Executive education in Jordan has yet to become a staple of academic institutions, but the country’s accelerating integration into the global economy means that ambitious Jordanians increasingly have to be on the lookout for the competitive advantages offered by focused higher degrees. Faced with more competition, one way for the young Jordanian executive to keep up is through a mid-career boost from a small but growing number of master of business administration (MBA) and similar courses. Particularly innovative is the new MBA degree offered by the German-Jordan University (GJU) at its Talal Abu-Ghazaleh College of Business (TAG CB) in Amman. Established in 2006 as one of the faculties of the new university, TAG CB represents an education partnership rare in the Arab world between academe and the region’s private sector, bringing the expertise of the Abu-Ghazaleh business consulting and services group to the GJU. The latter, a public university jointly launched in 2004 by the German and Jordanian governments, is headquartered in Amman and plans to open branches in various other Arab cities.
Designed as a passport to a higher management career for ambitious young executives, the GJU MBA program enforces the concept of transferring knowledge from classes into real-world workplaces. Normally, students in this program will have qualified some three to five years previously with a Bachelor’s degree and then gone on to perform well and show leadership at work. In a sign of the times, GJU points out that its MBA graduates could go on to serve as effective managers not only in the private sector, but also in business aspects of government or other public agencies. Though not at the level of Dubai and other high-flying economies where state offices often function as smoothly as private business, Jordan’s public sector is nevertheless moving in that direction — helped by a growing number of bright young graduates of executive education programs. In particular, GJU allows its MBA students to specialize in such areas as finance, statistics, marketing, or international business, not to mention the Abu-Ghazaleh specialties of Intellectual Property and Accounting.
More specialized, but still aimed at the executive, is the MBA offered by Jordan’s Queen Nour Civil Aviation Technical College. Established in 1973 and recently privatized, the college meets Jordanian and regional civil aviation needs through a two year program leading to a community college diploma, as well as by special training. However, in the process of upgrading and revamping its offering, eight years ago the college started an MBA in Aviation Management. Designed for high-flyers, as it were, Jordanians and students from elsewhere in the region have benefited from this course, helping their respective airlines compete an increasingly sophisticated and vital sector.
Finally, for Jordan’s finest young executives, the Queen Rania Global Leader Scholarship is offered annually by the famed Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. The scholarship goes to Jordanian business leaders interested in pursuing an MBA in global management. Candidates for the award must have a minimum of two years’ work experience and they have to be motivated by factors other than personal advancement. In fact, applicants for this MBA scholarship must submit an essay on how they intend to use their education to make a positive contribution to their nation, region and/or the world community. Jordan’s Queen Rania promotes the award saying that empowering women is, “perhaps, the single greatest legacy we can bestow upon our children.” Although in the age of gender equality, men are also eligible for this prestigious MBA scholarship. Look for more of these initiatives in Jordan, as well as an expansion of home-grown MBAs, over the next few years.
