There is an urgent need for a post-graduate program in rehabilitation sciences in Jordan and the neighboring region, as evidenced by the constant inquiry of students and professionals. Availability of only an undergraduate level of both Physical and Occupational Therapy programs in the region limits the quality of rehabilitation services provided by the rehabilitation community.
Therefore, Jordan University of Science and Technology has unsurprisingly made another successful move towards adding a new graduate program to its teaching curriculum.
The project named "JUST CRS" is an Erasmus Plus capacity-building project co-funded by the European Union. It aims to establish the first-ever innovative international master's program in Rehabilitation sciences at JUST and is tailored to both Physical and Occupational Therapists who seek holding a graduate education. The Rehabilitation Sciences Department, as a member of the big family of JUST, supports the national Erasmus Plus priorities and envisions the "JUST-CRS" program to be a benchmark program in the region.
The overall goal of this project is to develop a model program that graduates highly employable health-care professionals. The foundation of the project is a solid partnership with leading institutions that offers its expertise and services to support the development of the newly developed master program such as "JUST-CRS" to make it more relevant to the needs of the rehabilitation field and job market in Jordan and the region.
The project is performed by a multidisciplinary team that has extensive experience of teaching in the field of rehabilitation sciences. This cooperation provides an exciting opportunity to learn from three distinct MSc programs in Europe that offer a variety of Allied Health Professional (AHP) multidisciplinary courses that bring together rehabilitation, clinical exercise and movement science professionals. The European Union courses, utilize a range of approaches that embed research and knowledge translation at the core of their programs ensuring that clinicians participate in relevant research and acquire skills to interpret and integrate research and translate this directly into their practice and impact on patient outcomes.
"JUST CRS" consortium consists of academic members and clinical educators from 6 higher education institutions and one clinical setting. Each member of the consortium contributes to the project according to their relevant expertise.
Three of the six higher education institutions from the European Union (EU), including; ESSA in Portugal, Haccettepe University in Turkey and Oxford Brookes University in the UK, represent three different sub-cultures which creates a blended cultural and professional experience that will enrich the personal and professional development of EU and Jordanian partners. The three EU Universities all have excellent records of academic staff and comprehensive graduate programs in the field of rehabilitation for years. They also have extensive knowledge of Bologna process reforms and is able to disseminate such knowledge into the "JUST-CRS" project.
The remaining higher educational institutions are local partners of higher education institutions in Jordan which already contain undergraduate rehabilitation programs. These include: University of Jordan and Hashemite University. All of which have a common professional interest and a sincere desire to establish a master's program in rehabilitation sciences in Jordan.
The program is a two years long covering all theoretical, clinical and research components with an overarching multidisciplinary framework. Two teaching laboratories namely; Neurological rehabilitation laboratory and O rthopedic Rehabilitation laboratory, are also established and have the most up-to date equipment in the field of rehabilitation to offer an optimal learning environment.
The program has also set up an online educational system, a new trend pedagogy, as a distance learning methodology that accompanies traditional classroom experience to encourage independent and collaborative learning. Online modules are adopted within the master's program and shared with all partners and their affiliated instructors, staff, students and clinicians.
In summary, "JUST CRS" extends to benefit the community, to build up the academic, clinical and research capacity in Jordan and to produce graduate-level professionals who infuse good research evidence into their clinical practice, allowing them to enter the job market ready and equipped to serve.
