University of Petra (UOP) President Prof. Rami Abdel-Rahem, accompanied by Director of the Office of External Funding Dr. Ali Al-Maqousi, took part in a wide-ranging panel discussion organized by the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j) under the theme: "Empowering Education to Accelerate Digital Innovation."

The session explored ways to bridge the gap between academia and the labor market and to foster partnerships in curriculum development aligned with the needs of the digital economy.

Prof. Abdel-Rahem presented UOP's pioneering experience in innovation-driven research, noting that the university has implemented a policy requiring researchers to produce original, market-relevant outputs. These outputs are reviewed by the university's business incubator and relevant scientific committees. Once completed, the research is referred back to the incubator for potential commercialization — an approach that strengthens the link between research centers and innovation hubs, moving beyond traditional academic silos.

The session brought together Minister of Education and Higher Education & Scientific Research Dr. Azmi Mahafzah, alongside university presidents, industry leaders, and academics. Dr. Mahafzah emphasized that Jordan is among the first countries to integrate digital skills and financial literacy into its school curricula. He also underlined the importance of private sector involvement in developing university programs to keep pace with rapid technological change.

Discussions addressed key challenges facing higher education in Jordan, particularly in curriculum design and research, and their impact on graduate employability in emerging fields such as AI, programming, and data analytics.​

The session concluded with an open forum, during which practical proposals were presented to boost collaboration between universities and the private sector, integrate digital skills into education, and enhance student training through joint academic-industry initiatives.