Presentation Transcript

1. Collaboration on Research and Doctorate

   Rida A. Shibli, PresidentMutah University Karak, Jordan

2. Scientific research

   Scientific research is A key component for development for any nation. An essential tool to acquire knowledge in the development, renewal, and use of materials, resources, and commodities so as to be useful for individuals and institutions. A key contributor to knowledge creation
3. Scientific Research In the Middle East In the last two decades, scientific research has progressed across various countries in large paces especially in Turkey and Iran. Publications and citations show some encouraging trends for the Middle East region during the last decade.
4. According to Arab Forum for Scientific Research and Sustainable Development in 2013:The five core regional research priorities facing the Arab World is: Health Renewable energy Climate Food security Water
5. Table 1: Based on Thomson Reuters analysis (2013), the top research fronts are:
6. Figure 1: Countries in the Arabian, Persian & Turkish Middle East scaled according to their five-year publication output (2005-2009) with an indication of their relative wealth as GDP per capita population Source: Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge
7. Research in the Arab world and in Jordan. Global Research Summary from Thomson Reuters reports on scientific research in the Arabian, Persian and Turkish Middle East as lagging that of countries in the West. *Source: Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge “ Global research report, Feb. 2011”
8. For the purposes of ranking for research analysis, the nations involved bundle into two groups. First, five countries produced more than 1,000 papers annually indexed on Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge's over the last few years (Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan ) Second, there are nine countries with somewhat smaller output. (United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen)
9. Figure 2: Annual research publication output of the five most prolific countries in the Arabian, Persian & Turkish Middle East (2000-2009). Turkey and Iran, two of the five countries that produce more than 1,000 papers annually, also show a marked annual growth rate. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have a substantial output but this is not growing at the same rate as the two leading countries. Jordan Source: Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge
10. Figure 3: Annual research publication output of nine less prolific nations in the Arabian, Persian & Turkish Middle East (2000-2009). Although current annual output is below 1,000 papers per year for these countries, growth rates are rising. This is particularly noticeable for the United Arab Emirates Source: Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge
11. Turkey produces about half of the region’s research contribution (articles and reviews), of which medical research makes up its biggest single component. Iran produces about one-quarter of regional output research contribution. Egypt contributes slightly less than one-eighth, Saudi Arabia about half as much as Egypt and Jordan about half as much again
12. Table 2 : Fields of research ranked by global share (% of world output on Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge) for 2005-2009 held by the group of 14 nations in the Arabian, Persian & Turkish Middle East. Note that growth rates (the difference between the five-year periods 2000-2004 and 2005- 2009) are not dependent on the current world share. The research portfolio is dynamic. Source: Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge
13. Table 3: Global share of research output (% world papers on Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge) for the five most research-prolific countries in the Arabian, Persian & Turkish Middle East, analyzing the fields in which they are individually best represented. Jordan Source: Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge
14. Overall, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia show a common focus in the fields of engineering, agricultural sciences, chemistry, pharmacology, material sciences, and mathematics, roughly in that order. But, there are wide differences in research concentrations worth noting.
15. For instance, Egypt and Saudi Arabia exceed the world average in citation impact in mathematics, while Turkey does so in engineering. Jordan, on the other hand, exhibits world largest share in environmental sciences and ecology.
16. Figure 4: Knowledge Economy Index for Arab countries(Selected countries) Source: Knowledge Economy Index (KEI) The KEI is calculated on the basis of the average normalized scores of a country or region on all four pillars of the knowledge economy: economic incentive and institutional regime; education; innovation; and ICTS. The score ranges from a low of 0 to a high of 10.
17. Table 5: The amount of expenditure on scientific research and its bulk through middle east countries in 2000 (UNESCO , 2004)
18. Table 6: The sources of scientific research funding for middle east countries in 1997-1999 (UNESCO , 2004)
19. Research Funding in Jordan National Fund Direct governmental fund Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST). Scientific Research Support Fund (SRSF) Abdul HameedShoman Foundation Private sector (industrial firms and private companies)
20. External Fund European projects: FP7, Horizon 2020 Donations Loans and foreign grants
21. Present Perspective of higher education in Jordan Currently, Jordan has different public and private academic institutions In addition to a number of community colleges and vocational training centers
22. Statistics The number of universities and students in Jordan.
23. Figure 8: Rising Demand on Higher Education in the world
24. Doctorate programs in Jordan Degree programs offered at Jordanian academic institutions: Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Arts Higher Diplomas Master’s of Science Doctor of Philosophy
25. Areas of expertise spanned by the operations of these universities Engineering Aeronautical Biomedical Chemical Civil Electrical Mechanical Nuclear
26. Areas of expertise spanned by the operations of these universities Agriculture Architecture Arts and Basic Sciences Dentistry Humanities and Social Sciences Law Medicine Pharmacy Veterinary medicine
27. Funding Sources for Higher Education in Jordan Government subsidies International Grants Donations; both local and international Student tuition
28. Funding opportunities that can be promoted Encourage faculty for more active participation with local and regional industries Create partnerships with the private sector through meaningful research and development Make necessary changes in the academic culture to couple faculty promotion policies with pronounced academic achievements
29. Doctorate programs and research Doctorate programs at academic institutions focus primarily on research Institutions involved have provided the much needed resources to facilitate carrying on research
30. Doctorate programs and research Doctoral study is viewed as an opportunity to acquire technical skills and scientific principles for conducting research. Such preparation puts the candidate at a stage where he/she would create/advance knowledge in his/her discipline through basic research This would prepare the next generation of professionals to be self sustained
31. Doctorate programs and research It is important to be thoughtful when selecting a topic to do research. * Select a topic that best interests you. * Select a topic that is of value to national economic development. * Select a topic that has potential for thematic research
32. Status of academic research Research efforts across the diversity of academic institutions do not sufficiently address national development needs Research programs are sporadic and lack a much needed focus No serious efforts to put research endeavors in the right gear towards achieving a sustainable model
33. Growing social and political pressures that keep academic administrations preoccupied and get in the ways of any pronounced progress Poor soft skills in the end product, viz., communication and presentation skills, critical thinking and problem solving, leadership skills, teamwork and entrepreneurial skills, etc.
34. Existing plans by leading academic institutions in Jordan Move on well defined paths to be on the road towards directed research to serve country’s imminent needs Identify academic programs for which market needs are pressing Achieve optimal academic performance by identifying and avoiding sluggish administrative processes within academic system
35. Issues and Challenges that merit serious attention Supply of students exceeds market demand, which calls for rehabilitation and retooling plans for graduates Public funding is way below system needs Private donations are dismal An infrastructure that needs updating and upgrading to keep pace with scientific progress
36. Imminent Need/s for Regional Collaboration The expanding network of research collaboration has become a predominant feature of the global research base. An analysis of interactions between nations in the Arabian, Persian & Turkish Middle East reveals a lower level of collaboration than is generally true elsewhere.
37. Figure 9: Top collaborating partners for the five most prolific research publishing nations in the Arabian, Persian & Turkish Middle East. Color intensity reflects research output volume, with deeper colors corresponding to greater output. The numbers in each country refer to the percentage of national output that has an international co-author. Note that the figure of 43%, near the centre of the map, refers to Jordan (table at top of map). Jordan Source: Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge
38. Agreement of Networks The pace of scientific progress and the interrelations between global problems require teamwork and networking.
39. Joint programs:Cooperative research agreements: Research institutions must establish joint programs and cooperate in the Middle East to achieve their goals and to foster further progress.
40. Research and doctorate collaboration Collaboration programs which entail student and faculty exchange Joint degree programs Maintaining active links with world-renowned institutions Maintaining currency of academic curricula Addressing imminent market needs Building retention strategies of excelling faculty
41. Collaboration onResearch and Doctorate Jordan and Turkey Joint collaboration may be accomplished between Jordan and Turkey through educational exchange; this include: Joint Doctorate programs Joint PhD students Collaborative research endeavors Recruitment/Solicitation of world experts in their fields who can provide phenomenal support to doctoral students
42. Collaboration onResearch and Doctorate Jordan and Turkey Encourage the exchange of views, experiences and best practices through facilitated workshops, roundtable meetings, break-out discussion sessions, technical and specialized training courses, business meetings and exhibitions.
43. Immediate Areas of Collaboration Turkey can help Jordan in: Over the past decade and a half, Turkey has witnessed progress by leaps and bounds in research that has led to: Agricultural production Food processing and manufacturing Manufacturing of heavy machinery (construction, industrial, agricultural, transportation, energy, military, etc.) Textiles and furniture manufacturing Electronics and Electrical work products Materials, machining and foundry Energy-related work products
44. Collaboration onScientific Research & Technology Transfer Advanced research that can be collaborated on: Nano-science and engineering  manufacturing research Renewable and sustainable energy research Advanced agricultural and food production research Advanced Robotics Research & Applications Supercomputing and its applications Training and Research for Industrial Development Network forensics & cyber security research
45. Collaboration in Scientific Research & Technology Transfer Desalination, Water, and Waste Water Research Applied medical & pharmaceuticals research Military and defense research
46. Conclusions: There is imminent need for a collaboration network between countries in different sectors. Some of the collaborative activities between Jordan and Turkey could involve different disciplines that can serve national developments in the two friendly nations.
47. Conclusions: Collaboration may includes: Student exchanges experience exchange The establishment of faculties with joint support programs between Turkey and Jordan including the opening of Turkish Study Program at select Jordanian Universities Signing agreements between different universities across the two countries Other possible future collaboration may include, visiting professors, joint degrees, joint research, and joint conferences.
48. A shift in scientific research and more attention needs to be focused on addressing issues like global overpopulation, pollution, illness and the depletion of the earth’s natural resources.
49. Research still lags significantly in the Arab world as compared to its European and Asian neighbors; which, nonetheless, is also showing a powerful – though patchy – resurgence. A healthy research environment is commonly promoted through academic institutions that are free to pursue their own programs of thought and innovation; something rather critical towards this end.
50. The rate of investment from Thomson Reuters points out that there are striking developments across our region, in terms of research policy, investment and outputs. The progress of Turkey and Iran is particularly impressive.
51. Prof “Ahmed Zewail “ “There are individual scientists from the region who produce world-class research and there are institutions and nations in the Middle East which make significant contributions in certain fields.” But naturally one asks, “Why have Arab, Persian and Turkish scientists as a group underperformed compared to their scientific colleagues in the West?” 51
52. Thank you