AMMAN — The Lower House on Sunday approved, by majority vote, the amended Jordanian Universities Law for 2026.

 

During the session, chaired by Lower House Speaker Mazen Qadi and attended by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan and members of the government team, the House approved Articles 7 to 12 of the law after approving the first six articles on July 14.

 

During discussions on Article 7, MPs debated provisions related to allocating a percentage of revenues generated from university programmes to academic and administrative staff at public universities.

 

Lawmakers stressed the importance of maintaining incentives for university staff, warning that removing such benefits could push qualified academics to seek opportunities abroad due to differences in salaries and living conditions.

 

MPs also said these incentives help retain experienced academics and preserve Jordan’s human capital, calling for the provision to cover revenues generated by postgraduate studies, international programmes, and other revenue-generating programmes, rather than being limited to undergraduate parallel programmes.

 

Lawmakers also stressed the need to link incentives to clear criteria related to performance, efficiency and research output.

 

The House also approved an amendment allowing universities to allocate 1 per cent of existing allocations under Article 25 to promote their institutions abroad and attract international students through advertising, visits, exhibitions and other approved methods.

 

MPs said that the provision had an economic dimension linked to the future of educational tourism, noting that the sector contributes significantly to the national economy.

 

They said that greater investment in attracting international students could generate additional revenues and strengthen the role of universities as contributors to economic growth.

 

Other MPs cautioned that promotion efforts should not come at the expense of scientific research funding, stressing that improving academic quality and research capacity remains the foundation for enhancing universities’ reputation and rankings.

 

The amendments also introduce changes to higher education governance, including strengthening the role of university boards of trustees in shaping general policies and enhancing transparency and accountability in managing higher education institutions.

 

Under the amended law, the selection process for presidents of public universities will be revised, with university boards of trustees recommending candidates to the Higher Education Council, which will then submit nominations to the Prime Minister.

 

The amendments also expand the scope of the Universities Law to include university colleges and intermediate community colleges, granting these institutions legal personality as well as financial and administrative independence, with their affairs to be regulated through dedicated regulations.

 

The law also allows universities to establish housing, savings, investment, donations, student and other funds related to academic and administrative staff.

 

The government said the amendments aim to align higher education legislation with recent institutional reforms, improve the quality and efficiency of education, strengthen universities’ ability to adapt to global developments and better connect higher education outcomes with economic and social development needs.