The German Jordanian University’s (GJU) participation in LEAP 2026 in Riyadh has attracted notable attention with a visit to the university’s pavilion by H.E. Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Eng. Sami Smirat and H.E. Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dr. Haitham Abu Al-Foul.
During the visit, the officials were briefed on GJU’s integrated vision for leveraging applied education, scientific research, innovation, and entrepreneurship to build an ecosystem capable of transforming knowledge into value and generating sustainable economic and societal impact.
During the visit, GJU President Prof. Ala’aldeen Al-Halhouli and the participating delegation highlighted the university’s extensive network of partnerships across Jordan, Germany, and the region, as well as its approach to working closely with the private sector and technology institutions. They also highlighted GJU’s efforts to explore investment opportunities, particularly in emerging technologies, and to bring these technologies to the university and support their localization through its active centers, deanships, and faculties.
This approach reflects the university’s vision of its role as an educational and research institution whose mission extends beyond knowledge transfer to empowering students, researchers, and innovators and transforming ideas and research into applications, solutions, projects, and companies capable of growth and meaningful impact.
The visit also highlighted the role of the Technology, Research and Innovation Park (TRIP) as one of the university’s key platforms connecting GJU with the private sector, technology companies, investors, and entrepreneurs. TRIP provides an environment for networking, partnership building, and project development, supporting the transfer of knowledge and scientific research from the university and laboratories into the market and real-world applications.
Minister Smirat emphasized the importance of the model presented by GJU in building a university environment that responds to rapid technological transformations, creates spaces for experimentation and innovation, and facilitates networking. He highlighted the university’s efforts to provide students, researchers, and innovators with an integrated pathway from idea to application, from knowledge to innovation, and from innovation to projects and companies, ultimately generating tangible economic and societal impact.
For his part, Ambassador Abu Al-Foul commended GJU’s participation in LEAP 2026 and its representation of an active Jordanian presence at one of the world’s leading platforms for technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He praised the university’s role in strengthening international partnerships and building bridges of cooperation between Jordan and Germany, while leveraging these partnerships to expand engagement with Saudi Arabia, the region, and the wider world.
GJU’s participation in LEAP 2026 embodies its commitment to transforming the concept of the “power of partnerships” into an institutional practice and an integrated ecosystem that connects education, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship with industry, investment, markets, and international institutions. Through this approach, the university seeks to create new opportunities, empower talent, localize future technologies, and strengthen its role as a driver of innovation, economic growth, and sustainable development.