Jordan Young Scientist initiative signs MoU with Plan International Jordan

AMMAN — The Jordan Young Scientist (JoYS) initiative and Plan International Jordan (PIJO) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) solidifying their partnership and agreeing on the importance of STEM-focused initiatives for young Jordanians across the Kingdom.

This notable moment was attended by Hamida Jahamah, PIJO’s Country Director, Ambassador of Ireland to Jordan Marianne Bolger and Chairperson of the JoYS initiative Mohammad Tahboub. 

JoYS is a new national initiative for Jordanian youth that is based on a model that was originally implemented in Ireland over 50 years ago, according to a statement from the Irish embassy. 

Its purpose is to improve the motivation and incentives 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 for social, technological and economic challenges  through the application of evidence-based, scientific approaches.

Over the next year, with the support and cooperation of PIJO, the JoYS programme will be implemented nationwide. 

According to the statement, the initiative is expected to become "the most paramount national competition for students studying science-based subjects in secondary schools".

JoYS aims to provide decent work and innovation to help create new career paths and economic growth in Jordan. PIJO will support JoYS in this endeavour by providing infrastructure to accommodate any future activities, while helping link this initiative with entrepreneurship and strengthening the role of women and girls in STEM fields.

The Embassy of Ireland in Jordan will also continue its strong role, pledging its support to advance the work with the committed partners under the JoYS initiative umbrella to ensure its success for many years to come.