Jordanian family to a traditional dinner. ‘The national dish Mansaf was really good and we all enjoyed it,’ said Tom, Lea and Jonas, raving about their new culinary experiences.

A lasting conclusion

The trip not only served to transfer knowledge about committee work, but also strengthened the connection between TH Wildau and GJU, with which there has been an official cooperation since 2019. The personal encounters left a lasting impression.

‘All in all, it is an incredibly hospitable country and the students at GJU were always concerned about our well-being,’ Jonas sums up the week.

‘By supporting such formats, TH Wildau proves once again that the degree programme here is more than just attending lectures: it is a gateway to the world and to international understanding,’ concludes Prof. Ronny Freier.

Background to the cooperation

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been in place between TH Wildau and GJU since June 2019. The exchange focuses in particular on the Industrial Engineering and logistics degree programmes. So far, 10 exchange students from Jordan have been to Wildau; 5 further nominations have already been received for the coming summer semester.

Further information about the trip is available on the TH Wildau Instagram channel: CLICK

Contact person at TH Wildau 

Prof. Dr. phil. Ronny Freier
Professorchip in public finance and budgetary law
Hochschulring 1, 15745 Wildau
Phone: +49 3375 508 625
Email: ronny.freier(at)th-wildau.de
Web:

http://www.th-wildau.de/ronny-freier/

External communications contacts at TH Wildau:

Mike Lange / Mareike Rammelt
TH Wildau
Hochschulring 1, 15745 Wildau
Phone: +49 (0)3375 508 211 / -669
Email: presse(at)th-wildau.de

Text: S. Stoye