Al-Hassan, Think Tanks, and the Imperative of Change

For decades -and to this day- the central preoccupation of Prince Hassan bin Talal has been a deeply rooted intellectual and epistemic concern: the role of knowledge in shaping and designing public and developmental policies. Science has occupied a central place in his thinking since the early stages of his youth, and he has played a pivotal role in establishing a number of pioneering and influential scientific institutions that have contributed significantly to national development by anchoring it in knowledge and science. Among these are the Royal Scientific Society (1970), the Higher Council for Science and Technology, the Aal al-Bayt Foundation, the Arab Thought Forum, and the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, in addition to many other institutions. Collectively, these bodies were Arab pioneers and became a distinctive hallmark of Jordanian policy, reflecting an early and advanced commitment to science, knowledge, and intellectual inquiry.

The idea that constitutes the core of the Prince’s intellectual project lies in the necessity of grounding policies and political orientations in scientific knowledge, and in the centrality of strategic planning to national and sustainable development. This concern continues to occupy his thinking today and formed the main theme of his recent discussions with a select group of directors and experts from Jordanian think tanks and research centers, held last week at the Institute of Politics and Society.

The vision that Prince Hassan advances rests on two interrelated and complementary pillars. The first is the imperative for Jordanian think tanks to enhance the quality and depth of their intellectual and knowledge production so that it achieves a high standard of excellence and added value. This, in turn, is linked to building the necessary capacities-most notably through developing elite cohorts of researchers, experts, and specialists and integrating them into think tanks in ways that serve national policies across diverse sectors. The second pillar involves the development of a coordinated, integrated, and specialized network of think tanks, which would ultimately strengthen and consolidate their central role in shaping public policy.

The core challenge today lies in a persistent gap: despite the large numbers of Jordanian university graduates and holders of advanced degrees across applied, human, and social sciences, this quantitative abundance has not translated into a qualitative enhancement of scientific research or its impact. Instead, there remains an excessive emphasis on credentials and theoretical knowledge at the expense of applied and practical expertise. Even within universities, research and policy centers-few exceptions aside-continue to play a limited role, with weak or marginal contributions to the development and reinforcement of national policies.

What is urgently needed is a different mode of strategic thinking that brings together universities, scientific institutions, think tanks, research centers, stakeholders, and the private sector to develop research capacities in Jordan and to reinforce the role of knowledge in policymaking and industry. Equally critical is strengthening the linkage between research centers, universities, innovation ecosystems, and industrial sectors. Such an integrated loop represents a key gateway to the future, especially at a time when scientific knowledge has become the true wealth underpinning national economies, industries, and policies-and the defining factor distinguishing advanced and prosperous nations from others.

Jordanian universities, faculties, and institutes are therefore called upon to initiate a genuine and substantive turning point by linking knowledge to tangible and practical outcomes. What is required is the cultivation of a new generation of specialized researchers across disciplines, capable of deploying knowledge and scientific research in service of society, the state, and national policy priorities. Achieving this goal necessitates a fundamental revision of the objectives and philosophy of higher education in Jordan. Countless master’s theses, doctoral dissertations, and promotion-oriented academic studies across scientific fields exert little to no influence on national policymaking, as though they were entirely detached from the surrounding reality.

When Dr. Adnan al-Bakhit founded Aal al-Bayt University in the mid-1990s, under the direct supervision and patronage of Prince Hassan and with substantial support, the institution represented a truly distinctive model-not only in Jordan, but across the Arab and Islamic worlds. Its policies were grounded in structuring research priorities in graduate theses around real-world problems. Today, elements of this approach are emerging at the University of Jordan; however, it must evolve from isolated initiatives into a coherent institutional policy that permeates teaching philosophy, curriculum development, and approaches to scientific research, alongside academic training. This is particularly vital for students who demonstrate both interest and strong potential in research.

Such a transformation is now required at the national level and deserves sustained attention. Its success would constitute a genuine turning point for the coming phase, enabling an integrated advancement of higher education, scientific research, and national policymaking.