Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh: Investing in knowledge is the path to national wealth
Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh: Programming first, making technology the core of education

AMMAN - HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global Digital (TAG.GD), shared his own perspectives and points of view concerning several key local issues in Jordan, particularly those related to the administrative modernization and education.

In his interview aired on Roya News Channel, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh emphasized the need for radical reforms in the educational sector, saying: “It is no longer effective to keep to the same mindset of the traditional ‘Katateeb’ model that was used in past decades, as this approach relies primarily on memorization, and fails to inspire motivation, creativity, or innovation among students. 

He further stated: “While subjects like history, geography, and languages remain important, teaching students programming is even more critical,” raising a question: “Why should we focus on making students memorize information that is already accessible on the Internet?”

 “If I were the decision maker, I would make programming the primary core subject in schools. In today’s era of knowledge and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the priority must focus on teaching technical sciences that generate knowledge of tangible value.”

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh also noted that today’s leading global corporations; such as Google, Amazon, are fundamentally knowledge-based companies, emphasizing that investing in knowledge and technology is the path to creating wealth for nations and their citizens.

Addressing the country’s strategies for administrative modernization and public sector development, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh emphasized his firm belief that “regardless of good intentions, success depends on clearly defined timelines and actionable steps to ensure the effective implementation of planned programs”.

He also pointed to the potential of establishing a “shadow administration or a shadow cabinet” tasked exclusively with carrying out the modernization plans within a defined framework, rather than relying on aspirations or good intentions.

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh also reaffirmed his criticism of the public vacations provided by some governments to citizens without justified reasons, describing such decisions as “bribes”. He explained that, in some cases, governments resort to offering vacations to their citizens because they have little or nothing else to provide them with.  

He continued by warning against following the example of countries that suspend production for many days, stressing: “No country can survive without productivity, or with unproductive people.”