Abstract

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions. We extend our warmest welcome to you in this special issue dedicated to the First International Conference on Humanities: Challenges and Opportunities, held at the Middle East University - Jordan, represented by the College of Arts and Educational Sciences, from April 29-30, 2024. The conference aimed to encourage scientific research, enhance contributions to turning the challenges facing the humanities into opportunities, and exchange local, Arab, and international expertise in the humanities and how to benefit from them. The preparation for this conference took several months, starting with the formation of a preparatory committee that defined its themes and objectives. This was followed by the formation of the conference's scientific committee, which consisted of 36 scholars and experts in various fields of the humanities from local and international universities. Their task was to review the submitted research papers according to specific criteria, with high seriousness and impartiality. The conference covered four main themes in the humanities: educational sciences, languages and literature, social sciences, and psychological sciences. The conference received a large number of submissions from researchers. Dozens of research papers were submitted from several countries, including Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Oman, and Lebanon. After being reviewed by the scientific committee, 34 research papers were accepted, presented by 61 researchers, and distributed across the four themes of the conference. The conference takes pride in its agreement with the International Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies, published by Refaad for Studies and Research, to publish the participating research papers based on the authors' preferences, in addition to including them in the conference proceedings booklet. We would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of this conference. Special thanks to the University Board of Trustees, chaired by His Excellency Dr. Yaacoub Nasereddin, the University President, represented by Prof. Salam Al-Mahadin, the Dean of the College of Arts and Educational Sciences, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Conference, Prof. Ahmed Mousa, the Chairman of the Scientific Committee for the Conference, Prof. Mohammed Hamzah, and the conference rapporteur, Dr. Ahmed Tubia, for their support and continuous follow-up. Our deepest thanks and appreciation to the conference committees, both the preparatory and scientific, who worked tirelessly day and night in preparation, organization, and review of the research papers. We also extend our sincere thanks to the university departments that provided logistical support for the conference and ensured all necessary facilities for its convening. Lastly, we thank the researchers who enriched the conference with their papers and shared their knowledge and experiences, which contributed to achieving the conference's objectives and providing recommendations that will aid in the development of various fields of the humanities.