University College London (UCL) was awarded in 2016 the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) first-ever Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Data-Intensive Science (DIS). The CDT is co-directed by Prof. Nikos Konstantinidis and Prof, Ofer Lahav who is the principal investigator of the Jordan program.
The DIS CDT provides a unique framework for training the next generation of data scientists for a dual career in either research or industry, to help address the skills shortage in this area. The program focuses on applying cutting-edge DIS techniques, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) methods, to problems in Astrophysics and High Energy Physics (HEP). The program also provides three months on a placement at one of UCL’s Industry Partners. The aim is to extend the UCL CDT-DIS model for collaboration and networking with interested groups in the Middle East, building in research secondments for academics in both the UK and the partner countries as Jordan.
This project will help create capacity in the application of artificial intelligence and applying big data techniques. These advanced techniques can be applied to solve development challenges in agriculture, healthcare and many other areas. It is planned to start the project in Jordan and once the training programmes are established to extend it to Egypt and Turkey. The aim will be to produce a new generation of Jordanian students who possess world-class skills in Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning appropriate for modern scientific and industrial research.

The main program objectives are:
1. Training a cohort of Jordanian students capable of addressing key problems in big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence for a range of research problems in industry and academia.
2. Enhanced international engagement and raising awareness on both sides. The involvement of graduate students who will be the future scientific leaders in both counties. Forming links between these groups can prove key as, indeed, illustrated by the personnel involved in the proposed collaboration.
3. Laying the foundations for a self-sustaining training programme in Jordan (and potentially other Middle Eastern countries) in the area of big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence. This should ensure a steady stream of well-trained data scientists suitable for a modern sustainable economy, helping to solve problems in health, poverty alleviation, and improving gender diversity.
4. Improving the academia-industry links in Jordan, and links with UK industries.
5. Developing an outreach programme for schools, to enhance interest in science and technology.

On the outreach side, students will be expected to take part in various outreach opportunities to highlight both their research and the importance of AI. This will help to explain and publicise the importance of their research to a wide and varied audience, as well as providing experience in presenting their work to non-expert audiences. Outreach will take the
form of school visits, exhibitions, articles, open days, hackathons and public lectures. The project leader in Jordan is Dr Ala'a Azzam, who is an Assistant Professor in the Physics Department at the University of Jordan and the founder of AstroJo Institute in Jordan. She received her PhD from UCL in 2013 where she was supervised by Prof. Jonathan Tennyson, who is the Director of Training of the DIS CDT. Dr Nabeel Fayoumi, Chief Data Officer and Technology Advisor to the RSS President H.R.H. Princess Sumaya Bint El Hassan is the representative of the RSS and PSUT in the program.


AstroJo was established in 2017 by Dr Azzam to promote education and research in astronomy and space sciences in Jordan. The AstroJo Institute aims to build capacity in space science in Jordan. AstroJo has established research collaboration with (1) Dr Andrew Szentgyorgyi from Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) which has so far trained 18 students in exoplanet detection using the transit method; also on training 7 students to analyse about 300,000 stars scanned by Kepler telescope as a preliminary stage for further analysis using TESS data; (2) Tennyson’s group at UCL training 5 students to work on aspects of the ExoMol project computing molecular line lists for exoplanets and other hot atmospheres, The collaboration has been expanded as part of the current project. The Jordanian Royal Scientific Society (RSS) is planning to establish a ‘Data Research Center’ to provide advanced cloud-based ‘Big Data Analytics as a Service’ (BDAAS). This is supported by the Jordanian Ministry of ICT as it can be utilized by the Jordanian National Information Technology Center (NITC), which hosts all the Government of Jordan's private cloud and e-government services. An RSS document lists examples of implementation of the data research: “building intelligent analytical applications for the government subsidy management, national aid funds disbursement, population growth patterns, national initiatives for impact assessments & optimization, refugees flow & demand management, water consumption optimization, traffic flow management, agricultural crop planning and management, along with many other critical areas of application.” They plan for the Data Research Center to be “a perfect national meeting point and the regional hub that could provide scientists, innovators, professionals, and researchers from public, private, and academic sectors, with tremendous opportunities to collaborate, integrate efforts, and share ideas for
the good of Jordan and the region.”


The programme will take place at AstroJo institute and at the Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) and will begin on Saturday 22 Feb 2020, around 45 students from JU, PSUT, HU, AABU and Mu’tah University are joining the program.