Political Dialogue Platform

Neutral and safe platform for political stakeholders to discuss governance and public issues.

Introduction

Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU) provides a neutral, safe, and structured platform for political and governance-related dialogue through formal procedures, academic events, and expert consultations. The university hosts discussions on governance, justice, legal reform, anti-corruption, digital regulation, and human rights, enabling interaction between:

Government representatives
Legal and judicial bodies
National commissions and regulatory authorities
Academics, researchers, and students

This commitment is institutionalized through the Neutral Platform for Political Dialogue Procedure, which defines how AAU hosts governance- and public-issue dialogues in a non-partisan, inclusive, and respectful environment, in alignment with SDG16.7 & SDG16.10.

Centers and Departments

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01Sustainability and International Ranking Center

SIRC coordinates SDG16-related dialogue activities, ensures that all political and governance discussions follow the Neutral Platform Procedure, and documents events as evidence of AAU’s role in promoting peaceful, inclusive dialogue.

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02Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law is a core driver of governance and legal dialogue, organizing visits, seminars, and meetings with legal authorities, human-rights bodies, and government representatives to discuss laws, regulations, and public policy issues.

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03Global Engagement Center (GEC)

GEC facilitates participation of public institutions, international organizations, and diplomatic representatives in AAU’s dialogue activities, ensuring balanced multi-stakeholder participation.

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04Arena Complex – Large-Scale Dialogue Venue

The Arena serves as a main venue for high-level conferences and forums that bring together officials, decision-makers, civil society, and academics to discuss governance, digital transformation, and public policy issues.

Activities

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01Neutral Platform for Political Dialogue Procedure – Formal Mechanism

AAU has adopted the Neutral Platform for Political Dialogue Procedure as the formal mechanism regulating how political and governance-related events are hosted. The procedure ensures that dialogue spaces are non-partisan, inclusive, safe, and respectful, and that all stakeholders are treated equally regardless of political position.

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02Government Collaboration & Consultation Framework

The Government Collaboration Policy and Government Expert Consultation Procedure provide a structured framework through which AAU invites government bodies, legal authorities, and national commissions to participate in neutral dialogue on legal and governance matters.

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03Minister of State for Legal Affairs – Campus Governance Dialogue

AAU hosted the Minister of State for Legal Affairs in an event focused on promoting legal awareness and discussing national legal and governance issues with students and faculty. The event served as a neutral platform where a government representative engaged in open dialogue with the university community about rule of law and public legal awareness.

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04Dialogue with the National Center for Human Rights

The Faculty of Law’s visit to the National Center for Human Rights enabled structured dialogue on human-rights legislation, justice, and public rights, strengthening AAU’s role as a partner in national governance conversations.

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05Seminar on the Personal Data Protection Law

AAU hosted a seminar on Jordan’s Personal Data Protection Law, bringing together regulatory experts, legal practitioners, academics, and students to discuss digital rights, privacy, and governance. This seminar functioned as a neutral political–legal dialogue platform on a current public policy issue.

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06Anti-Corruption Policy Discussion with National Authorities

Through the submission of a study on criminalizing corruption in the private sector to the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission, AAU created a dialogue channel on anti-corruption policy, allowing exchange between researchers and state authorities on regulatory and governance reforms.

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07ICDFB 2025 – Digital Transformation & Governance Conference

The International Conference on Digital Transformation, FinTech, and Business Innovation (ICDFB 2025), held under the patronage of HRH Princess Alia bint Al Hussein, brought together decision-makers, experts, and institutional representatives to discuss digital governance, innovation policies, and economic transformation in a neutral academic environment.

Impact Evaluation & Development Plan

Performance Evaluation

AAU has a formally documented Neutral Platform Procedure specifically for political and governance dialogue.

Multiple events demonstrate real use of this platform with government officials, legal authorities, national commissions, and decision-makers.

Dialogue topics cover legal awareness, human rights, data protection, anti-corruption, and digital governance all core SDG16 themes.

The platform is non-partisan, inclusive, and safe, and supported by Academic Freedom and Stakeholder policies.

Development Actions

Action 1: Launch an annual “Governance & Public Issues Forum” bringing together parliamentarians, ministries, legal bodies, and civil society on campus.
Action 2: Create a Digital Neutral Dialogue Hub (online events + webinars) to expand reach beyond the physical campus.
Action 3: Develop guidelines for student-led political dialogue events under the Neutral Platform Procedure to empower youth voices within safe boundaries.
Action 4: Strengthen collaboration with parliamentary committees, judicial councils, and national commissions for co-organized governance roundtables.
Action 5: Publish an annual “Political & Governance Dialogue Report” summarizing themes, participants, and outcomes of dialogue platforms hosted by AAU.

Benchmarking & Best Practice

Adopted Global Best Practices:

Alignment with UN and UNESCO principles for universities as neutral spaces for dialogue on governance and public policy.
Ensuring political neutrality, equal access, non-discrimination, and safety in all dialogue activities.

Localization to Jordan’s National Context:

Supports national efforts to enhance legal awareness, human-rights protection, digital governance, and anti-corruption frameworks.
Reinforces AAU’s collaboration with ministries, integrity bodies, human-rights institutions, and regulatory agencies.

Future Goal (By 2028): To establish AAU as a leading national hub for neutral political and governance dialogue, recognized for creating safe, structured, and impactful platforms on public issues.

Institutional Integration Summary

The Political Dialogue Platform at AAU is fully institutionalized through a dedicated Neutral Platform Procedure, government collaboration frameworks, academic freedom protections, and a strong portfolio of documented events involving government officials, legal authorities, and public institutions.

Through these mechanisms, AAU provides a non-partisan, inclusive, and safe environment where governance and public issues are openly discussed – delivering a clear, strong contribution to SDG16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.