By Zayed Alzyoud
The University of Jordan (UJ) won multiple awards in the fourth cycle of the Al Hussein Fund for Excellence (HFE) Economic Research Awards, with its researchers recognised for doctoral dissertations and research papers addressing national economic priorities.
The winners were announced at a ceremony held under the patronage of Central Bank of Jordan Governor Adel Al-Sharkas, Chairman of the HFE Board of Directors, and attended by senior figures from the banking, economic and academic sectors.
UJ won three awards in the doctoral dissertation track.
In monetary policy, Ali Awartani received the award for “The Impact of Monetary and Fiscal Policies on the Balance of Payments: A Case Study of Jordan,” which explored how macroeconomic policy choices shape Jordan’s external accounts and the stability of the balance of payments. The dissertation was supervised by Taleb Warrad.
In labour economics, Hashem Thweib won for “Enhancing Economic Growth Through Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Startups in Jordan,” examining how entrepreneurship can support growth and job creation. The dissertation was supervised by Warrad and Samer Dahiat.
In the green economy field, Nour Al-Werr was honoured for “Determinants of Household Spending on Transport and Energy in Jordan: An Analytical Study,” analysing household spending patterns on transport and energy in relation to economic and environmental sustainability. The dissertation was supervised by Nahil Al Hait.
UJ also won in the research papers category. Ghada Teim and Mohammad Tayeh received the award in the financial and banking sector category for “Lines of Credit and Family Firm Ownership: A Case Study of a Developing Country,” which examined how family ownership structures interact with credit facilities and how those dynamics can influence firm performance in developing economies.
The university said the results reflect the strength of its economics research and doctoral programmes, adding that the winning work offers evidence-based insights relevant to policymaking and sustainable development.
A total of 130 submissions were received across five categories, including 12 in monetary policy, 42 in the financial and banking sector, 25 in the green economy, 22 in labour economics, and 29 in the digital economy and financial technology category. Entries included 80 research papers, 32 master’s theses and 18 doctoral dissertations.
Academic institutions accounted for 54 percent of all entries, including 42 percent from public universities and 12 percent from private universities, with UJ and the Hashemite University among the leading contributors. Professionals from financial and banking institutions and private companies made up 25 percent, while government institutions contributed 16 percent. Submissions from outside Jordan accounted for 5 percent.
The scientific committee was drawn from the CBJ Research Department and chaired by Nidal Azzam, Executive Director of the CBJ Research Department. Evaluation panels included 46 professors and researchers specialising in economics and finance from universities across Jordan.
Established in 1999, HFE supports creativity, excellence and sustainable development across economic, cultural and technological fields. Its annual awards include the Economic Research Award, the Children’s Culture Award, the Entleq graduation projects award for Jordanian universities, and the Agriculture and Food Security Award. The Fund also runs a digital design and fabrication labs programme in cooperation with King Abdullah II Schools for Excellence.