International Conference and Forum on Business and Digital Economy kicks off at UJ

AMMAN — The first International Conference and Forum on Business and Digital Economy (IBDE) kicked off at the University of Jordan (UJ) on Tuesday.

The three-day conference, bringing together scholars, academics, government officials and university students, will address several issues relating to business, digital economy and information and communications technology.

In his keynote address, UJ President Nathir Obeidat said that the educational sphere should be transformed in a way to respond to global changes. The philosophy of business education also needs to adapt to the growing trends in the world, he noted.

Thriving in today’s fast changing world requires having up-to-date and digital skills, according to Obeidat. “Digital economy is a fast-paced educational experience that brings various opportunities only if one remains relevant to the rapid changes,” he said.

The opening session of the conference, which was moderated by the Dean of the Business School at UJ Ra’ed Masa’deh, addressed many topics, the foremost of which concerns the impact of ICT on science and practice, as well as the efforts exerted by the Digital Economy Ministry to promote and further stimulate the digital transformation process in the Kingdom.

The session featured Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Ahmed Hanandeh, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Jordan Khaldoon Al Washah, and Viswanath Venkatesh, a scholar in the field of information and systems.

Hanandeh pointed out that the ministry with its National Digital Transformation Strategy seeks to increase the diffusion of digital technologies in all of Jordan’s sectors.

“The digital era is new for everyone. There are visible efforts towards promoting digital transformation. However the regulatory framework in Jordan is still not [fully ready] to accommodate the fast changes happening,” he said

“The Jordanian economy is cohesive and proved resilient to shocks and crises,” according to Washah. 

He also talked about economic indicators relating to Jordan which he described as “positive” despite the current unfavourable conditions worldwide.

Also speaking during the session, Venkatesh said: “There are paradigm shifts taking place,” which are leading to significant changes in the environment and regulatory systems. 

This comes as a result of disruptive technologies which have led to new ways of doing things, and caused transformations in various different activities, he noted.

“The organisations that are agile and adaptive are the ones that will survive such changes,” he added.