HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan is a leading advocate for science as a catalyst for change. She is a dedicated science enabler in the Arab World where so many challenges urgently need science-based solutions. She has worked for over a decade to help foster an environment in which home-grown solutions may be found for pressing issues facing Jordan and the region.
HRH is President of the Royal Scientific Society (RSS), Chair of the Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT), and Vice-Chair of the Jordan Museum. In June 2017, the UNESCO Director-General appointed HRH as UNESCO Special Envoy for Science for Peace. This unique honour recognises HRH’s efforts to combine science and research with cultural heritage to foster peace, opportunity and prosperity. Princess Sumaya was Chair of World Science Forum 2017, which was held in Jordan under the theme of ‘Science for Peace’.
In 2018 HRH was elected Chair of the Board of Governors of the UN-ESCWA Technology Centre, which is based on the RSS campus. The RSS has been an active and committed member of WAITRO since the 1980’s. HRH Princess Sumaya was elected as a Board Member in 2013, and as WAITRO President in 2018 for the 2019-2020