Royal Scientific Society (RSS); The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan is a leading advocate for science as a catalyst for change in the Arab World. She is President of the Royal Scientific Society, Jordan’s leading applied research and testing institution, and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Princess Sumaya University for Technology. The Princess has dedicated herself to engaging with scientists and policymakers, and to fostering an environment in which home-grown solutions can be found for pressing issues faced by Jordan and the region. The Princess is Chair of World Science Forum 2017, which will be held in Jordan in November.

The Princess believes that knowledge and innovation must be ignited by building the confidence of people who often feel excluded from the mainstream in our modern world. She has committed herself to renewing the creative scientific spirit of the Arab and Islamic world in the region’s Golden Age of science. Through her role as vice-Chair of the Jordan Museum, the Princess has initiated a series of exhibitions and outreach programmes to bring science to schools and universities throughout the kingdom.