A Structured Research Unit with Policy-Level Reach

The Lab is governed through a core academic team, AAU institutional leadership, formal MoUs, international academic partners, and national policy engagement.

GovernanceLeadershipQuality

Core Team

Founder and Director

Dr. Maha Shehadeh

Stanford–Elsevier Top 2% Scientist 2025 Visiting Scholar · Bangor University Business School (UK) Al Qasimia University Award — 1st Place, Arab World Editorial Board · Digital Business

Assistant Professor of Financial Technology at Al-Ahliyya Amman University, and a Visiting Scholar at Bangor University Business School (UK). Recognised as a Stanford–Elsevier Top 2% Scientist (2025) and serving as an Editorial Board Member of Digital Business. Dr. Shehadeh is the recipient of the Al Qasimia University Award for Research in Islamic Economics (First Place across the Arab World), and co-editor of the Emerald volume From Digital Disruption to Dominance: Leveraging FinTech Applications for Sustainable Growth.

Scientific Research Leadership

Prof. Ahmad Al-Adwan

Dean of Scientific Research at AAU and leading scholar on technology adoption and FinTech user behaviour.

Business Faculty Anchor

Prof. Dr. Moade Shubita

Dean of the Faculty of Business and senior scholar in accounting, financial reporting, and corporate governance.

Analytics Integration

Dr. Kholoud Alkayid

Business analytics researcher linking data-driven analysis with FinTech, decision intelligence, and institutional performance measurement.

International Co-Editor

Prof. Khaled Hussainey

United Kingdom-based international partner and senior scholar in empirical accounting and financial reporting.

Audit and AI Governance

Prof. Alaa Al-Hourani

Group leader on audit, governance, and AI applications in financial-sector compliance.

Governance Architecture

Formal MoUs

Six signed partners

The Lab operates under memoranda with JoPACC, Central Bank of Jordan, Institute of Banking Studies, Al-Ahli Bank, Al-Mada Financial Technology Solutions, and Al-Maha Dairy Products.

Policy Pillars

Four national institutions

Structured sessions connected the Lab with the Central Bank, JoPACC, Jordan Securities Commission, and Ministry of Finance.