Prince Hassan calls for revisiting values of Arab awakening

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan, the president of the Higher Council for Science and Technology, on Monday called for a deep examination of the "Great Arab Awakening" to reaffirm its values, while activating the Arab will to serve the public interest.

He added that this would lead to achieving the desired sustainable development and bettering the future of the Arab world.

At a ceremony to honour the winners of El Hassan Bin Talal Award for Scientific Excellence, the prince noted that the renaissance, which was part of the Great Arab Revolt, is an idea and a lesson. 

The idea is for Arabs to compete as equals with other nations, while the lesson is in the close follow-up of spending and programme implementation, he said.

The revolt and awakening, whose centennial Jordan is celebrating this year, marked the end of the centuries-long Ottoman rule over Arabs.

In remarks delivered in the presence of HRH Princess Sarvath, the prince said the goal is to reach economic prosperity, but that can only be achieved through better human dignity, for humans are the real capital.

Reiterating his call for the establishment of a global humanitarian institute for zakat (an Islamic tax on income) as a powerful economic and social tool for development, he cited the importance of the council's move in initiating the Jordanian Scientists and Technologists Abroad Network.

In a speech at the ceremony, Khalid Shraideh, the secretary general of the Higher Council for Science and Technology, noted that only 17 per cent of Jordanian students between the ages of 16 and 22 enrolled in technical and vocational education in the years 2011-2013.

"This shows a relatively poor turnout in vocational and technical education. The labour market is witnessing huge numbers of university graduates and an acute shortage in the number of technicians," he added, calling for paying more attention to vocational training with the support of the private sector.

This year, the awards were given to institutions of vocational and technical education, with the winners selected from 20 applicants representing seven institutions of vocational and technical education.

The first award of JD7,000 was granted to the Jordan Applied University College of Hospitality and Tourism Education for its project “Institution Success Story”. 

The second award of JD5,000 was given to the Vocational Training Corporation, and the third award of JD3,000 was shared between Arwa Bint Abdul Muttalib Comprehensive Secondary School for Girls in Karak and Wadi Al Seer Training Centre.