Ireland ambassador visits Irbid 

AMMAN — Irish Ambassador to Amman Marianne Bolger, accompanied by embassy and Jordan Young Scientist Initiative (JoYS) staff, visited the northern governorate of Irbid on Monday.

The first stop included a visit to Deir Abi Said School, where the group met with the director of the Legal Department at the Ministry of Education, the Director of Education for the Koura district, along with the principal, teachers and students of the school, according to an embassy statement.

At the school, the students had the opportunity to showcase their projects to the ambassador, including the student who won second place overall in the First Jordan Young Scientist Exhibition in 2022.

The winner of the second-place project, “Recycling Cigarette Butts”, developed a technique to turn cigarette butts into erasers by using chemicals and physical materials in order to reduce environmental harm.

JoYS is based on a partnership model, bringing together the government, the Embassy of Ireland, the private sector, the Crown Prince Foundation, the Queen Rania Foundation and multiple educational institutions that oversee the effective implementation of the initiative, the statement said.

Following the visit to the school, the ambassador visited Yarmouk University, where she met with the President of the University Islam Massad, and other colleagues to discuss future collaboration between Jordanian and Irish universities. 

The last stop during the visit was to the “Al Tal” Family Guesthouse, where the ambassador met with local community leaders. The ambassador’s visit to Al Tal included a group discussion on the importance of culture and education.

Following the visit, the ambassador said: “I was delighted to pay my first visit to Irbid, in northern Jordan. I met with the inspirational students at Deir Abi Said School, who showcased impressive creativity and innovation through all the projects displayed. 

“The visit to Yarmouk University highlighted many opportunities to build on the existing links, including in the medical field. Finally, the role of community leaders in mentoring the local community, including supporting orphans and refugees, is a positive example of the genuine altruism of the Jordanian people”.