THWS Delegation in Jordan: Initial steps towards a Hosted Programme in Polymer Engineering

A THWS delegation, accompanied by the Campus GATE team, visited the German Jordanian University in Amman at the beginning of November. The delegation was comprised of two professors of polymer engineering from THWS: Prof. Dr. Markus Schuck and Prof. Dr. Volker Herrmann, and Lukas Heidecker, a current THWS master’s student and graduate of the THWS Eng. Bachelor’s degree in Plastics and Elastomer Technology. The purpose of this visit was to facilitate an exchange between the THWS Polymer Engineering representatives and key stakeholders in Jordan, with the aim of analysing the viability and potential of launching a new Hosted Programme in this field in the future.

The objective of the THWS Campus GATE is to expand its Hosted Programme offerings in collaboration with GJU, taking into account the needs of both universities, countries and markets. The visit enabled the THWS delegation to meet with professors from the School of Applied Technical Sciences (SATS) at GJU in two workshops to discuss the potential for a collaboration and joint Hosted Programme. While further discussions and feasability studies are required in both Jordan and Germany, the outlook for this programme is positive.

During the intensive week in Jordan, the Polymer Engineering representatives together with the Campus GATE team, held further meetings with a companies working in the plastic field in Germany and Jordan. The purpose of these meetings was to gain insight into the market’s needs and developments. In this line, the delegation visited the Jordan Chamber of Industry where the concept of the Hosted Programmes offered by the Campus GATE was presented by representatives from GJU and THWS. Prof. Dr. Markus Schuck, Head of the THWS programme, presented the idea of extending this concept on to a new programme in the field of polymer engineering. The discussion with the members of the Chamber proved highly productive, and an invitation for Jordanian industry repersentatives to attend a workshop on this topic in Würzburg in 2025 was extended by the THWS. This meeting established the foundation for future meetings and exchanges regarding the adaptation of the programme to meet the needs of the Jordanian industry.

Furthermore, the delegation also met with the two Hydrogen Engineering cohorts to gain insight into their experiences as Hosted Programme students until now. This meeting was very fruitful especially for the THWS Professors, who gained valuable insight into the future of the Polymer Engineering hosted programme through the student’s first-hand experiences. The delegation was also impressed by the motivation of all the students and their enthusiastic discussion of their experiences so far. As part of the visit, Prof. Dr. Markus Schuck was invited by GJU’s Head of Industrial Engineering Dr. Mohammad Abu Shams to give part of the lecture in the module Work Measurement and Standards. The room was at full capacity, and the THWS guest professor was able to engage the students in his presentation on polymer engineering.

In addition to the comprehensive work programme, the delegation was also given a tour of the GJU Campus in Madaba, where they visited diverse laboratories and facilities, including the German Language Center and DiTech, as well as Jabal Amman campus . The programme also included a visit to Mount Nebo, the city of Madaba and a sunset dinner with amazing views of the Dead Sea.

The success of the trip is reflected in the valuable insights the delegation gained from the various meetings and workshops held, as well as in the steps forward with regards to the interest of GJU, THWS and German and Jordanian industry stakeholders in putting forward a Hosted Programme in Polymer engineering. The exchange enhanced the understanding of market needs and initiated conversations on how to incorporate these in the program´s structure and study plan. Most significantly, it fostered initial networking connections, which will continue to evolve in the upcoming months.