TEJ National Conference – Jordan
Date: 11/2/2016
Venue: PSUT -Jordan
Under the patronage of PSUT president, Prof. Mashhoor Alrefai, the national conference of TEJ project, which is funded by Tempus program and aims at stimulating the development of a Jordanian university enterprise cooperation culture, was held on February 11, 2016.
Prof. Mashhoor in the opening speech referred to the need for an alliance between the Jordanian universities and enterprises by enhancing the relationship between universities and the social and economic environment; moreover he called to increase the products quality and create job opportunities for the qualified students that meet the need of local, regional and international labor market; which is all in line with the objectives of TEJ EU project.
Despite the lack of budgets allocations in the deanship of scientific research, but it remains valuable if well invested by focusing on the qualitative researches that meet the national needs to be converted into a prototype for an emerging companies; Prof. Mashhoor added.
Finally Prof. Mashhoor presented a brief about the majors and programs offered in PSUT and reviewed the university achievements on the local and international levels.
The former minister of finance, HE Dr. Mohammad Abu Hammour, reviewed the real partnership experience between business and academic sector.
Dr. Abu Hammour referred to the global financial crisis that hit the world in 2008 which was caused by mortgages and drying the credit; but today, the labor market returned back to commodities trading and competition spirit as happening in the universities, which means focusing on the graduates’ quality and the role of university in integrating the students into the local community.
The alliance between the business and academic sector shall contribute in solving the unemployment issue that Jordanian economy is suffering of nowadays, Abu Hammour explained; pointing out that unemployment percentage 13.9% is a high rate and needs to be addressed.
He added that Jordanian labor market provides 50 thousand job opportunity out of 100 thousand annually enter the labor market; pointing out that the project will create job opportunities through innovation, inventions and initiatives particularly in the applied sciences and industry sectors and both provide about a quarter million vacancies.
Prof. Walid Salameh, the project coordinator, presented an introduction about TEJ project and its role in opening the prospects of cooperation between the business and academic sectors. He showed that TEJ is built on benefiting from the community capacities and collaborative work in order to provide a new products capable of spreading widely in the market.
In his speech; prof. Walid reviewed the areas of cooperation between business and academic sectors which falls under research and development, curriculums development to accommodate market needs, constant education, joint productive ventures, social responsibility for regions development in addition to students-academics exchange and governance.
Prof. Walid pointed out to the obstacles and factors that affect this collaboration which revolves about funding issues and variation in the occupational culture between private sector and academic institutions noting to the need for enhancing this cooperation by reconsider the innovation process.
After that representatives from the private sector, academic institutions and project partners presented their practices and experience in TEJ project and its effect on their institutions, academics and students.
The papers delivered through the conference were presented by Mr. Mohammad Otoum (Samsung training director/ Levant), Dr. Maher Almahrouq (GM Jordan chamber of industry), Dr. Mohammad Aljafari (iPARK), Dr. Fawaz Alabed Alhaq (TTU), Dr. Raed Abu Zitar (AUM), Dr. Ali Almaqousi (UOP), Dr. Ahmad Khasawneh (HU), Ms. Serene Duwairy (iPARK), Dr. Ali Aldahoud (ZUJ), Dr. Ahmad Odat (INU), Dr. Abdelrahim Abu Al Basal (PSUT), Mohammad Abbadi (Mutah University), Ms. Buthaina Alshare (MOHE), Dr. Jamal Zraqou (Isra University) and Mr. Mohammad Obeidat (iPARK).
At the end of conference, Petra University was awarded a prize for winning the best business plan competition that was held within the project's activities frame.
