His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II on Monday visited Al Hussein Technical University (HTU), where he inspected its labs and facilities and was briefed on its academic programs, after receiving the first class of students in engineering and computer-related specialties.

Crown Prince Al Hussein was briefed by HTU President Labib Khadra on the university’s programs and study plans.

Khadra said HTU offers a flexible applied education system that meets the needs of the local and international labor markets.

He noted that the university offers a one-year degree that students can obtain after 72 credit hours, a degree that students can receive after two years of on-campus studies and one-year on-the-job training, or a bachelor’s degree.

HTU focuses on applied technical education and gives special attention to community engagement by providing free skill development training for members of the community who have already completed their education at other institutions and are unemployed, Khadra said.

He added that the university also seeks to promote entrepreneurship and creativity among students, functioning as a start-up incubator.

During the visit, His Royal Highness was shown a video that highlighted HTU’s development.

Established in 2016 by the Crown Prince Foundation, HTU awards degrees in engineering technology and computing and informatics.

HTU provides education and training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with the aim of graduating a highly proficient technical generation in close attunement to the changing demands of the labor market.

The Crown Prince was also shown a number of engineering projects implemented by HTU students, such as a wireless robot, a solar panel tracking system, an advanced lighting system, infrared communications, and patent tracking.

His Royal Highness also toured HTU’s labs, including Zain’s telecom lab, Optimiza’s lab, the Huawei telecom lab, the industrial automation lab, and the science lab.

In addition, the Crown Prince attended part of a lecture on employability and soft skills.

His Royal Highness was briefed by Khadra on HTU’s virtual and augmented reality labs, constructed by the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau to offer a national centre to build Jordanian capacities in developing virtual reality-based projects in medical and military training.

The Crown Prince was also briefed on the FabLab, which is a Crown Prince Foundation initiative aimed at building a fabrication lab that will be a regional hub where local and international innovators can exchange expertise, and access advanced digital fabrication technology.

During the visit, His Royal Highness toured HTU’s nine engineering workshops, equipped with the latest devices and equipment.

The Director of the Office of the Crown Prince accompanied His Royal Highness on the visit.

In a press interview, HTU President Khadra said the university also offers intensive English language courses and teaches communication skills.

HTU has also formed close partnerships with various economic sectors, signing agreements with ICT, water and environment, and energy and industry companies to help secure job opportunities for graduates, Khadra noted.

The university designs its curricula in coordination with the industrial sector, he said.

Khadra added that HTU has completed the first phase of its infrastructure and is ready to receive nearly 1,000 students.

Student admission is conducted directly by the university, and General Secondary Education Certificate holders who score 80 and above are eligible to apply to the bachelor’s degree program, while those with lower scores can apply to the other available programs, he explained.

Applicants have to sit for an English proficiency exam, according to Khadra.