World Science Forum comes to Jordan next week

AMMAN — World-renowned scientists, along with policymakers and experts in the scientific field will convene in Jordan on November 7 at the World Science Forum 2017 to look into the role science plays in building a future that promises greater equality, stability, security and opportunity.

Held at the King Hussein Convention Centre at the Dead Sea, the forum will attract more than 190 speakers delivering over 45 sessions to some 3,000 anticipated attendees from over 140 countries, according to a statement by the World Science Forum (WSF) e-mailed to The Jordan Times on Saturday.

"Science for Peace" is the theme of the four-day forum that will include key sessions on topics including energy, water, food and the right to education for unlocking opportunities worldwide. Delegates will also examine the challenges and opportunities of the digital age.

The sessions are scheduled to cover several issues including the future of the universality of science, connecting scientists with politicians and diplomats to achieve  peace and sustainable development, the role of women in engineering, science and food security, the role of artificial and human intelligence in solving global challenges, promotion of Arab women in science, among others, according to the forum's website.

“We will meet under the banner of ‘Science for Peace’ as we present our vision of a world in which science plays an increasingly prominent role as an enabler of equitable and sustainable development for all our people. We define ‘peace’ as far more than the absence of conflict. Our universal right to peace is so much more than a claim to life without conflict,” the organisers said in the statement.

“It must also imply an absence of fear and depravation of the requirements for a whole and healthy life. It encompasses an equal claim for all to the resources and potential of our planet. ‘Science for Peace’ signifies a call for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, and for the promise of hope and opportunity in the lives of all people in a world, where borders must matter little as we struggle to build a better, and inevitably shared future,” the statement read. 

The forum seeks to highlight the role of science in building and fostering a culture of peace at all levels and for all parts of society, and the potential of science to create mechanisms to enable lives that promise peaceful opportunity, the statement added. 

The WSF 2017 aims to give a voice to science in Jordan and the Middle East, and to bring empowered science and scientific  thinking to  public and private spheres.

The forum would give Jordan a chance to showcase what a small, open and innovative country could offer to the region and beyond, HRH Princess Sumaya, Chair of WSF 2017 and President of the Royal Scientific Society, said in a statement to The Jordan Times.

“We want the world to know that we are connected to scientific research and thought processes across the globe, through our triumphant diaspora scientists and through our networked young researchers and engineers here at home,” said the Princess.

She highlighted those aspects of the forum that would help strengthen the bonds between Jordan’s scientific community with the world.

“WSF 2017 is helping us start a movement that will leave a lasting legacy for our nation and our people. Whether by celebrating Jordan’s Stars of Science, our Global Young Scientists, or Women in Science, we are ensuring that our scientific talent is at the table in terms of discussion and engagement at a global level,” the Princess said.

The organisers praised Jordan as a nation that lays at the heart of a region where countless civilisations have used innovation to survive, and where creative adaptation and cultural exchange have gone hand in hand. 

Although  Jordan has limited natural resources and many demographic and environmental challenges,  “the nation is blessed with a fast-growing young population that has learned from a long and wonderfully rich history wherein innovation has worked with a challenging environment to create wealth, opportunity, beauty and community”, according to the statement.

As the needs of the nation develop, and the challenges that it faces become more linked to the carrying capacity of the territory and the productive potential of the people, Jordan increasingly represents an advanced vision of the critical challenges facing the world.

“The carrying capacity of our region is stretched to a point where only innovation and engagement across borders may guarantee a secure and sustainable future for our people. With the population of the region predicted to grow by 17.3 per cent over the next 10 years, it is clear that our challenges will define our future, unless we act decisively and innovatively. Jordan’s challenges are mirrored around the world and felt at different intensities in both developed and developing nations,” the organisers said.