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Jordan is home to many important archaeological sites, such as the ancient rock city of Petra or – as seen here - the Citadel of Amman“. Photo: private

If you stroll across the campus of Aalen University, you will pick up many snippets of words in other languages - for example Georgian, English, Spanish, Arabic or Nepali. After all, many of the students come from all over the world. They all bring the international campus to life and create a cosmopolitan atmosphere. The university maintains close relationships with well over 130 partner universities. In a loose series, we present the inspiring stories of students from our partner universities who have decided to continue their academic journey at Aalen University - this time with Omar Quasim AL-Maaitah from Jordan.

“Westworld” series as an incentive to study mechatronics

When the gates of the futuristic theme park in the TV series “Westworld” opened and took viewers into a world of highly developed robots and artificial intelligence, Omar Quasim AL-Maaitah was immediately fascinated. For him, it wasn't just entertainment - the realistic androids that were able to simulate human emotions and make complex decisions aroused great curiosity in him. How do such machines work? What technologies are behind them? “I watched the series in my last year of high school. After that, it was clear to me that I would study mechatronics,” says the young man mischievously. “The interdisciplinary connection between mechanics, electronics and computer science is incredibly exciting.”

“Looking forward to my internship semester”

AL-Maaitah is a student at the German Jordanian University (GJU) in Mushaquar, which is around 35 kilometers away from the Jordanian capital Amman. Since March, the young man has been continuing his studies at Aalen University. The two educational institutions have been closely linked for many years through a strategic partnership. The GJU is based on the German university of applied sciences model and attaches great importance to practical orientation. One special feature is a compulsory year in Germany. Students spend half of this year at one of the more than 120 German partner universities and half at a company. “It's exciting to see how theory and practice are interwoven,” says the 22-year-old. “There are great laboratories at Aalen University. The infrastructure is simply great. I'm also really looking forward to the experience I'll gain during my internship semester.” Germany is known for many groundbreaking inventions and technological breakthroughs, so it's even better to get an in-depth insight into the practical side of things here.

A penchant for technical issues

AL-Maaitah has been interested in technical issues, especially electronics, for a long time. “Our whole lives now depend on electronic components. I think it's important to understand these things in order to understand the world.” As a twelve-year-old, he took part in a course run by the Jordanian Shoman Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting culture and science. Together with a few classmates, he came up with the idea of developing a “smart window”. To do this, they installed a small motor and a sensor in a window, which automatically ensures that air is exchanged when the oxygen content in the interior decreases. Because the portable gas stoves often used in Jordanian households, which resemble camping stoves, are not without danger. “In winter, there is often insufficient ventilation due to the cold, so carbon monoxide builds up, which can lead to life-threatening poisoning. We wanted to eliminate this danger with our Smart Window,” explains the student.

“Club for Politics and Dialogue” founded

In general, the 22-year-old is quite active. For example, he was Vice President of the Arab Children's Parliament for several years, which works to promote the personal development of children in the Arab world. He has also been involved as a student representative at GJU, where he founded the “Club for Politics and Dialogue”. “In addition to mechatronics, culture and politics are my other passions,” grins AL-Maaitah, who comes from a large family with six siblings. His older brother is coming to visit him soon. “Then I'll show him Aalen and the university,” he says happily. “I think it's beautiful here - the peace and quiet. I'm not a fan of big cities and crowds of people. Plus, you're right in the countryside. That's overwhelming anyway, because my Jordanian homeland has a high proportion of desert and quite sparse vegetation.”

“This is my Aalen now!”

Even though the first month here was not so easy with all the bureaucratic to-dos, rules and language barriers, AL-Maaitah now feels that he has arrived here. “The International Center helped a lot and made a lot of things easier. I'm very grateful for that,” says the young man, adding with a laugh: “This is my Aalen now!” And even though he misses his family and the Jordanian food, he can well imagine doing his Master's and doctorate in Germany too. “Maybe even here in Aalen,” says AL-Maaitah with a smile. He would be delighted if many students from Aalen would also take the opportunity to spend a semester abroad at his university and get to know his home country. “Whether it's important archaeological sites such as the ancient rock city of Petra or the ruins of Jerash, natural wonders such as the Wadi Rum desert or our capital Amman, which is a huge treasure trove - Jordan is a country full of beauty,” enthuses the student.