President of the University of Jordan (UJ) Prof. Nathir Obeidat delivered a lecture at the Royal Police Academy titled “The Role of the University of Jordan in Advancing Scientific Research”
The lecture, delivered at the Royal Police Academy, was attended by Assistant Director of Public Security for Operations and Training Brigadier General Mohammad Al-Omari and Commander of the Academy Brigadier General Mahmoud Khalaf Al-Nuaimat
Obeidat emphasized that the current state of scientific research at UJ is among the strongest in the university’s history, particularly when compared with previous years. He noted that this progress was not coincidental but the result of strategic planning and sustained institutional commitment. While acknowledging existing challenges, he underscored the university’s significant strides in improving the quality and impact of its research
He highlighted a notable shift as over 80 percent of UJ’s research output is now published in first- and second-quartile journals indexed by Scopus, compared to more than 80 percent in third- and fourth-quartile journals just four years ago. This transformation signals a measurable enhancement in both quality and global competitiveness
Obeidat identified several key enablers of this progress including the university’s investment in modern infrastructure, particularly laboratories focused on basic sciences, and the promotion of applied research that fuels industrial innovation. He stressed that applied research must be grounded in strong fundamental disciplines such as cell biology and atomic science
He also underscored the importance of supporting outstanding researchers, encouraging collaboration, and offering financial incentives that motivate faculty to publish in high-impact journals. As part of its quality policy, the university now requires faculty members applying for promotion to be affiliated with officially recognized research groups. These groups must include a graduate student, feature collaboration with researchers from other universities, adopt a multidisciplinary approach, and maintain ties with the private or industrial sector
To date, UJ has established 169 active research groups spanning a wide range of scientific fields
Turning to current challenges, Obeidat pointed to the relatively lower research output from humanities faculties compared to scientific ones. He attributed this gap to the predominant use of Arabic in humanities research, limited participation in international academic discourse, and insufficient interdisciplinary collaboration. He called for stronger integration between the humanities and technical disciplines
Obeidat also addressed broader structural issues such as the lack of robust partnerships with the private sector and the urgent need to keep pace with rapid technological change. He concluded by reaffirming that elevating teaching quality and modernizing educational methodologies remains essential to the advancement of scientific research
The lecture formed part of the Public Security Directorate’s broader strategy to enhance the capabilities of its personnel, enrich their academic and practical knowledge, and promote strategic collaboration with national universities. It also aimed to foster a research-driven culture within educational and training institutions and to highlight the pivotal role of universities in shaping research policy and advancing national development