Princess Sumaya opens Humboldt International Conference

AMMAN — Jordan faces demographic and environmental challenges due to scarcity of natural resources, but it is characterised by the presence of enormous energies of youths who have learned from a long history and rich achievements, HRH Princess Sumaya, said on Thursday.

The princess, who is chairperson of the Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) board of trustees, made the remark at the opening of the conference on “Building international networks to promote scientific research in Jordan”.

“I am happy to see this number of scientists and researchers in various scientific fields together to discuss ways to promote scientific research through international networking, which must play a vital role in promoting science to achieve greater equality in our region and our world.” 

“Inequality within societies and across borders is the primary and overarching threat to our global sustainability, for it promotes the deployment of science for division, and not science for peace,” she added, underscoring that “we must ensure that science and technology are not arrayed to divide our world between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’”. 

“The great strides that we have made in communications and other technologies have united the enfranchised people around our world, but they are in danger of excluding those who are not connected to this new and artificial global consciousness. Smart technology does not create the problems of the future; it solves them before they arise,” the princess noted.

She stressed that “building research networks is critical in removal of barriers between peoples and we must reject the inequality between people that is rapidly increasing in our world.” 

The princess added that “we must be ready to harness science and mobilise creativity to achieve a promising future to which we all aspire.”

A total of 150 participants representing 25 countries are attending the three-day conference. 

Khalid Toukan, chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) and president of the conference, said Jordan faces many challenges, notably the growing energy demand, increasing costs and the lack of natural resources, as well as water scarcity, noting that the Kingdom is working to address this shortfall.

“In Jordan, we are currently concentrating on developing resources to face power and energy shortages. These include renewable energy, oil shale, natural gas resources and above all water. We are working hard to develop a network of research within Jordan and with other developed countries in the world.”

German Ambassador Ralph Tarraf thanked all those involved in the conference, held at the PSUT, and praised the strong relations between Jordan and Germany.

He praised Princess Sumaya’s encouragement and support of the scientific community working in the fields of scientific research and technology to enable local communities to achieve growth and prosperity.  

The event is part of a series of conferences held by the Humboldt International Foundation, and was organised by the Humboldt Jordan club in collaboration with the German-Jordanian University and the JAEC as well as several local universities.