The Commandant of the Royal Jordanian National Defense College, Brigadier General Dr. Awad Al-Tarawneh, inaugurated the Strategic Dialogue Program for Presidents of Jordanian Public and Private Universities on Wednesday, titled "The Future of Jordanian Universities and Scientific Research." The program was attended by the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Wajih Owais, the Chairman of the Higher Education Accreditation Commission, and the Director  of Military Education.

This program is one of the college's parallel academic programs, fulfilling the Royal vision and implementing the directives of the General Command of the Armed Forces to communicate with major national institutions. It aims to establish organized communication between the Royal Jordanian National Defense College and public and private universities to address current, emerging, and future Jordanian national security issues, as well as related issues in strategic thinking and planning, state management, and national crises.

The program seeks to promote and consolidate national culture, enhance the role of the Jordanian Armed Forces, activate the staff offices of military missions located in universities, and develop the educational outcomes of Jordanian university graduates to provide society with qualified personnel. It also seeks to consolidate the concept of investing in human capital and shaping a personality aware of national issues. It also seeks to activate the vital role of higher education institutions in achieving Jordanian national security and sustainable development.

The Commandant of the National Defense College emphasized the importance of holding such programs, which contribute to strengthening the concept of national security and fostering a shared understanding among representatives of various state institutions on issues of national security concern. He explained that Jordan's oil and wealth is the human mind, inspired by the royal vision of the importance of developing our human resources based on science and learning. He referred to the seventh discussion paper launched by His Majesty the Supreme Commander in 2017, in which he emphasized the importance of education for investing in human resources to build a self-reliant state, both financially and morally, benefiting from modern communication and technology.

For his part, the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Scientific Research, in his speech, emphasized the importance of vocational education and the need to develop it so that vocational education outcomes are appropriate to the needs of the labor market. This can be achieved by raising the level of education in vocational schools and developing curricula. Owais pointed out that, as part of the National Strategy for Human Resources Development, the National Center for Curriculum Development was established. Its outcomes are advanced curricula that differ from previous ones, based on analysis, reflection, and deduction. Participants in the program discussed the strategic approach to higher education in Jordan, the academic programs of universities and their role in national security, in addition to the axis of scientific research, sustainable development, and the future of public and higher education in Jordan.