PSUT: advancing His Majesty’s vision through education, innovation and entrepreneurship

In times of great adversity, our efforts to educate, innovate and empower ourselves with knowledge come to the fore. This can be said of any individual or of any nation. It was therefore with great joy and appreciation that I and my colleagues in senior university positions in Jordan followed His Majesty King Abdullah II’s recent visit to Boston, Massachusetts, where he met with the leadership of some of the United State’s most illustrious universities. This meeting delivered a message of global engagement from our university sector to theirs and underlined the international strategic focus of our institutions of higher education. It also marked out for all to see the hope and ambition that His Majesty has for Jordan, and the region, in spite of the awful challenges that have been placed before us.

In line with his unfolding vision of Jordan as a hub for knowledge, innovation and research, His Majesty led discussions that emphasised our present readiness to engage, and our hopes for a future that is even more enmeshed with the great seats of learning and research around the world. Increased university exchanges were discussed, along with applied research, entrepreneurship, biotechnology, software, and advanced manufacturing.

These are all topics that we at Princess Sumaya University for Technology are as passionate about as we are progressive. We have long embraced outreach to the finest research institutions in the world so that we can offer our students, and the Kingdom, the greatest opportunities possible to innovate and to create value for sustainable progress. As highlighted by His Majesty, higher education is central to fostering economic growth and to harnessing the potential of digital transformation. Jordan's commitment to investing for a future built on knowledge is clear, and Princess Sumaya University for Technology is proud to be a torchbearer of knowledge-exchange from our nation to the world.

I am immensely proud to note that, under the leadership of HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, PSUT has empowered education in Jordan through strategic outreach and innovative networking efforts that span the globe. In line with His Majesty’s vision, we continue to forge international partnerships and joint research initiatives, and strive to offer our students access to cutting-edge knowledge networks of the highest calibre. This is not just about making our students globally competitive but also sowing the seeds of creative innovation in every community in Jordan.

A Legacy of Visionary Leadership that Brings Theory and Practice Together

As the pace of technological change accelerates in every sphere of modern life, we can all witness industries across the world being reimagined and reshaped. As revolutionary shifts generate new visions of the short and long-term futures, there has never been a greater need for our universities to adapt to, and even to pre-empt, change in the markets and technologies that will define our students’ lives. Our duty is to produce graduates who are not only knowledgeable but also adaptive, versatile, and entrepreneurial thinkers.

At PSUT, we have for many years focused our efforts on nurturing an environment of innovation, research, and close industry collaboration, from which can emerge not simply graduates but, rather, job creators and innovation leaders. PSUT owes its remarkable success in this regard to the vision and direction of our Chair, HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, who founded the university in 1991 as the academic arm of the Royal Scientific Society (RSS). Under her leadership PSUT has grown to become the outstanding exemplar institution for technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Under HRH’s constant care, PSUT has grown over three decades to become an internationally recognized institution, gaining a raft of prestigious accreditations, establishing successful and enduring industry relationships, and nurturing an entrepreneurial ecosystem that has been pivotal in enhancing Jordan’s global standing in technology and digital transformation. PSUT has become so much more than a traditional university where learning is off the page. Today, we nurture a vibrant academic and practical ecosystem with students gain knowledge and leadership skills that will equip them for the world of tomorrow. With hands-on experience, intensive project-based courses, and industry-inspired internships, our students learn how to thrive both on and beyond the campus. They hit the ground sprinting and learn quickly how to address real world problems by applying their knowledge in areas as diverse as AI, cybersecurity, engineering concepts and design, business technology and digital transformation. Our faculty mentorship is constant and engaged and encourages our students to undertake ambitious and relevant research projects. Meanwhile, a strong focus on interdisciplinary learning gives students the tools for innovative problem-solving beyond the confines of more traditional academic systems.

Entrepreneurship at the Core of PSUT's Vision

Our interdisciplinary and outward-looking approach has nurtured on our campus a ‘can do’ culture of entrepreneurship and innovation. Over the years we have solidly established PSUT as the national hub for tech-based startups and business forwards. Our vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem includes the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship, which has incubated over 500 startups, trained over 2,800 entrepreneurs, and created over 3,100 jobs, while forging a unique role as a driver of economic transformation.

Additionally, our Venture Lab allows students and faculty to explore startup ideas together, giving them access to mentorship, business development, and investor funding, while our Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) programme connects students with industry leaders to help develop their businesses and investment opportunities. The PSUT Seed Fund ensures that the most promising startups get the essential early-stage investment that they need.

PSUT’s Strategic Vision 2030: A Commitment to Excellence

As Jordan broadens its global academic and research networks, PSUT is poised to lead the way. Our Strategic Vision 2030 provides a roadmap for expanding academic excellence that will equip us to embrace a world of academic, industry and research collaboration opportunities.

Our key priorities include:

• Advancing academic excellence through rigorous accreditation

standards and seamless integration of cutting-edge technologies.

• Accelerating research and innovation with a strategic focus on AI,

sustainability, and cybersecurity.

• Strengthening global collaborations to foster a more interconnected

and dynamic academic ecosystem.

• Fuelling entrepreneurship and investment by expanding seed funding

opportunities and nurturing groundbreaking ideas.

• Maximizing societal impact through technology transfer, economic

development, and sustainable innovation.

PSUT is proud to be the Kingdom’s model of an entrepreneurial and technology-focused university, reaching out and partnering with global academia, research and industry. We value beyond measure our central role in Jordan’s economic development and, particularly, its digital transformation. Continuously inspired by His Majesty and empowered by the ambitions and global vision of our students and faculty, we will continue our journey as a leader of change for education, entrepreneurship, and technological advancement in Jordan and beyond. 

Author is the president of Princess Sumaya University for Technology