Wakeup call for policymakers

The Global Knowledge Index (GKI), launched by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, highlights where Jordan is doing quite well in enabling education, and where it is lagging behind regionally and internationally.

GKI measures countries’ ratings on the basis of several indicators comprising all relevant components of development and progress with an eye on quality of education, including vocational training and extent of research and innovation at the higher level of education.

The upshot of the index shows that Jordan has low rating in vocational training and practices, poor quality of research and innovation, and persistent negative overall development environment due to the absence of gender equality.

On the Technical Vocational Education and Training level, Jordan was rated 98 out of 131 countries studied. But when it comes to research and innovation, Jordan was ranked 86 out of 131 states examined.

While there is no shortcut to instilling the culture of dedication to research and innovation at the higher level of education, there is obviously a pressing need to do so as soon as possible.

Jordanian universities are generally regarded as good, regionally and internationally, having achieved recognition by major universities in the world.

Where university education lags woefully behind is the absence of any meaningful research culture in higher education in the country. This is how and where universities are graded internationally.

There is hardly any mention of a major research conducted by any of Jordanian universities of the kind and quality that can win international recognition and appreciation. 

The GKI report is a wake up call for our policymakers that must be studied by all shareholders with a view to arriving at the appropriate conclusions.