Research in Context

Abstract

Research in Jordan is a university-driven activity, as in Lebanon, historically based on three public universities—Jordan University, Jordan University for Science and Technology and Yarmouk University. However, while recent development has seen the steady decline of scientific output at Yarmouk University, the more recently established public Hashemite University has increased its scientific output—particularly through its specialisation in environmental sciences. Even if the national scientific authorities work more through incentives than development plans, an overlap between national priorities and research specialisations can be observed. Indeed engineering, medicine and chemistry are especially important in Jordan, mainly through partnership with the US or, concerning Chemistry, with Germany. Gulf countries are a second important pole which attracts Jordanian professors for teaching, mainly for salary reasons. It is too early to call it brain drain since Jordanian professors only stay for one or two years before going back to Jordan. Moreover, the Jordanian official policy actively promotes the exportation of skilled staff. However, this situation may change if Gulf countries succeed in keeping this foreign staff.