VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAM #1880/01 2321300
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201300Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5775
INFO RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 4115
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 4224
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1272
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1831
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 5613
RUEHDOI/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

UNCLAS AMMAN 001880 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/RA, AND OES/STC 
STATE PASS TO NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
STATE ALSO PASS TO NIH/INTERNATIONAL 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
COMMERCE FOR NIST/INTERNATIONAL 
INTERIOR FOR USGS/INTERNATIONAL 
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL 
WHITE HOUSE FOR OSTP/ROLF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TSPL SENV PREL EAID TBIO TPHY ETRD PINR JO
SUBJECT: Changes in Jordan's S&T Establishment Likely to Impact U.S. 
Collaboration 
 
REF: A. Amman 1676 
 ¶B. State 71325 
 ¶C. 08 Amman 2154 
 
(U) SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  A new Secretary General at the Higher Council 
for Science and Technology (HCST), and other changes in Jordan's S&T 
establishment will challenge us to maintain the momentum under the 
U.S.-Jordan S&T agreement, which has had mixed success.  Jordan's 
Scientific Research Fund, established in 2008, has accumulated 
almost $21 million in its first year, becoming a valuable source of 
indigenous S&T funding.  Jordanian S&T institutions are relatively 
weak and their standing and influence could be bolstered through 
timely implementation of S&T plans related to the President's June 4 
Cairo speech and regular engagement at more senior levels in the 
GOJ.  End Summary. 
 
Changes in Jordan's S&T Establishment 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST) serves 
as the lead Jordanian government agency for the U.S.-Jordan S&T 
agreement and hosted the July 2008 S&T Joint Committee Meetings 
(JCM) in Amman (ref C).  Dr. Anwar Battikhi resigned as HCST 
Secretary General in June 2009, leading to several other changes in 
Jordan's S&T establishment.  Dr. Adel Tweisi, a former Minister of 
Culture, is the new HCST Secretary General and Omar Hamarneh has 
been appointed Executive Director for the Al Hassan Science City 
(AHSC), where HCST, the Royal Scientific Society (RSS), and the 
Princess Sumaya University of Technology are housed.  Princess 
Sumaya continues in her role as the Chairperson of the AHSC and 
President of RSS.  Since the appointment of Dr. Tweisi, several key 
HCST staffers who participated in the JCM have also left for 
unspecified reasons. 
 
New Leadership and New Plans 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) Tweisi highlighted during ESTHOff's August 16 meeting, his 
key priorities for HCST which include developing a National 
Information System for S&T efforts in Jordan, eventually leading to 
an S&T Observatory to track and analyze the results of Jordanian S&T 
efforts.  One notable success in Jordan's S&T efforts is the 2008 
establishment of a Scientific Research Fund (SRF) under the 
authority of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific 
Research.  The SRF receives one percent of the profits of publicly 
traded companies and in its first year has garnered almost JD15 
million ($21 million) in funding with a significant portion 
available for research grants.  This indigenous funding source could 
provide a boost to many local scientists.  HCST plans to use a SRF 
grant to help develop Jordan's research strategy over the next ten 
years and also to provide training for Jordanian scientists on 
research proposal writing skills. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Hamarneh and Dr. Khaled Khalaleh, Vice President of RSS, 
elaborated on AHSC plans to enhance the cohesiveness amongst the 
organizations housed at AHSC.  A British contractor (Arap) has been 
hired to develop a physical plan for AHSC which includes the 
establishment of a solar array at AHSC to feed into the national 
grid by March 2010.  Special legislation to designate AHSC as a 
special zone with tax and investment benefits, however, has stalled 
recently with the Jordanian government apparently suggesting AHSC 
could be wrapped under the Special Development Zones Commission, a 
special body created in 2008 to promote investment and economic 
development in designated zones.  RSS also plans to open a new Water 
Research Center focused on Jordanian water resource issues. 
 
Impact on U.S.-Jordan Collaborative Activities 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The July 2008 JCM resulted in the formation of six working 
groups (WG) (ref C).  The energy WG has successfully held two 
workshops to develop green building envelope standards, the health 
WG resulted in the signing of a clinical research training agreement 
between NIH and HCST, and the agricultural WG has produced some 
collaborative activities as well.  The innovation WG expects to hold 
a technology transfer workshop in Amman in October 2009.  However, 
the education WG has stalled and is likely to be discontinued given 
a lack of definition by the Jordanian members, and Water and 
Environment WG will need to regroup following an unsuccessful 
$900,000 proposal to USAID. 
 
 
Follow-Up the President's Cairo Speech 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) ESTHoff shared with the scientific community some of the key 
deliverables outlined in the President's June 4 speech related to 
entrepreneurship and S&T and sought feedback from HCST, RSS, and 
AHSC (ref B).  Some of their suggestions include: 
-- An initiative for the National Institute for Standards and 
Technology (NIST) to establish a regional science and technology 
training center in Jordan through a partnership with HCST, RSS, and 
the Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology.  (This was 
originally proposed during the JCM); 
-- Developing centers of excellence in the fields of biomedical 
research (a confluence of Jordanian strengths in the IT and medical 
fields); 
-- Promoting research opportunities in advanced materials such as 
nanotechnology; and 
-- Promoting opportunities for SME establishment in Jordan in 
partnership with U.S. based organizations seeking outsourcing 
opportunities. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment:  Tweisi is the third HCST Secretary General in 
the last two years.  The frequent turnover at HCST and the departure 
of many key JCM participants does not bode well for continuity and 
follow-through.  Tweisi appeared more focused on future AHSC plans 
and developing a National S&T Information System for Jordan than on 
providing additional momentum to the JCM and the WGs.  Our S&T 
collaboration with HCST will require a "re-set." It will be critical 
to maintain momentum in the WGs that have produced successful 
results, although the outcomes will likely continue to be mixed 
given the lack of dedicated funding and their self initiating 
structures.  Fortunately, our strong bilateral S&T collaboration 
extends beyond HCST and the AHSC to many other establishments in 
Jordan such as the Jordan University for Science and Technology. 
There is also strong momentum outside of the JCM framework in water, 
environment, energy, and health issues based on USAID and other USG 
initiatives.  Nevertheless, the S&T establishment in Jordan 
continues to play second fiddle to many other government agencies 
and frequent HCST turn-over and the lack of legislative support for 
AHSC plans is also indicative of the relative weakness of S&T 
institutions.  Prompt implementation of S&T plans related to the 
President's speech could help alter this situation and discussions 
at a more senior level of the GOJ can help to ensure adequate buy-in 
and a commitment for long-term sustainability.   End Comment. 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.gov.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
 
BEECROFT