Since arriving in Jordan in January 2019 as Ireland’s first resident
ambassador, I have been struck by the numerous parallels between the two
countries. One of the most striking of these is the existence of many
well-educated young people who have excellent innovative and entrepreneurial
skills and who have a deep interest and commitment to contributing to the
social and economic development of both their respective societies.
اضافة اعلان
Over 50 years ago, Ireland recognized that if we
were to advance as a society, our country would need to ensure young people had
the necessary skills in science, technology, engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM). To this end, an annual national Young Scientist and Technology
Exhibition was launched to incentivize the uptake of science in secondary
schools, improve the standards of teaching science, and reward students who
excelled in science projects.
Following its establishment as a major national
event, the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition attracted much interest
from the government, third-level institutes, and the private industry. It has
led to the development of a very strong culture of science and innovation in
the country, and it has directly impacted Ireland’s economic development,
mainly by up-skilling the workforce in science and technology and helping
attract international investors to locate in Ireland.
The competition is essentially funded by private
sponsorship but with strong government engagement and support.
On Wednesday, I had the privilege of attending the
national launch of the Jordan Young Scientist (JoYS) initiative at Al-Hussein
Technical University in Amman. The JoYS initiative, which was inaugurated by
Minister of Culture Haifa Najjar, draws on some of the principles of the Irish
Young Scientist initiative but is fully relevant and tailored to the Jordanian
context.
Planning for the success of the JoYS initiative makes societal and economic sense. There is little doubt that improving the quality of education in the bench and social sciences at the secondary level will lead to a more innovative future workforce and society.
JoYS is a hugely exciting new national initiative
for Jordanian youth. Its purpose is to improve the motivation and rewards for
young people who wish to study science and apply it to transform society. It
has the potential to transform Jordan by empowering young people to develop
solutions to social, technological, and economic challenges through the
application of evidence-based scientific approaches.
JoYS is based on a partnership model. In Jordan, it
brings together the government, the private sector, the Crown Prince
Foundation, the Embassy of Ireland, universities, teachers, students, and many
other important organizations to develop and oversee the effective
implementation of this important initiative.
The program is open to every student in Jordan
studying a science-based subject. They are invited to submit an innovative
research project for scrutiny by independent judges. Projects demonstrating
innovation and potential for further development will enter an annual national
JoYS exhibition. Winning projects will get excellent prizes, including the
opportunity to represent Jordan internationally.
A boot camp will be arranged for all winning entries
to assist winning students and teachers in attending workshops on
entrepreneurship, the protection of intellectual property, and product development.
It will show them how to turn good ideas into social and business ventures.
At the launch of the pilot program, 54 students from
21 different schools from five different governorates around Jordan competed in
the first local Jordan Young Scientist exhibition. Over 40 projects were
judged, and the high standard of entries and the hard work undertaken by
students and teachers were commended by the judging panel.
Over the next year, the JoYS program will be
nationwide with the expectation that the initiative will become the paramount
national competition for students studying science subjects in secondary
schools.
Planning for the success of the JoYS initiative
makes societal and economic sense. There is little doubt that improving the
quality of education in the bench and social sciences at the secondary level
will lead to a more innovative future workforce and society.
JoYS will act as a catalyst for directing students
into future careers in the sciences and technology. It will foster innovation
and develop skills necessary for the sustainable development of Jordan. The
project will encourage young students to use scientific methodology and
investigation in the physical, biological, and social sciences outside their
regular formal classes. An annual exhibition will provide a platform for
students to highlight their projects to the wider school community and public.
Ireland is proud to be a co-sponsor of this
wonderful initiative. We pledge our support to continue to work with the hugely
committed partners in the Jordan Young Scientist initiative to ensure its
success for many years to come.
The
writer is the ambassador of Ireland to Jordan.
Read more Opinion and Analysis
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
