By Dr. Laith Abdullah Al-Quhaiwi AMMAN What does a state lose when it loses a mind? It is not necessarily that the mind has left its borders; it may remain within them for years without finding an environment that releases its capabilities or transforms its knowledge into value. Perhaps the deepest strategic loss lies not in the minds that depart, but in the minds that stay without finding their opportunity. Nations do not lose their human potential through emigration alone; they also lose a portion of it when they fail to turn knowledge into production, talent into innovation, and ambition into opportunity. The global power equation has shifted. Natural resources, geographic location, and economic capacity remain vital, but they are no longer sufficient on their own to define a nation's position in international competition. Today, knowledge drives technology manufacturing, economic management, service development, data protection, and independent decision-making. The core issue is no longer who owns or can buy technology, but who possesses the minds and institutions capable of understanding, developing, governing, and negotiating it from a position of knowledge rather than dependency. Hence, discussing human capital becomes a conversation about sovereignty in its modern strategic sense—not because a state owns the talents of its citizens, but because its ability to build and invest in knowledge determines its economic and technological independence and international standing. A nation that imports solutions without developing domestic expertise to understand and evaluate them may possess advanced systems, yet it remains constrained in controlling its technological trajectory. Building national knowledge does not mean isolating from the world, but entering global partnerships with deeper capabilities and broader choices. Jordan is directly concerned with this transformation. The Kingdom has accumulated extensive human, educational, and professional expertise, with Jordanian talents excelling across various fields domestically and abroad. However, the strategic question is no longer merely about the existence of these talents, but about the economy's and institutions' capacity to translate individual successes into cumulative national value. An outstanding graduate, successful researcher, or innovative entrepreneur represents a vital opportunity, but their impact multiplies when backed by a system connecting knowledge with R&D, investment, production, and employment. Here, the issue of the new generation emerges—not as an isolated youth dossier, but as a question about the economy we are preparing for. Artificial intelligence is reshaping professional tasks, altering required skill sets, and heightening the importance of analytical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and continuous learning. Therefore, asking only about the number of graduates or their fields of study is insufficient; we must ask what they can produce, what problems they can solve, and how effectively education prepares them for evolving professions and emerging industries. This challenge does not rest on youth alone. It is illogical to demand innovation from an entire generation while a wide gap persists between universities and the labor market, scientific research and industrial needs, or entrepreneurial ideas and necessary growth funding. Entrepreneurship is not a universal substitute for employment, but one of several pathways through which knowledge turns into enterprises, products, services, and economic opportunities. A knowledge economy is built not on the number of registered companies or announced initiatives, but on their ability to sustain, grow, export, and added value. This issue gains added urgency when viewed through current economic indicators. Jordan's unemployment rate reached 21% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Department of Statistics. While this figure reflects broader labor market realities, it serves as a reminder that developing human capacity cannot be decoupled from the economy's capacity to absorb it. A degree does not automatically translate into an opportunity, and a skill does not become an economic force without genuine demand and an enabling environment. Conversely, Jordanian talent abroad should not be viewed as an absolute national loss. Brain mobility is an integral part of the global economy, and the presence of Jordanians in international research institutions, corporations, and markets can serve as an additional source of national strength if properly leveraged. The goal is not to repatriate everyone, but to ensure that knowledge, expertise, investment, and partnerships reach Jordan regardless of where these individuals reside. A Jordanian mind contributing to a research project, opening a market for a national firm, or transferring advanced expertise adds value to the national economy without needing to change their physical location. However, transforming this potential into sustainable power requires more than scattered initiatives. Jordan needs an interconnected national framework that identifies talent early in schools, universities, and governorates, providing fair opportunities for development. This framework must bridge scientific research with real economic challenges—particularly in water, energy, health, agriculture, and technology—supported by funding mechanisms that help knowledge-based enterprises scale, institutional networks connecting global Jordanian talent with local universities and the private sector, and coordination mechanisms focused on measuring outcomes rather than counting activities. This does not require creating new institutions whenever a priority emerges. Jordan already possesses national frameworks to build upon, chief among them the Economic Modernization Vision—which aims to absorb one million young men and women into the labor market—and its second executive program for 2026–2029, alongside the Jordanian National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2023–2027 focusing on capacity building, R&D, investment, and entrepreneurship. The key challenge lies in strengthening integration across these pathways and tying them to measurable results: high-quality jobs created, research converted into commercial applications, enterprises expanding into new markets, and talent contributing to sustainable local capacity. If a primary objective must guide these efforts, it is shifting from measuring expenditure on human capital development to measuring output generated through it. Training numbers are meaningless without assessing their impact on skills and employment; research volume is insufficient without measuring its contribution to knowledge and application; and startup counts mean little without evaluating their growth and sustainability. Here, investing in human capital becomes an accountable economic policy rather than a recurring slogan. Over the coming decade, global competition for specialized talent will intensify, job functions will continue to shift due to AI, and technological partnerships will increasingly determine national competitiveness. In this landscape, Jordan does not need to compete with major powers in sheer resource volume, but rather identify niche areas where it can build specialized knowledge and irreplaceable value. Water, energy, health, and digital technologies are not merely national challenges—they represent fields for developing scalable, exportable solutions given the right partnerships, skills, and investments. At its core, the issue is not holding minds within physical borders, but building a nation where their potential is not wasted—an economy capable of utilizing knowledge wherever produced, and institutions that recognize that investing in people does not end with education, but begins when they find their opportunity to produce and make an impact. When minds become a sovereign issue, sovereignty is not demonstrated by restricting their mobility, but by the state's capacity to unleash their potential and align their achievements with its economic and intellectual strength. Nations build their standing not merely by the number of minds they claim, but by what they empower those minds to create. Source: Rum News Agency
By Dr. Laith Abdullah Al-Quhaiwi AMMAN What does a state lose when it loses a mind? It is not necessarily that the mind has left its borders; it may remain within them for years without finding an environment that releases its capabilities or transforms its knowledge into value. Perhaps the deepest strategic loss lies not in the minds that depart, but in the minds that stay without finding their opportunity. Nations do not lose their human potential through emigration alone; they also lose a portion of it when they fail to turn knowledge into production, talent into innovation, and ambition into opportunity. The global power equation has shifted. Natural resources, geographic location, and economic capacity remain vital, but they are no longer sufficient on their own to define a nation's position in international competition. Today, knowledge drives technology manufacturing, economic management, service development, data protection, and independent decision-making. The core issue is no longer who owns or can buy technology, but who possesses the minds and institutions capable of understanding, developing, governing, and negotiating it from a position of knowledge rather than dependency. Hence, discussing human capital becomes a conversation about sovereignty in its modern strategic sense—not because a state owns the talents of its citizens, but because its ability to build and invest in knowledge determines its economic and technological independence and international standing. A nation that imports solutions without developing domestic expertise to understand and evaluate them may possess advanced systems, yet it remains constrained in controlling its technological trajectory. Building national knowledge does not mean isolating from the world, but entering global partnerships with deeper capabilities and broader choices. Jordan is directly concerned with this transformation. The Kingdom has accumulated extensive human, educational, and professional expertise, with Jordanian talents excelling across various fields domestically and abroad. However, the strategic question is no longer merely about the existence of these talents, but about the economy's and institutions' capacity to translate individual successes into cumulative national value. An outstanding graduate, successful researcher, or innovative entrepreneur represents a vital opportunity, but their impact multiplies when backed by a system connecting knowledge with R&D, investment, production, and employment. Here, the issue of the new generation emerges—not as an isolated youth dossier, but as a question about the economy we are preparing for. Artificial intelligence is reshaping professional tasks, altering required skill sets, and heightening the importance of analytical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and continuous learning. Therefore, asking only about the number of graduates or their fields of study is insufficient; we must ask what they can produce, what problems they can solve, and how effectively education prepares them for evolving professions and emerging industries. This challenge does not rest on youth alone. It is illogical to demand innovation from an entire generation while a wide gap persists between universities and the labor market, scientific research and industrial needs, or entrepreneurial ideas and necessary growth funding. Entrepreneurship is not a universal substitute for employment, but one of several pathways through which knowledge turns into enterprises, products, services, and economic opportunities. A knowledge economy is built not on the number of registered companies or announced initiatives, but on their ability to sustain, grow, export, and added value. This issue gains added urgency when viewed through current economic indicators. Jordan's unemployment rate reached 21% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Department of Statistics. While this figure reflects broader labor market realities, it serves as a reminder that developing human capacity cannot be decoupled from the economy's capacity to absorb it. A degree does not automatically translate into an opportunity, and a skill does not become an economic force without genuine demand and an enabling environment. Conversely, Jordanian talent abroad should not be viewed as an absolute national loss. Brain mobility is an integral part of the global economy, and the presence of Jordanians in international research institutions, corporations, and markets can serve as an additional source of national strength if properly leveraged. The goal is not to repatriate everyone, but to ensure that knowledge, expertise, investment, and partnerships reach Jordan regardless of where these individuals reside. A Jordanian mind contributing to a research project, opening a market for a national firm, or transferring advanced expertise adds value to the national economy without needing to change their physical location. However, transforming this potential into sustainable power requires more than scattered initiatives. Jordan needs an interconnected national framework that identifies talent early in schools, universities, and governorates, providing fair opportunities for development. This framework must bridge scientific research with real economic challenges—particularly in water, energy, health, agriculture, and technology—supported by funding mechanisms that help knowledge-based enterprises scale, institutional networks connecting global Jordanian talent with local universities and the private sector, and coordination mechanisms focused on measuring outcomes rather than counting activities. This does not require creating new institutions whenever a priority emerges. Jordan already possesses national frameworks to build upon, chief among them the Economic Modernization Vision—which aims to absorb one million young men and women into the labor market—and its second executive program for 2026–2029, alongside the Jordanian National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2023–2027 focusing on capacity building, R&D, investment, and entrepreneurship. The key challenge lies in strengthening integration across these pathways and tying them to measurable results: high-quality jobs created, research converted into commercial applications, enterprises expanding into new markets, and talent contributing to sustainable local capacity. If a primary objective must guide these efforts, it is shifting from measuring expenditure on human capital development to measuring output generated through it. Training numbers are meaningless without assessing their impact on skills and employment; research volume is insufficient without measuring its contribution to knowledge and application; and startup counts mean little without evaluating their growth and sustainability. Here, investing in human capital becomes an accountable economic policy rather than a recurring slogan. Over the coming decade, global competition for specialized talent will intensify, job functions will continue to shift due to AI, and technological partnerships will increasingly determine national competitiveness. In this landscape, Jordan does not need to compete with major powers in sheer resource volume, but rather identify niche areas where it can build specialized knowledge and irreplaceable value. Water, energy, health, and digital technologies are not merely national challenges—they represent fields for developing scalable, exportable solutions given the right partnerships, skills, and investments. At its core, the issue is not holding minds within physical borders, but building a nation where their potential is not wasted—an economy capable of utilizing knowledge wherever produced, and institutions that recognize that investing in people does not end with education, but begins when they find their opportunity to produce and make an impact. When minds become a sovereign issue, sovereignty is not demonstrated by restricting their mobility, but by the state's capacity to unleash their potential and align their achievements with its economic and intellectual strength. Nations build their standing not merely by the number of minds they claim, but by what they empower those minds to create. Source: Rum News Agency
By Dr. Laith Abdullah Al-Quhaiwi AMMAN What does a state lose when it loses a mind? It is not necessarily that the mind has left its borders; it may remain within them for years without finding an environment that releases its capabilities or transforms its knowledge into value. Perhaps the deepest strategic loss lies not in the minds that depart, but in the minds that stay without finding their opportunity. Nations do not lose their human potential through emigration alone; they also lose a portion of it when they fail to turn knowledge into production, talent into innovation, and ambition into opportunity. The global power equation has shifted. Natural resources, geographic location, and economic capacity remain vital, but they are no longer sufficient on their own to define a nation's position in international competition. Today, knowledge drives technology manufacturing, economic management, service development, data protection, and independent decision-making. The core issue is no longer who owns or can buy technology, but who possesses the minds and institutions capable of understanding, developing, governing, and negotiating it from a position of knowledge rather than dependency. Hence, discussing human capital becomes a conversation about sovereignty in its modern strategic sense—not because a state owns the talents of its citizens, but because its ability to build and invest in knowledge determines its economic and technological independence and international standing. A nation that imports solutions without developing domestic expertise to understand and evaluate them may possess advanced systems, yet it remains constrained in controlling its technological trajectory. Building national knowledge does not mean isolating from the world, but entering global partnerships with deeper capabilities and broader choices. Jordan is directly concerned with this transformation. The Kingdom has accumulated extensive human, educational, and professional expertise, with Jordanian talents excelling across various fields domestically and abroad. However, the strategic question is no longer merely about the existence of these talents, but about the economy's and institutions' capacity to translate individual successes into cumulative national value. An outstanding graduate, successful researcher, or innovative entrepreneur represents a vital opportunity, but their impact multiplies when backed by a system connecting knowledge with R&D, investment, production, and employment. Here, the issue of the new generation emerges—not as an isolated youth dossier, but as a question about the economy we are preparing for. Artificial intelligence is reshaping professional tasks, altering required skill sets, and heightening the importance of analytical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and continuous learning. Therefore, asking only about the number of graduates or their fields of study is insufficient; we must ask what they can produce, what problems they can solve, and how effectively education prepares them for evolving professions and emerging industries. This challenge does not rest on youth alone. It is illogical to demand innovation from an entire generation while a wide gap persists between universities and the labor market, scientific research and industrial needs, or entrepreneurial ideas and necessary growth funding. Entrepreneurship is not a universal substitute for employment, but one of several pathways through which knowledge turns into enterprises, products, services, and economic opportunities. A knowledge economy is built not on the number of registered companies or announced initiatives, but on their ability to sustain, grow, export, and added value. This issue gains added urgency when viewed through current economic indicators. Jordan's unemployment rate reached 21% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Department of Statistics. While this figure reflects broader labor market realities, it serves as a reminder that developing human capacity cannot be decoupled from the economy's capacity to absorb it. A degree does not automatically translate into an opportunity, and a skill does not become an economic force without genuine demand and an enabling environment. Conversely, Jordanian talent abroad should not be viewed as an absolute national loss. Brain mobility is an integral part of the global economy, and the presence of Jordanians in international research institutions, corporations, and markets can serve as an additional source of national strength if properly leveraged. The goal is not to repatriate everyone, but to ensure that knowledge, expertise, investment, and partnerships reach Jordan regardless of where these individuals reside. A Jordanian mind contributing to a research project, opening a market for a national firm, or transferring advanced expertise adds value to the national economy without needing to change their physical location. However, transforming this potential into sustainable power requires more than scattered initiatives. Jordan needs an interconnected national framework that identifies talent early in schools, universities, and governorates, providing fair opportunities for development. This framework must bridge scientific research with real economic challenges—particularly in water, energy, health, agriculture, and technology—supported by funding mechanisms that help knowledge-based enterprises scale, institutional networks connecting global Jordanian talent with local universities and the private sector, and coordination mechanisms focused on measuring outcomes rather than counting activities. This does not require creating new institutions whenever a priority emerges. Jordan already possesses national frameworks to build upon, chief among them the Economic Modernization Vision—which aims to absorb one million young men and women into the labor market—and its second executive program for 2026–2029, alongside the Jordanian National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2023–2027 focusing on capacity building, R&D, investment, and entrepreneurship. The key challenge lies in strengthening integration across these pathways and tying them to measurable results: high-quality jobs created, research converted into commercial applications, enterprises expanding into new markets, and talent contributing to sustainable local capacity. If a primary objective must guide these efforts, it is shifting from measuring expenditure on human capital development to measuring output generated through it. Training numbers are meaningless without assessing their impact on skills and employment; research volume is insufficient without measuring its contribution to knowledge and application; and startup counts mean little without evaluating their growth and sustainability. Here, investing in human capital becomes an accountable economic policy rather than a recurring slogan. Over the coming decade, global competition for specialized talent will intensify, job functions will continue to shift due to AI, and technological partnerships will increasingly determine national competitiveness. In this landscape, Jordan does not need to compete with major powers in sheer resource volume, but rather identify niche areas where it can build specialized knowledge and irreplaceable value. Water, energy, health, and digital technologies are not merely national challenges—they represent fields for developing scalable, exportable solutions given the right partnerships, skills, and investments. At its core, the issue is not holding minds within physical borders, but building a nation where their potential is not wasted—an economy capable of utilizing knowledge wherever produced, and institutions that recognize that investing in people does not end with education, but begins when they find their opportunity to produce and make an impact. When minds become a sovereign issue, sovereignty is not demonstrated by restricting their mobility, but by the state's capacity to unleash their potential and align their achievements with its economic and intellectual strength. Nations build their standing not merely by the number of minds they claim, but by what they empower those minds to create. Source: Rum News Agency
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When Minds Become a Sovereign Issue
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