Abu-Ghazaleh at the Yarmouk University: The Future of Education is Digital Learning

In the presence of more than a thousand Yarmouk University students
Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh: Ambitions with no boundaries, overcoming challenges to make success

IRBID, Jordan - HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global Digital (TAG.GD), has participated in a scientific seminar held by the Yarmouk University, under the patronage of University President, HE Prof. Dr. Islam Massad, under the title ‘The Future of Education’, that was attended by more than a thousand students.

During the seminar, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh emphasized the urgent need for shifting from traditional education to ‘learning’, stressing the significance of embracing knowledge-based learning to keep abreast of global developments.

He went on to state that the role of teachers today should extend beyond delivering information as in the traditional ‘Katateeb’ system (old-style school) and that teachers should become mentors to guide students toward the right path, especially in an era where students often have more access to information than their teachers, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh said, noting that being a ‘teacher’ is the most honorable title a person can hold.

Moreover, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh recalled his life journey, highlighting the blessing of suffering he went through and he shared inspirational messages with students, encouraging them to embrace lifelong learning.

“One of the most significant lessons I have learnt during my life journey is that ‘necessity is stronger than self-confidence’; nothing is more powerful than need,” Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh said,  pointing out that the necessity left him with no option but to excel, therefore, driving him to study hard throughout his education stages in order to obtain full free scholarships.
Furthermore, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh urged the youth never to consider challenges as setbacks, but instead to search for solutions, saying, “Every challenge in life is, at its core, a genuine opportunity.”

He encouraged the students to always look forward to the future rather than focusing on the present, stressing that the future relies on knowledge technologies and digital tools.
In this context, he recalled his early engagement with technology, which dates back to 1962 when he took part in a computer training course; an experience that shaped his belief in the future of knowledge-based education.

Accordingly, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh encouraged the youth to unleash their ambitions without fear of failure, saying, “Failure is an opportunity to learn and, therefore, to succeed. Your ambitions should have no limits, and no one has the right to limit them.”

Consequently, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh highlighted his practical experience that led to his appointment by the UN Secretary-General to chair a global council to set world’s digital policies that included government and tech industry representatives. He also chaired the United Nations Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting, and his chairmanship of the UN’s first-ever education conference in 1995, on “Transforming Education,” which emphasized that education is not a fixed process but rather a dynamic and a continuously evolving one.

Emphasizing the importance of learning and the role of knowledge technologies in professional advancement, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh shared a story of how Abu-Ghazaleh for Intellectual Property (AGIP), a member of TAG.GD, became the world’s largest firm in its field. Remarkably, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh learned the IP knowledge without any formal academic training in the field. Instead, he pursued self-education, mastering the discipline by himself, then, he decided to establish AGIP, leveraging from knowledge-based technologies to build AGIP that is now known as the largest intellectual property firm in the world.

At the end of the seminar, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh answered students’ questions, advising them to always remain students, stating that: “There is no such thing as failure; your only option is success. Success comes from learning from mistakes. When you fail, you learn, and that is how you succeed.”

In response to a question about the role of the private sector in community development, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh emphasized that wealth is created primarily by the private sector, not governments. He asserted that the prosperity of the private sector is essentially rooted in the well-being of local communities. He noted that TAG.GD is firmly committed to ten basic principles in fulfilling its corporate social responsibility.

He also highlighted his co-chairmanship, alongside former UN Secretary-Generals Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon, of a joint committee established to launch a special UN department.  Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh has served as co-chair of that committee throughout both of their terms.

In response to another question, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh addressed the importance of intellectual property in the US-China conflict, affirming that most global conflicts are integrally related to this conflict. He concluded that the US-China trade escalation will ultimately end in war, but will be resolved through negotiation.

It is worth mentioning that at the beginning of the seminar, University President, Dr. Massad welcomed Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, describing him as a creative, inspiring, and successful leader whose experience, guidance, and success story motivate the University students.

Dr. Massad further reaffirmed the University’s ongoing commitment to advancing academic excellence in line with the technological advancements, with the aim of transforming education into a dynamic skill-building platform for successful integration into the digital era.

On the occasion of the Seminar the seminar, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Language Center’s Director Dr. Rana Qandil and TAG.GD’s executive director of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Projects (TAG Projects), Mr. Salaheddin Eid, in the presence of the University President, Dr. Massad, and TAG.GD founder and chairman, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh. The MoU aimed to enhance cooperation in the provision of training services, capacity building, and digital programming courses at the University-based Language Center.