The successful completion of the Economic Evaluation of the Environment Workshop was recently celebrated at the Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT). The event was held under the patronage of Professor Hisham Ghassib, President of PSUT, on behalf of Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya Bint El Hassan, head of the PSUT Board of Trustees, and was attended by several prominent figures including Mr. Paul Widmer, Swiss Ambassador to Jordan, Prof. Sa'ed Hijazi, president of RSS, Prof. Gonzague Pillet of the Geneva University, President of Ecosys, and Mr. Karim Zein, President of Sustainable Business Associates (SBA) in Switzerland.
The five day workshop organized by PSUT, the Royal Scientific Society (RSS), Ecosys Inc. and SBA was held between July 23rd and July 27th 2006. The workshop's thirty Jordanians participants coming from different ministries, industries, NGOs and universities, received extensive training on issues pertaining to environmental and ecological principles. Through extensive practical exercises and discussion panels, the participants were taught how to organize, collect, and analyze economic environmental data at the micro, meso and macro levels. –Continued-
During the closing ceremony, the participants were recognized for their successful completion of the workshop’s requirements. They received certificates of appreciation that were handed to them by Prof. Ghassib.
Professor Ghassib used the occasion to congratulate the workshop participants for their achievements. He then went on to discuss the important role that environmental education plays in the social and economic development of the kingdom. “We at PSUT are always proud to host workshops that reflect our hopes for a productive economy and a proactive community. Realizing that excellence comes with high standards of ethics, we see ourselves as promoters of environment friendly businesses. Hosting this particular workshop is a great privilege and honor for us as it highlights our values and our interest in environmental affairs perfectly” he said.
Professor Ghassib further added that environmental friendliness is an issue often ignored, especially when it clashes with the interests of industrial activists. This is why PSUT is currently collaborating with RSS, Ecosys Inc, and SBA to launch a Masters program in the Economics of Environmental Technology. This unique postgraduate training is to be offered at PSUT at in- 2007.
When asked to comment on SBA’s collaboration with PSUT in light of this workshop, Mr. Zain said, “This workshop falls directly in line with our mission at SBA to maintain and strengthen national economies. We at the organization achieve this goal by aiding, counseling, assisting and protecting the interests of small businesses and by helping businesses recover from national disasters. Environmental management, in our opinion, is the key to developing the operations of all businesses I am proud to see the genuine interests that PSUT has taken in our cause, and its hosting of this workshop is only further proof of the pioneering status that it has so rightfully achieved in the regional educational arena. Working alongside some of the world’s leading business organizations and environmental associations will only help to ensure the soundness of our ecosystem.”
From his end, Professor Pillet added,” We hope that our collaboration with PSUT will only lead to further collaboration of its type in the near future. Ecosys possesses vast experience in management and especially management pertaining to the environmental sector. I am sure that our working alongside PSUT will prove to be beneficial, for both parties, for it will only help reflect our mutual genuine interests in securing a brighter and better future for Jordan”
About Princess Sumaya University for Technology: Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT), established in 1991, is a specialized, nongovernmental, nonprofit, Jordanian university, owned by the leading applied research centre in Jordan, the Royal Scientific Society (RSS). PSUT’s area of specialization is IT, Communications and Electronics. As a nonprofit institution, PSUT embraces both the public and private sectors, but while akin to public universities in its mission, it is more aligned to the private sector in drive and spirit. From the day of its inauguration, PSUT has committed itself equally to both local development and modernization plans and to global development.
