Japan, Jordan, and Georgetown: Advancing Regional Public-Private Partnerships
How do you turn global expertise into national impact? By connecting people, policy, and practice.
Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), brought together Jordan’s top public sector leaders for a transformative two-week program on fiscal management and public-private partnerships—bridging theory with real-world solutions.
Held in Sydney, Australia, the program combined academic training led by PPP expert and Georgetown faculty member John Buttarazi, with site visits to major PPP projects across New South Wales. Participants represented key Jordanian ministries and agencies — from Finance and Investment to Education, Energy, and Higher Education — gaining hands-on insights into effective PPP design and fiscal management.
Rabah Al-Shanti, Senior Program Officer at JICA Jordan Office, praised the collaboration: “Partnering with top-notch Georgetown University in Qatar is truly a great experience, especially with their attention to detail and the rich, up-to-date content delivered by outstanding professors and experts.”
Participants echoed the program’s transformative value. “It provided a unique opportunity to learn best practices and acquire practical skills to apply locally,” shared Sumaia Abdel Hafiz Ahmad Azzam, Ministry of Education.
“This course successfully bridged theory and practice, added Ghandi Eid Abidrabbu Aldrou, Ministry of Higher Education. “I leave with a clearer understanding of how to build and manage a robust PPP institutional framework, particularly regarding fiscal oversight.”
Dr. Rodolph Boughaba, Associate Dean for Executive and Professional Education at GU-Q, commended the participant’s engagement during the closing ceremony, and reaffirmed Georgetown’s commitment to fostering leadership and knowledge-sharing across the region through partnerships with institutions like JICA, which continue to advance public sector excellence and support the national visions of states in the MENA region.
