Stakeholder Participation Mechanism

Mechanisms enabling local residents, governments, and civil society to participate in university decision-making.

Introduction

Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU) maintains a transparent, inclusive, and policy-driven framework that enables local stakeholders, including government bodies, civil society organizations, community institutions, and professional associations, to participate in university decision-making processes.

This framework is governed by the following official documents:

Local Stakeholder Engagement Policy

Local Stakeholders Identification & Engagement Procedure

Government Collaboration Policy

Government Expert Consultation Procedure

Together, these policies and procedures establish clearly defined mechanisms for:

Identifying local stakeholders

Engaging them in consultative processes

Integrating community feedback

Including external experts and authorities in university discussions

Allowing civil society and local residents to contribute to academic, legal, and community-impact initiatives

AAU’s structured participation system aligns fully with SDG16.7, ensuring participatory and representative decision-making.

Centers and Departments

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01Sustainability and International Ranking Center (SIRC)

SIRC coordinates stakeholder participation activities related to SDG governance, consultation meetings, community dialogues, and institutional review processes. It ensures that mechanisms follow approved procedures and that stakeholder participation is documented and aligned with SDG16.

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02Global Engagement Center

The GEC facilitates participation of embassies, governmental entities, NGOs, and international organizations in university events, policy dialogues, and consultative sessions.

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03Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

CIE provides structured mechanisms for private-sector participation, including ideation workshops, innovation advisory sessions, and consultations with industry partners.

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04Arena Complex – Community Dialogue Venue

The Arena hosts major conferences and public events that invite participation from municipalities, governmental bodies, civil society groups, and local communities.

Activities

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01Implementation of the Stakeholder Engagement Policy & Participation Procedure

AAU applies its Local Stakeholder Engagement Policy and the Identification & Engagement Procedure as the formal mechanisms enabling stakeholder participation in decision-making and community strategy development.

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02Government Consultation Mechanism (Formal Participation Channel)

AAU engages governmental bodies in policy discussions, legal awareness activities, and expert consultations through the Government Collaboration Policy and Expert Consultation Procedure.

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03Stakeholder Participation Through Official Governance Councils

External stakeholders – including government officials, legal authorities, public figures, and community leaders – regularly participate in university decision-making events hosted through governance councils and institutional bodies.

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04Minister of State for Legal Affairs participates in campus dialogue

AAU hosted an official dialogue session with the Minister of State for Legal Affairs, enabling direct participation of government leadership in university discussions related to legal awareness, national governance, and justice initiatives. This mechanism strengthens the university’s consultation channel with public institutions and supports informed decision-making aligned with SDG16.

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05National Center for Human Rights participation in decision-focused visits

AAU’s Faculty of Law conducted an institutional visit to the National Center for Human Rights, providing a formal participation mechanism between the university and a key national civil-rights authority. The visit included discussions on justice, human rights protection, and legal frameworks, enabling civil-society input into university activities and strengthening local stakeholder participation in governance-related academic initiatives.

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06Submission of AAU’s Anti-Corruption Study to Government Authorities

AAU formally submitted a research study on criminalizing corruption in the private sector to the President of the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission. This demonstrates a high-level participation mechanism in which external government authorities directly evaluate and utilize AAU’s academic work in national anti-corruption efforts.

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07Engagement with the Jordanian Bar Association

The university organized an educational engagement activity at the Jordanian Bar Association, enabling direct interaction with a major national professional body. This mechanism enhances legal-sector participation in shaping AAU’s experiential learning and ensures active dialogue between students, academics, and legal authorities.

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08Stakeholder Engagement with the Palace of Justice

Through a structured visit to the Palace of Justice, AAU provided a participation pathway connecting students and faculty with the judicial system. Stakeholders from judicial bodies engaged with the university community in discussions about civil procedures, justice processes, and rule-of-law practices, reinforcing AAU’s stakeholder participation mechanism.

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09Seminar on the Personal Data Protection Law – Regulatory Engagement

AAU hosted a seminar on the Personal Data Protection Law, enabling participation from regulatory experts, legal practitioners, and civil-society representatives. This seminar serves as a formal mechanism that integrates national legal perspectives into university policies, academic programs, and governance discussions.

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10MoU with Al-Hussein Society for Training and Inclusion

The university signed a formal MoU with the Al-Hussein Society, enabling continuous participation of civil-society partners in shaping AAU’s training programs, inclusion initiatives, and community development projects. This MoU constitutes a long-term participation mechanism under the stakeholder engagement framework.

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11Digital Transformation Conference Under Princess Alia

The university hosted the ICDFB 2025 conference under the patronage of Princess Alia bint Al-Hussein. The event included participation from government agencies, civil society organizations, private-sector partners, and community leaders, establishing a large-scale participation platform where stakeholders influence discussions on digital transformation and governance.

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12MoU with KIA Jordan (Electric Vehicle Training)

The MoU with KIA Jordan provides a participation channel for industry experts to contribute to academic program development, applied training, and technical education planning. This partnership represents a structured mechanism aligning local industry input with university decision-making.

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13Cooperation with the Global Academy for Digital Health & AI

Through this cooperation agreement, the academy actively participates in designing training modules, delivering expert sessions, and advising on academic direction in digital health and AI. This strengthens AAU’s stakeholder participation ecosystem and integrates expert input into program development.

Impact Evaluation & Development Plan

Performance Evaluation AAU maintains documented mechanisms enabling stakeholder participation. Clear policies + procedures govern engagement and consultation. Extensive participation from government, justice institutions, and civil society. Evidence from 10+ official news items confirms real participation pathways. Stakeholder input influences university strategy, legal awareness, and community programming.
Development Actions
Action 1: Create a Digital Participation Platform for stakeholders to submit proposals and feedback. Action 2: Publish an Annual “Stakeholder Participation Report.” Action 3: Establish Local Advisory Panels (municipalities, NGOs, legal bodies). Action 4: Integrate stakeholder representatives into AAU’s community strategy committees. Action 5: Expand mechanisms for including marginalized groups (youth, women, persons with disabilities).
Benchmarking & Best Practice
Adopted Best Practices:
- Participation aligned with UN stakeholder-engagement governance models.
- Mechanisms mirror global civic-engagement universities using formal consultation platforms.
Localization to Jordan’s Context:
- Strong partnerships with legal bodies, government ministries, national commissions.
- Alignment with Jordan's national community development and governance strategies.
Future Goal (By 2028): To develop a fully digitized, transparent, and nationally leading stakeholder participation ecosystem.

Institutional Integration Summary

Stakeholder participation is fully embedded in AAU’s governance ecosystem through formal policies, structured procedures, government consultation channels, multi-sector partnerships, and documented participation mechanisms supported by official university news. These mechanisms ensure inclusive, transparent, and community-responsive decision-making fully aligned with SDG16.