Over the past four months, the University of Jordan (UJ) has launched a diverse range of specialized and international research groups, reinforcing its strategic commitment to advancing applied, interdisciplinary, and globally connected research. Spanning the sciences, engineering, health, humanities, social sciences, and education, these initiatives reflect UJ’s role as a leading national and regional hub for knowledge creation and innovation.
In the field of finance and economics, UJ introduced the research group Contemporary Trends in Finance and Applied Financial Econometrics, which focuses on understanding financial market behavior, asset pricing, risk modeling, and the growing influence of technology on financial systems. The group aims to connect academic research with real-world financial challenges, supporting data-driven decision-making and corporate governance research.
UJ’s expanding strength in linguistic and cultural studies is reflected in several newly established groups. The Arabic–CJK Lexical Borrowing group explores linguistic exchange between Arabic and Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, examining how historical and cultural interactions shape language, translation, and education. Complementing this effort, the Cross-Cultural Communication: Advancing Translation and Interpretation Theories group investigates translation processes, cultural mediation, ethics, and the impact of technology on language transfer. In literary and cultural studies, the international group Arabic Poetry and the Anxiety of Influence examines creative dialogue between contemporary Arab poets and their literary predecessors through comparative and interdisciplinary scholarship. Another group, Language & Religion: Manifestations and Interpretations, studies the relationship between religious discourse and linguistic expression across cultures, contributing to global research conversations in discourse analysis and religious studies.
In environmental and geographical research, the Geography of Land Cover and Land Use group strengthens UJ’s focus on strategic environmental studies. Using remote sensing, GIS, spatial modeling, and artificial intelligence, the group examines how population growth, economic change, and climate pressures are transforming land systems, generating research-informed insights to support sustainable development in Jordan and the region. Similarly, the international Plant Abiotic Stress research group addresses climate-related challenges in agriculture, focusing on plant resilience to drought, salinity, and heat through advanced physiological, genetic, and bioinformatics approaches.
UJ has also made significant strides in education and social policy research. The Educational Leadership for Innovation and Sustainability (ELIS) group focuses on applied research that informs educational policy and leadership practices, addressing digital transformation, crisis management, equity, and justice in education. In parallel, the Innovations in Social Policy group promote evidence-based policymaking through data analysis, stakeholder engagement, and the use of artificial intelligence to forecast social and economic transformations.
In engineering and applied technology, the Engineering Optimisation and Algorithms research group advances the development of optimization algorithms and computational frameworks with applications in artificial intelligence, robotics, smart grids, cybersecurity, and spatial systems. The international group BioMed Materials: Design and Innovation focuses on developing smart and biocompatible materials for medical use, including titanium alloys, shape memory materials, and 3D-printed polymers designed to match the mechanical and biological properties of human bone.
The health sciences and medical research landscape at UJ has expanded considerably with the launch of multiple specialized groups. The Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Dentistry (AIMeD) international research group develops AI-driven solutions for early diagnosis, medical imaging, predictive analytics, and personalized treatment pathways, while addressing ethical and regulatory considerations. The Rehabilitation Outcome Measures (ROM) group focuses on developing and validating culturally appropriate assessment tools to support clinical decision-making, integrating digital health technologies and artificial intelligence. In nursing, the group Innovative Approaches in Nursing Care Management and Delivery brings together local and international experts to enhance healthcare quality through digital health integration, evidence-based education, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
UJ has also reinforced its leadership in dental research and education through several initiatives. These include the group Restorative Options for Dental Implants and Endodontically Treated Teeth, which advances clinical and translational research in implant and restorative dentistry; Innovations in Dental Education, which focuses on evidence-based and technology-driven teaching models; and an international research group dedicated to Meta-Science in Dentistry, aimed at improving research quality, reproducibility, and transparency through systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and open science practices.
Collectively, these groups underscore the University of Jordan’s integrated approach to research excellence; one that bridges theory and practice, embraces emerging technologies, and fosters international collaboration. Through these initiatives, UJ continues to strengthen its contribution to national development priorities, regional challenges, and the global knowledge economy.
For more information on the research groups:
https://research.ju.edu.jo/research/groups/Domains.aspx