Current status of nanotechnology in Jordan
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/WJSTSD-01-2016-0001 |
| Published date | 04 April 2016 |
| Pages | 66-81 |
| Date | 04 April 2016 |
| Author | Ehab Alshamaileh,Mazen Al-Sulaibi,Ahmad Al-Khawaldeh,Mansour H. Almatarneh,Dina El-Sabawi,Aiman Al-Rawajfeh |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management,Environmental technology & innovation |
Current status of nanotechnology
in Jordan
Ehab Alshamaileh, Mazen Al-Sulaibi, Ahmad Al-Khawaldeh and
Mansour H. Almatarneh
Department of Chemistry, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
Dina El-Sabawi
Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan, and
Aiman Al-Rawajfeh
Tafila Technical University College of Engineering, Tafila, Jordan
Abstract
Purpose –The current status of nanotechnology research and development in Jordan is analyzed.
In recent years, Jordanian institutions demonstrated considerable interest in the development and
production of nanotechnology. Here the purpose of this paper is to provide detailed information about
the status of nanotechnology in Jordan in terms of several factors that influence selectivity in
nanotechnology and the number of published peer-reviewed research articles.
Design/methodology/approach –Several factors that influence selectivity in nanotechnology
and the number of published peer-reviewed research articles were analyzed. A detailed analysis of the
collected data reveals that the number of publications, citations, and patents is highly dependent on
the amount of research fund.
Findings –The development in nanotechnology is associated with presence and accessibility of
sensitive laboratory equipment. The nanotechnology research output in Jordan is still lower than it
should be due to the lack of necessary laboratory infrastructure. This is due to the insufficient funds
allocated to scientific research, the restrictive access to available instruments and the bureaucracy of
some governmental departments. Compared to some developed countries, Jordan is noticeably behind
in developing a nanotechnology system of research and industry. It will take time as well as technical
and financial resources in order to achieve an advanced level in the field of nanotechnology in
Jordan. Nevertheless, many Jordanian researchers are doing their best and are producing some good
research articles.
Research limitations/implications –The many applications to the same approach.
Practical implications –Time and publications’resources.
Social implications –Peer cooperation.
Originality/value –First comprehensive review ever. A base for researchers and decision makers.
Keywords Middle East, Review, Jordan, Nanotechnology
Paper type General review
Introduction
Jordan is an Arab kingdom in the Middle East. It is considered as an economically and
politically stable country compared to other states in the region including North Africa.
According to the Unite institute for statistics of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Jordanian adult literacy rate
projection for the year 2015 is 94.5 percent (UNESCO, 2013). The Jordanian educational
system is well-established and the UNESCO ranked Jordan’s education system 18th out
of 94 nations especially for providing gender equality in education (Global Arab
Network). Around 5 percent of Jordan’s total government expenditures goes to
education (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
World Journal of Science,
Technology and Sustainable
Development
Vol. 13 No. 2, 2016
pp. 66-81
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
2042-5945
DOI 10.1108/WJSTSD-01-2016-0001
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2042-5945.htm
66
WJSTSD
13,2
In Jordan, thereare two researchers per thousand people, comparedto five researchers
per thousand forthe highest performing countries(Butler, 2006). According to the Global
Innovation Index 2011, Jordan is the third most innovative economy in the Middle East.
Jordan has 26 universities and 54 community colleges. There are over 200,000
Jordanian students enrolled in universities each year. An additional 20,000 Jordanians
pursue higher education abroad primarily in Europe and North America. According to
the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, the top-ranking universities in the
country are the University of Jordan (1,348th worldwide), Yarmouk University (1,935th),
and the Jordan University of Science & Technology (2,346th) (WEBOMETRICS).
Regionally, the University of Jordan is ranked among the top 10 out of 983 Arab
Universities in 2014 (WEBOMETRICS). Jordan contribution to the Arabic internet
content is more than any other Arab country estimated around 75 percent of all Arabic
online content (The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Report, 2012).
Nanotechnology has great impact on current technological development and is therefore
considered to be a key technology of the twenty-first century. Global nanotechnology
research article production has exhibited exponential growth over the past decade as shown
in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows that the most rapid growth over that period has come from East
Asian nations, notably from China and South Korea (Hussein-Al-Ali et al., 2014b).
In recent years, Jordanian institutions demonstrated considerable interest in the
development and production of nanotechnology. However, until now,there are not much
descriptive details of the current status and development of nanotechnology in Jordan.
This paper will provide detailed information about the status of nanotechnology in
Jordan in terms of several factors that influence selectivity in nanotechnology and the
number of published peer-reviewed research articles. Data were collected using public
search engines such as Google Scholar and specialized scientific libraries such as
SciFinder. A detailed analysis of the collected data are presented and discussed.
Nanotechnology research article production from Jordan
Despite Jordans limited resources and logistics capabilities, nanotechnology research
article production in Jordan has exhibited exponential growth in the past few years
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1990 1995 2000 2005
YEAR
NUMBER OF ARTICLES WITH
ABSTRACTS
Source: Global Nanotechnology Research Production
Figure 1.
Global
nanotechnology
research article
production for the
period (1990-2005)
67
Nanotechnology
in Jordan
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