By Zayed Alzyoud
Under the patronage of Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Eng. Sami Smeirat, the University of Jordan (UJ), represented by Vice President for Administrative Affairs, Financial Affairs and Digital Transformation Prof. Ziad Hawamdeh, participated in launching the EU-funded Twinning Project “Support Digital Transition in Jordan through Personal Data Protection and Artificial Intelligence.”
UJ’s participation reaffirms its role as a national partner in advancing digital transformation, particularly in developing e-learning systems, modernizing institutional processes and strengthening digital content production. Prof. Hawamdeh noted that the university plans to align the project’s expected outcomes with its ongoing initiatives to enhance data protection frameworks, expand digital learning platforms and strengthen AI-related capacities across academic and administrative units.
The initiative is led by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship in cooperation with the European Union and institutions from Greece, Germany and Spain. Over the next two years, the project will work to modernize regulatory frameworks, reinforce compliance mechanisms and transfer European expertise to Jordanian institutions.
Secretary General of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Marwan Al-Rifai highlighted the EU partnership as a key driver of Jordan’s innovation and digital reform efforts. EU Ambassador Dr. Pierre Christophe Chatzisavvas, Greek Ambassador Dr. Eirini Riga, Spanish Deputy Head of Mission Dr. Estibaliz Lopez de Goicoechea, and CIEEL Representative Dr. Virginia Tzortzi reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting Jordan in building strong institutional capacities and safe, effective digital ecosystems.
The event also included an overview of the project’s objectives and upcoming phases, delivered by the EU Twinning team alongside the Ministry’s directorates for personal data protection and artificial intelligence.