Amman -

After 50 minutes of explaining and introducing the artificial intelligence scholarship program at the UAE's Mohamed bin Zayed University, students and faculty members present at the symposium began withdrawing, after discovering that the Israeli University in occupied Jerusalem and the Israeli Weizmann Research Center had participated in grants.

The students assert that the withdrawal came as a rejection of any "normalization step with the Israeli enemy," after it appeared to them that a memorandum of understanding and cooperation had been signed between Mohammed bin Zayed University in the Emirates, the Israeli University in occupied Jerusalem, and the Weizmann Institute of Science in the fields of artificial intelligence.

After the news of the symposium calling for “academic normalization” spread among the students of the University of Jordan, angry students staged a sit-in the day before yesterday, Tuesday, in front of the King Abdullah II College of Information Technology, demanding an apology for the symposium and holding the organizers accountable, and pledging not to repeat such an incident.

The withdrawal of students and faculty members at the University of Jordan from the symposium halted a series of symposiums that the organizers intended to hold in a number of public and private universities, and the student forces at the Hashemite Governmental University and the German University announced the cancellation of a similar symposium that was supposed to be held.

Seminar details

Details of what happened during the symposium were narrated to Al-Jazeera Net by the student Qais Al-Dabaiba, who attended the symposium, explaining that the students targeted in the introductory symposium are graduate students and graduates of programming, computer engineering and mechanics and a number of disciplines, and graduate students in the same disciplines of outstanding and early faculties and members of the teaching staff in the specialized faculties .

The symposium, which was held at the College of Programming and Information Technology, began by introducing Mohamed bin Zayed University and the grants offered by the university to graduates and graduate students - and talking to Al-Dabaiba - and when talking about the university's partners, the symbol of the Israeli University and the Israeli Weizmann Institute appeared.

Al-Dabaiba added, "At that time, one of the attendees asked to know the Hebrew University's relationship with grants and its role in that, and the speaker tried to evade the answer, but after the insistence of the attendees, the speaker explained that Mohammed bin Zayed University had signed cooperation and scientific exchange agreements with the Hebrew University and the Weizmann Institute."

Al-Dabaiba continues, "At that point, the students began withdrawing from the hall. The lecturer and public relations in the symposium tried to downplay this and stick to the students until the end of the two-hour symposium, but the students insisted on leaving the amphitheater."

A sit-in by students, rejecting the symposium and academic normalization with the Israeli occupation (Al-Jazeera)

angry sit

The head of the Al-Quds Committee at the University of Jordan, the student Abdul Rahman Abu Arish, said that the attempt to normalize the academic normalization of the students of the University of Jordan, which is being carried out by Mohammed bin Zayed University with the Israeli University through scholarships for artificial intelligence, "is rejected, and we will stand by it."

Abu Arish continued his speech to Al Jazeera Net, "The organizers searched for the first students, graduates and graduate students to attend the symposium, in an attempt to attract and entice these students by playing on a chord and stylized labels such as artificial intelligence to gather the largest number of students, but they were disappointed with the withdrawal of students and members of the Commission Teaching attendees.

The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence announced last year that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Weizmann Institute of Science, where the two academic institutions will cooperate in a number of fields with the aim of developing and using artificial intelligence as a means to achieve progress and growth. It is the first memorandum of understanding between educational institutions between the UAE and Israel.

The speaker of the symposium representing Mohammed bin Zayed University..and the photo is from the university's Facebook page (communication sites)

The University of Jordan rejects normalization

The Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Jordan, Muhannad Mubaideen, expressed his rejection of "any form of normalization of relations with the criminal Zionist entity, whether academic or otherwise, and this is a belief that we raise our children, students and future generations on."

Mobaideen told Al Jazeera Net that the university rejects what happened in the conference held at the Faculty of Programming because of "normalization with the Zionist entity, and we appreciate what the students have done, and their position is appreciated, respected, and a source of pride."

He continues that Mohammed bin Zayed University requested holding a seminar for a number of students about grants in the field of artificial intelligence, and detailed information about the partners in these grants was not included in the request, and when the students became aware of the participation of Zionist universities in grants, our students withdrew from the seminar.

The student forces at the University of Jordan issued a statement following the incident, in which they refused to "host the university administration representatives from Mohammed bin Zayed University, the printing press with the Zionist occupation."

She stressed that "attracting students for grants from such universities is an act that contradicts the student, popular and Islamic position on normalization, and the withdrawal of students and faculty members from this symposium reflects the national position that resists normalization, and reflects the Jordanian street's association with Islamic sanctities and the Palestinian cause and the non-recognition of the Zionist entity in any way."

Following the incident, activists launched on social media platforms, called "The University of Jordan", and "Normalization_Betrayal", and activist Muhammad Al-Hababah tweeted, "Mohammed bin Zayed University, the printing press with Israeli universities, is trying to penetrate Jordanian universities by offering grants to students, and the students' position yesterday was manly." They withdrew from the lectures presented by Mohammed bin Zayed University.. Afiya Al-Nashami #normalization_betrayal of #Jordan.

Mohammed bin Zayed University, the printing press with Israeli universities, is trying to infiltrate Jordanian universities by offering grants to students. The position of students yesterday was manly, and they withdrew from the lectures presented by Ibn Zayed University.. Afiyah Al-Nashami #normalization_betrayal #Jordan pic.twitter.com/Q3DbcYXiSh

— Mohammad AL-Habahbeh (@Mohamadhabahbeh) November 17, 2021

The activist on Twitter, Moataz Awad, tweeted, "The student movement at the University of Jordan fails an academic tour with a normalization agenda that was intended to continue in all universities of the country, talking about the pause of glory and the performance of duty made by the students of the University of Jordan, standing in front of the projects of the entity state and its allies."

<<The student movement at the University of Jordan fails an academic tour with a normalization agenda that was intended to continue in all the universities of the country >>

In a talk about the pause of glory and the performance of duty that the students of the University of Jordan performed in front of the projects of the State of Israel, and its allies… pic.twitter.com/hvXokHIpjB

— Mutaz awwad (@Mutaz_awwad48) November 17, 2021

The activist on Twitter, Fatima al-Wahsh, tweeted, "An honorable position for the students of the #Jordan_University, in their withdrawal from an institution contracted with the #Weizmann Institute for Employment, mediated by an Emirati university!!!! People still see that #normalization is treason and will remain, salute to our students, for you are the title of the identity of the steadfast Jordan."

An honorable position for students of the #Jordan_University of their withdrawal from an institution contracting with the Weizmann Institute for Employment, mediated by an Emirati university!!!!!

People still see that #normalization is treachery and


we will remain,,,


Greetings to our student children, you are the title of the identity of the steadfast Jordan

— Dr. Fatima al-Wahsh #Jerusalem,, is #awareness (@fatimaalwahsh) November 17, 2021