Applied Science Private University (ASU) affirmed that His Majesty King Abdullah II’s address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly presented a political and intellectual vision that goes beyond addressing current crises to questioning the international system’s ability to protect the rule of law and human rights, while placing the international community before its responsibilities toward the Palestinian cause and the transformations taking place across the region.
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In a statement, the university said His Majesty’s assertion that any threat to Jordan’s northern borders or water security constitutes a threat to national security, and that Jordan will protect its security, water resources and the interests of its people, conveyed a clear message that the country’s commitment to diplomacy and peace stems from a position of strength and an ability to safeguard its national interests.
Statement by Applied Science Private University on His Majesty the King’s Address to the United Nations
Applied Science Private University followed with great interest His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein’s address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The university said the speech presented a political and intellectual vision that goes beyond reading current crises to questioning how the world manages its crises and the international system’s ability to protect the rule of law and human rights at a time of accelerating transformations, with wars, economics, technology, security and interests becoming intertwined in unprecedented ways.
The university highlighted the intellectual premise chosen by His Majesty for the speech, placing “attention” at the heart of the international political debate.
It said this concept carries implications deeper than its direct meaning, noting that the world today does not suffer from a shortage of information as much as it faces a crisis in its ability to give major issues the sustained attention they deserve.
In an age where information travels within seconds, a tragedy can become a familiar scene within days, while issues affecting the lives of millions can be pushed aside amid a constant stream of events. The university said that choosing what the world pays attention to is therefore a political and ethical decision with real consequences on the ground.
From its position as an academic institution, ASU said this idea touches the core of the university’s role in the modern era. Universities today face the challenge of developing minds capable of analyzing and filtering knowledge and connecting it to its broader contexts.
The abundance of information does not necessarily mean an abundance of knowledge, nor does the speed at which events circulate necessarily lead to deeper understanding.
Therefore, the responsibility of higher education is to develop minds that are not consumed by screens, driven by the moment, or limited to understanding the world through an image or headline, but instead possess the ability to research, analyze, critique and reach the truth.
Within this framework, the university said the Palestinian cause in the King’s speech provided a clear example of the consequences of declining international attention and replacing efforts to address the roots of the conflict with a policy of containment.
His Majesty, it said, returned the issue to its political and legal foundations and placed before the international community the reality that treating every violation as a temporary measure has, over the years, allowed the temporary to become permanent, the permanent to become a practice, and the practice to become a new reality being entrenched on the ground.
The university said this reading is important because it shifts the discussion from following separate developments to understanding the broader trajectory connecting them.
What is happening in Gaza and the West Bank cannot be viewed in isolation when the shared outcome is the undermining of the possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state.
The widespread destruction in Gaza, together with settlement expansion, land confiscation and displacement in the West Bank, requires the international community to view the full picture rather than treating each incident as a separate crisis that ends once it disappears from the news cycle.
ASU also highlighted the clear legal language used by His Majesty in describing forced displacement as a war crime. It said that accurately defining actions is not merely a linguistic matter, but a foundation for establishing legal and ethical responsibility.
When the names used to describe dangerous practices are changed or their meanings diluted, it becomes easier to gradually turn them into familiar realities. Defending the rule of law therefore also begins with defending the correct meaning of the terms on which it is based.
From this perspective, the question raised by His Majesty about the value of international law if its violations can be ignored for decades carries implications that extend beyond the Palestinian cause itself.
International law derives its strength not merely from the existence of texts and agreements, but from confidence that its rules will be applied consistently. When the world feels that the law is applied according to the identity of a state, the nature of alliances or balances of power, the loss is not borne only by victims.
It extends to the international system as a whole and to confidence in the institutions established to prevent power from becoming the sole reference point in relations between states.
This issue deserves to become a subject of research and discussion within universities, the university said, because the generations currently sitting in classrooms will live in a future shaped by the precedents being established today.
If the idea becomes entrenched that power can override the law, that international decisions can be applied selectively, and that human rights differ according to geography and politics, the world will face a profound crisis of confidence whose consequences international institutions may struggle to address.
ASU views the Jordanian dimension of the speech as a clear declaration of a state that understands both the limits of its responsibilities and its interests.
His Majesty affirmed that any threat to Jordan’s northern borders or water security constitutes a threat to national security, and that Jordan will protect its security, water resources and the interests of its people.
The university said this message clearly demonstrates that Jordan’s commitment to diplomacy, peace and dialogue stems from a position of confidence and an ability to protect its national interests.
The message gains additional significance in light of developments in southern Syria and His Majesty’s references to incursions, the creation of new realities and issues affecting vital water sources.
Jordan’s water security cannot be treated merely as a service or economic issue. Rather, it constitutes an integral part of national security, particularly for a country facing significant challenges related to water resources.
This makes protecting these resources, developing them and seeking sustainable scientific and technological solutions a responsibility shared by the state, society and scientific institutions.
The university therefore believes that the concept of national security has expanded significantly in the modern era. Armies protect borders, but the strength of a modern state also rests on a resilient economy, secure water supplies, available food, stable energy, advanced technological infrastructure, effective institutions and a knowledgeable society.
Scientific research, in this sense, is not an academic activity isolated from the concerns of the state. Rather, it is one of the components of its strength and its ability to safeguard the independence of its decisions and the interests of future generations.
ASU affirmed that this vision places a direct national responsibility on Jordanian universities to transform knowledge into productive and developmental strength.
The modern university’s role extends beyond graduating degree holders to producing individuals equipped with knowledge, skills and the ability to innovate; linking scientific research to national challenges in water, energy, food, health, technology and the economy; and developing people capable of competing, producing and contributing to shaping the future of their country.
The university also highlighted His Majesty’s reaffirmation of Jordan’s continued commitment to carrying the Hashemite custodianship and preserving the existing historical and legal status quo at the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
In addition to its historical, religious and political dimensions, this role carries a civilizational message centered on protecting Jerusalem’s identity, diversity and human heritage, while rejecting attempts to turn the holy city into an arena for changing historical and legal realities or into a source of religious conflict that contradicts the true nature and essence of the issue.
His Majesty’s remarks on protecting Christianity in its birthplace and defending the true image of Islam, the university said, carry a message worthy of the attention of academic and educational institutions.
Confronting hate speech and extremism cannot be achieved through security measures alone, but also through knowledge, education and culture, and by developing individuals capable of understanding others, respecting differences and distinguishing between religion and its exploitation in political conflicts.
ASU said one of the most important dimensions of the speech lies in its connection between legitimacy and trust.
The world can sign thousands of agreements and establish dozens of institutions, but this system loses its ability to function if peoples and states lose confidence that agreements will be respected, laws will be enforceable and rights will not be subject to selectivity.
Protecting trust in the international system is therefore essential to sustaining international cooperation itself in confronting challenges that no country, regardless of its strength, can address alone.
In the university’s reading, His Majesty presented before the world a model of the Jordanian state as it defines itself and seeks to engage with its surroundings: a state committed to just peace, steadfast in supporting Palestinian rights, protective of its security, sovereignty and water resources, open to economic and technological cooperation, confronting terrorism and drugs, and investing in its defense and human capabilities, while maintaining a clear moral and political position toward regional issues.
His Majesty’s statement that Jordan’s commitment to diplomacy should not be misinterpreted as weakness, the university said, essentially defines the philosophy of the Jordanian state.
Choosing dialogue does not mean lacking the ability to act; seeking peace does not mean surrendering national interests; and openness to the world does not mean compromising sovereignty.
This is an approach that the Jordanian state has developed over decades of dealing with a highly turbulent region, enabling it to preserve its stability, institutions, relationships and role.
In this context, Applied Science Private University does not view the university’s role in discussing royal visions and national, regional and international issues as a role that begins with this speech.
The university’s Al-Hajj Abdullah Abu Khudairah Auditorium has, on numerous occasions, served as a genuine space for dialogue and discussion on issues and ideas stemming from the royal vision.
Through the accumulation of meetings and discussions it has hosted, the auditorium has evolved into a Jordanian, Arab and global forum, with broad participation from statesmen, thinkers, politicians, economists, cultural figures, academics and experts from Jordan, the Arab world and countries around the globe.
The diverse and wide-ranging nature of these participants has given the Al-Hajj Abdullah Abu Khudairah Auditorium a status that goes beyond being a venue for an event or seminar.
It has become a meeting point where Jordanian, Arab and international perspectives intersect, and where different expertise, experiences, intellectual traditions and political schools engage in dialogue.
Issues concerning Jordan, the region and the world have been discussed from multiple perspectives on its platform. On numerous occasions, discussions emerging from the royal vision have been addressed, examining their national, Arab and international dimensions with the participation of Jordanian, Arab and international figures.
This has reinforced the university’s role in opening its doors to responsible dialogue, knowledge production and the exchange of perspectives.
This experience emerged from the university’s understanding that the royal vision does not stop at the boundaries of a political text or the occasion on which it was delivered.
Rather, it represents a broad space for thought, research and dialogue that deserves to be examined politically, economically, socially and scientifically, with students, academics, experts, opinion leaders and decision-makers participating in the discussion.
The Al-Hajj Abdullah Abu Khudairah Auditorium has therefore become a witness to dialogues extending from Jordanian national affairs to Arab issues and transformations in the international system, as well as discussions seeking to understand Jordan’s position amid these transformations and anticipate the responsibilities they impose on the state, society and higher education institutions.
This experience takes on deeper significance in light of His Majesty’s address to the United Nations.
The questions raised by the speech regarding the future of international law, Palestine, national and water security, geopolitical transformations, confidence in international institutions and the place of knowledge in a rapidly changing world are also fundamentally questions for universities, as they concern the world in which we are preparing our young people to live, work and lead.
For this reason, dialogue around the royal speech is not a passing activity in the university’s life, but an extension of an intellectual and academic process based on examining the royal vision and transforming it into an open knowledge-based discussion involving Jordan, the Arab world and the wider international community.
From this perspective, Applied Science Private University believes that the most effective academic response to the royal speech is to continue transforming the substance of the royal vision into a permanent space for research, knowledge and dialogue.
This would allow students and researchers to examine international transformations in depth, study the future of international law, water security, economic security, technology and regional conflicts, and understand that building Jordan’s strength does not begin only at its borders.
It also begins in the lecture hall, the laboratory, the research center and the platforms for dialogue, as well as in the minds of those being prepared today to lead the institutions of the state and society tomorrow.
His Majesty presented before the United Nations a vision that the future of the world is shaped not only by the events it chooses to address, but also by the crises it decides to ignore.
At the heart of this idea lies the responsibility of universities, because genuine knowledge prevents people from becoming accustomed to wrongdoing, preserves their ability to question and analyze, and provides them with the tools necessary to understand the world and participate in shaping its future.
Applied Science Private University expressed its pride in the Jordanian position conveyed by His Majesty to the world, and in Jordan’s steadfastness in defending its security, interests, sovereignty and resources, as well as the Palestinian people’s right to freedom, self-determination and the establishment of an independent state.
The university also reaffirmed its support for the Hashemite role in protecting the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and for the Jordanian model that combines wisdom and steadfastness, peace and the protection of national interests, and openness to the world with pride in national identity.
Guided by its academic and national mission, Applied Science Private University said it will remain a partner in developing a Jordanian citizen capable of carrying the responsibilities of the future.
The university believes that strong universities are part of the strength of states, and that science, knowledge, research, innovation and dialogue are pillars of protecting national independence, driving development and strengthening Jordan’s ability to face major transformations with confidence and efficiency.
May God protect Jordan, its people, security and sovereignty, and protect His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II.
May God guide the Hashemite leadership in continuing the journey of building a strong Jordan through its knowledge, people and institutions; a Jordan steadfast in its positions, confident in its future, capable of protecting its interests and establishing its position in a rapidly changing world.
