Amman- 11 March 2019

On Thursday, March 7, 2019, the German Jordanian University (GJU) launched its Topic of the Year 2019 “Ideate Invent & Innovate”, in the Kick-off event “The Path to Entrepreneurial Universities” organized by the Office for Industrial Links (OIL), and the Program Innovation & Entrepreneurship (PIE).

The president of GJU Prof. Manar Fayyad, Vice Presidents Prof. Atef Kharabsheh, Prof. Dorit Schumann, together with experts in the field of Entrepreneurship from Germany and Jordan attended the event.

In her speech, Fayyad pointed out that Entrepreneurial University has gained prominence as a knowledge and innovation actor, the key to competitiveness, simulation of economic growth and wealth creation in today’s globalized world.

She said that our youth in Jordan are creative and innovative, capable of creating astonishing initiatives and solutions in the interest and service of our beloved country.

She added that GJU preserves no effort in supporting students’ initiatives, particularly those of entrepreneurial dimensions, through the Program Innovation & Entrepreneurship (PIE) at GJU, where they motivate the students and support them to create applicable entrepreneurial projects.

Prof. Schumann identified the topic of the year and its importance to GJU, presenting the upcoming topics at GJU. She explained that these topics are considered for student and collaborative research project with Jordanian, German and international parties, besides other parties such as faculty, industry, business, and startups.

Schumann specified that innovation and entrepreneurship are parts of the main strategic goals to support GJU’s vision of preparing highly qualified graduates who are educated to think out of the box to compete in today’s global job market.

At the beginning of the workshop experts, Mr. Detlef Guertler and Prof. Dirck Funk shared their experience from Germany where they discussed the topics, “Can entrepreneurship be taught” and “Social entrepreneurship education through interactions with local communities”.

On another hand, the Center of Excellence for Innovative Project- Jordan University of Science and Technology, Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship- Princess Sumaya University for Technology, My Startup Incubator- Injaz, Spark, and the Scientific Research and Innovation Support fund in Jordan conducted presentations on their activities, structure and achievements in the field.

The second part of the event was dedicated to presentations of startups from Germany and Jordan. The presenters introduced their companies’ portfolios and also described their often challenging but promising way of becoming an entrepreneur and starting their own business. BlackForest Solutions, Schlemmerdepot and ATNA Solutions shared their experience from the German side, whereas The Atelier, SIMCAR and Mosaic represented GJU Alumni and students showing their business ideas and how activities offered by GJU’s Program Innovation and Entrepreneurship are of great supportive nature to “go the entrepreneurial path”.

Two-panel discussions were held during the workshop. Mr.. Detlef Guertler moderated the first-panel discussion along with entrepreneurship support organizations from Germany and Jordan, where challenges and opportunities facing the development of "Entrepreneurial Universities” were presented. 

The second discussion, which was moderated by Rafaela Craizer from BlackForest Solutions (Berlin), addressed the university impact on startups.

The kick-off event showed a various platform of entrepreneurial activities in and around universities, its opportunities and challenges and also provided business opportunities for the participating companies from Germany and Jordan.

Contact: pie@gju.edu.jo