Opening Ceremony and First Day of the Times 2025 Summit at Al-Ahliyya Amman University

With heavy rainfall and cold weather marking the day, the Times Higher Education Arab Universities Summit 2025 shone brightly as its first day commenced at Al-Ahliyya Amman University. This summit, hosted by Al-Ahliyya Amman University in collaboration with the University of Jordan, is the first of its kind in Jordan. The Kingdom is now hosting a global event of this caliber for the first time since the establishment of the Times rankings, reflecting the international confidence in the standing of Jordanian universities and their ability to organize world-class academic events. The conference began in the presence of Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Times Higher Education, a group of senior representatives from THE rankings, Dr. Maher Al-Hourani, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Prof. Sari Hamdan, President of the University, the deans, and a large gathering of academic and administrative staff. The event also welcomed academics from the University of Jordan and other Jordanian universities, along with the Acting Director of the Saudi Cultural Attaché, Prof. Mohammad Al-Shammari, and distinguished university presidents, policymakers, and researchers. Delegations from more than twenty Arab and international countries took part. In the opening session, Prof. Sari Hamdan, President of Al-Ahliyya Amman University, affirmed that hosting the summit represents an important milestone in strengthening Jordan’s position on the global higher education map. He noted that Al-Ahliyya Amman University has entered the world category 401–500 in THE rankings, reflecting the university’s significant efforts to enhance the quality of education, scientific research, and academic innovation. He emphasized that the summit presents a strategic opportunity to deepen collaboration with international universities and strengthen the dialogue on the future of higher education and innovation in the Arab world. For his part, Phil Baty praised the notable progress of Jordanian universities and their ability to host a global event of this scale. He stated that Jordan has become a promising model in the region in terms of the quality of education and research. Under the theme “Distinguished Host,” Prof. Ahmad Hamdan, Vice President of Al-Ahliyya Amman University, delivered a keynote titled “Ready for the Future and United: Developing the Vision and Implementing the Strategy,” in which he presented the university’s strategic vision and its progress in international rankings and various fields. Prof. Ibrahim Al-Hajeri, President of Khalifa University, also delivered a presentation on reimagining the Arab university from research to innovation leadership, emphasizing the importance of scientific research and guiding innovation and invention. The first day of the summit featured several specialized sessions that addressed: • A dialogue on the digital future and artificial intelligence in academic institutions. • A session on safeguarding examinations in the era of artificial intelligence, delivered by Amal Dimashqi, Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey. • An open discussion on designing institutions for change and impact, presented by Juliette Rossel, Victoria Lindsay, Vice President of the British University in Iraq, and Yousra Mazouji, Dean at the University of Birmingham Dubai. • A session on the transition from campus to commercialization, with contributions from Reem Al-Fayez, Director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at the University of Jordan, Allam Ahmed, Founding President of the World Association for Sustainable Development, Abdullah Elias, Director of Rankings and Institutional Strategy at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, and Marcelo Scalisi, Director of UNIMED. • An advanced data seminar on the Times Arab University Rankings 2025, delivered by Wael Mansour, Senior Director of Customer Success, and Hannah Peacock, Head of Impact Rankings at Times Higher Education. • A session on building a digital-first university strategy with contributions from Saeed Al-Dhaheri, Director of the Center for Future Studies at the University of Dubai, Amal Dimashqi, Regional Director for MENA and Turkey, Riyadh Hamza, President of the Royal University for Women, Iman Mujahid, Assistant Vice President for Digital Transformation and Head of Strategy and Knowledge at the American University in Cairo, and Jordon Serour, Assistant Dean for Learning Resources and Innovation at the Lebanese American University. • A session on innovation ecosystems from research to regional impact with speakers Solveig Niklaus, Managing Director at Ex-Consulting, Rami Biram, Vice President for Research at United Arab Emirates University, Juhaina Gharib, Professor and UNESCO Chair at the University of Manouba, Ghassan Said, Professor of Gynecologic Oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine, and Myriam Sfeir, Executive Director of the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University. Participants praised the high level of organization and the advanced technical infrastructure provided by Al-Ahliyya Amman University, as well as the coordination with the Times Higher Education team to ensure excellent quality across all events. The first day concluded on Tuesday with interactive panel discussions focused on building international partnerships and exchanging expertise among academic institutions. The summit continues on Wednesday with additional specialized sessions on innovation, academic excellence, and entrepreneurship.