The announcement of Al Hussein Fund Award for Graduation Projects at Jordanian Universities "Entaleq"

The Governor of the Central Bank of Jordan, Dr. Adel Sharkas, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Hussein Fund for Excellence, announced the launch of Al Hussein Fund Award for Graduation Projects at Jordanian Universities, named "Entaliq." The award aims to encourage universities students to present innovative ideas and solutions to the problems and challenges facing the kingdom in the coming years.

The Governor stated that the idea for the award stems from a deep belief in the active role of youth in building society and driving the national economy forward.

He added that the fund, which represents the community responsibility arm of the banks, aims, through the award, to guide students toward finding solutions to the local challenges facing our society, providing students with the opportunity to hone their skills and broaden their horizons.

Dr. Sharkas emphasized his belief that this guidance and support will help develop students' ideas into startup projects that can bring about positive change and achieve sustainable economic development.

The Central Bank Governor expressed hope that the award would strengthen the relationship between the academic sector and the labor market, and that it would result in innovative projects in various fields, contributing to providing the Jordanian economy with creative youth who will help drive the economy and elevate our beloved country.

He called on the heads of Jordanian universities to create mechanisms for cooperation with the fund’s team to support the idea of the award in the targeted colleges and among students approaching graduation, to ensure maximum benefit from the award.

For his part, Dr. Ali Yaghi, the General Manager of the Fund, stated that the award's fields were chosen based on a comprehensive analysis of the economic modernization vision, which focuses on priorities that need to be worked on to achieve national goals, including sustainable economic growth, providing new job opportunities for young Jordanians, and enhancing entrepreneurship and innovation.

In a presentation, he explained that the award covers the fields of energy technologies, water, information technology, health sciences and services, environmental sustainability, planning and infrastructure, agriculture, and food security.

Regarding the award process, Dr. Yaghi mentioned that students wishing to submit their projects for the award will apply through their universities, which will conduct an initial evaluation to ensure the projects meet the award's criteria.

He clarified that each university will nominate the top 10 projects from all fields to enter the preliminary sorting process for the best projects, which will then be presented and judged in a national exhibition for the nominated projects, followed by the announcement and honoring of the winners, both students and supervisors.

Regarding the judging committees, Dr. Yaghi stated that the fund ensures that the committees include experts from the private sector in each relevant field, alongside a number of academics from various Jordanian universities.

He revealed that the fund intends to collaborate with several global and leading companies in the field of student support and skills development through official partnerships to be announced later. He also called on the funds operating in the kingdom and business incubators that support entrepreneurship and innovation to cooperate with the fund in implementing the programs applied in universities and schools.

Dr. Yaghi stated that the graduation project award completes the circle of awards adopted by the fund, which aims to encourage excellence and creativity across all stages and categories. The fund has launched many awards and programs in various fields, starting with "Entaliq" project, all the way to economic awards targeting researchers and economists at the master's and doctoral levels, covering most activities related to monetary, financial, and economic policy, labor markets, and financial technology.

The heads and representatives of the universities expressed their appreciation for the award idea, which contributes to enhancing research and development and linking it to national challenges and labor market needs. They also praised the fund's efforts to support students and connect the winners with global companies that can provide them with expertise and skills in marketing their projects and introducing them to investors.

It is worth mentioning that Al Hussein Fund for Excellence is one of the arms of social responsibility for the Jordanian banking sector. It works to encourage creativity and excellence in all fields, including cultural, artistic, scientific, and economic domains.