Prof. Khresat has welcomed the attendees and debriefed them on JUST’s recent academic achievements and goals to become a distinguished university, regionally and internationally. Prof. Khresat stated that Jordan University of Science and Technology, now ranks among the best 100 young universities worldwide, looks forward to strengthening research partnership through the Erasmus Plus projects in order to support and encourage the development of global programs that are interdisciplinary in nature, as is the case in this project (physical and occupational therapy). Prof. Khresat has praised the European Union Erasmus Plus Capacity Building in Higher Education Program for generously funding this project and other projects at JUST.

Director of the National Erasmus office (NEO) in Amman, Prof. Ahmad Abu-El-Haija, shed light on the activities of the office, the quality of the projects it supports, the scholarships and projects the office sets forth, and the opportunities and academic exchange programs available to the faculty and students within the Erasmus+ program. Prof. Abu El-Haija praised the quality and outcomes of the JUST-CRS project and other projects implemented at JUST as a practical evidence on the high caliber of projects’ management practices at JUST and the remarkable efforts of JUST in contributing to the development of higher education in Jordan through its collaboration with EU institutions.

The Dean of the Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Prof. Ziad Bataineh has listed some of project achievements that have been accomplished over the last three years; the accreditation of the new master program, recruitment of three cohorts since establishment in 2017, and conducting clinical training for the enrolled master students in the best high quality European rehabilitation centers and clinics. Prof. Bataineh has confirmed JUST intent for the continuity of the master program beyong the Erasmus funding.

The coordinator of the project, Dr. Mohammad Nazzal, provided an overview presentation on the project concerning its aims, activities, outcomes and sustainability plan. JUST-CRS is an Erasmus + EU funded project within the Capacity Building in Higher Education program which aims to increase European institutions’ collaboration with other institutions from partner countries including Jordan. The aim of JUST-CRS project was to build a clinical interdisciplinary rehabilitation sciences’ master’s program at JUST which would ensure a great leap in the quality of offered rehabilitation services and the development of the physical and occupational therapy professions in Jordan and the Arab World. Dr. Nazzal has stressed out the establishment of the two neurological and orthopedic rehabilitation laboratories is the project’s greatest achievement besides building the new Master’s program which is the first in Jordan and the Arab World.

The Closing ceremony of JUST-CRS was attended by Deans of faculties, professors and students at JUST, representatives of the participating countries; Britain, Turkey and Portugal, in addition to a number of national institutions; The University of Jordan and the Hashemite University as well as a number of national and international stakeholders in the field of rehabilitation in Jordan.