Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum Participates in the Arab Amman University's Digital Panel Session

AMMAN - Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum (TAG-KF) took part in a panel session organized by the Entrepreneurship and Community Initiatives Center at the Amman Arab University entitled 'The Leading Role & Social Responsibility of Jordanian Universities during and Post-Coronavirus,' held remotely through visual communication means.

The session, moderated by Dr. Mottee Al-Shibly, Center Manager, was attended by Ms. Nujood Sarhan, Director of Programs and Performance Excellence at the Crown Prince Foundation, Dr. Ashraf Bani Mohammed, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at the University of Jordan, Dr. Nihaya Al-Hamoud from Zarqa Private University and Dr. Abdul Rahman Zureik, Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Middle East University, through Zoom video conferencing application in addition to a host of interested people in the entrepreneurial sector from inside Jordan, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Algeria and Tunisia.

Executive Director of TAG-KF and Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global) Education and Youth Consultant, Mr. Fadi Daoud, stressed the important role of universities in nurturing entrepreneurship and young entrepreneurs noting that the Jordanian universities which are rich in innovative talented students could be described as an intellectual reservoir and a platform that combine the requirements of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Meanwhile, Daoud emphasized the need for transforming Jordanian universities into 'Entrepreneurial University', a university that provides various programs that support entrepreneurship and scientific research with the aim of producing and creating new projects, inventions and innovation that contribute to improving the rankings of these universities at a worldwide level, noting that our universities lack the supportive environment, the necessary financing and required expertise.

Daoud also reviewed the Global Innovation Index issued by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) which shows Jordan's decline on this index compared to other countries in the world. Jordan was ranked 86 out of 120 countries and it occupied the 10th place among Arab countries. "This decline is attributed to the weak educational and scientific research inputs as well as the weak development at schools, universities and business environment," Daoud said.

Daoud referred to the establishment of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh University College for Innovation (TAGUCI) that is concerned with teaching innovation through Bachelor and Master Programs in Information and Communication Technology and Business Administration in line with the advancements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

During his speech, Daoud pointed out that the characteristics of entrepreneurs include courage, patience, perseverance, and risk-taking since they turn challenges into opportunities and provide solutions to problems the society and economy face.

"The current Coronavirus crisis is full of challenges and opportunities that should be exploited by young entrepreneurs to find innovations that serve the society especially in education, health and trade sectors," he said, calling on the private sector and investment institutions to support the youth and the projects that contribute to the recovery of the national economy and create job opportunities.

In this regard, Dr. Al-Shibly affirmed that the Jordanian universities should become entrepreneurial productive educational institutions and carry out their corporate social responsibility tasks towards their students and the local community by building capacities that enable them set up entrepreneurial projects that would provide them with future job opportunities characterized by their positive economic and social impact.

For her part, Ms. Sarhan tackled the role of universities as the main platform for the youth in terms of supporting their activities and ideas in a safe environment before graduation and before entering the labor market. In addition, she underlined the significance of the entrepreneurial projects and their economic and community effects as they create financial revenues and generate social impact at the same time.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bani Mohammad underlined the important role the Jordanian universities play in enabling entrepreneurs in view of the exceptional expertise of the faculty members, the innovative students and the supportive environment for producing knowledge and innovation which contributes to developing competitive enterprises that are capable of supporting the national economy.

Additionally, Dr. Al Hamoud suggested the establishment of a coalition or union among business incubators at the universities and the concerned entities to support youth ideas and dialogue with them.

At the end of the session, Dr. Zureik emphasized his positive outlook and optimism for the post-coronavirus era ensuring the positive impact on the Middle East region that could make it a very attractive business hub and destination for emerging companies and giant corporations alike.