University of Jordan Boosts Cybersecurity Excellence

The University of Jordan has long stood as one of the Arab world’s most respected academic institutions. Founded in 1962, it was the first university established in the Hashemite Kingdom, and today it is consistently ranked among the top universities in the Middle East and North Africa. When an institution of that stature formalizes a partnership focused on cybersecurity, it sends a clear signal about where the region’s educational priorities are heading.

In January 2025, CyberX welcomed a delegation from the University of Jordan at its Riyadh branch. The visit, led by Dr. Ibrahim Al-Jarrah and accompanied by Dr. Yazan Al-Shamayleh, culminated in the formal handover and signing of a cooperation agreement — with Mrs. Reem Al-Zamil, CEO and co-founder of CyberX, representing the company. The agreement had been previously signed by His Excellency Dr. Nadhir Obaidat, President of the University of Jordan.

This cooperation marks more than a ceremonial handshake between two organizations. It represents a structured commitment to preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals — and to closing the talent gap that is increasingly becoming a threat to digital infrastructure across the Arab world.

The Cybersecurity Talent Gap: Why This Partnership Matters

The global shortage of cybersecurity professionals is not an abstract concern. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, there are over 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions worldwide. In the Arab region, the challenge is compounded by rapid digital transformation — Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and Jordan’s national digitization agenda are driving massive infrastructure investment, yet the supply of qualified professionals lags behind demand.

Universities are the primary pipeline for this talent. But traditional computer science curricula often do not keep pace with the practical, hands-on requirements of modern cybersecurity roles. Graduates may understand theoretical concepts but lack exposure to real-world tools, threat simulations, and industry best practices. This is precisely the gap that university-industry partnerships are designed to bridge.

The World Economic Forum’s research on cybersecurity talent consistently highlights that the most effective way to close the talent gap is through structured collaboration between academic institutions and industry practitioners — exactly the model CyberX and the University of Jordan are now pursuing together.

What the CyberX-University of Jordan Agreement Covers

The cooperation agreement between CyberX and the University of Jordan is built around three core pillars: student training, job market readiness, and technology awareness. Each pillar addresses a specific failure point in the current pipeline from education to employment in cybersecurity.

Student Training Opportunities

The agreement creates structured pathways for University of Jordan students to access CyberX’s training ecosystem. This includes exposure to CyberX’s platforms, including LMS-X, a learning management system purpose-built for cybersecurity awareness and skill development, and AwareX, CyberX’s flagship awareness platform that drives measurable behavior change within organizations.

Students gain access to content, tools, and methodologies that are grounded in real-world practice — not just academic theory. This includes simulated threat environments, case studies drawn from live incidents, and frameworks used by security teams in enterprise organizations across the region.

Job Market Preparation

One of the core goals of the agreement is to prepare Jordanian students — and young professionals from the University of Jordan specifically — for the demands of today’s cybersecurity job market. This means going beyond technical skills to include the communication, project management, and professional capabilities that employers consistently identify as differentiators between candidates.

Students who benefit from this partnership will have a stronger portfolio, clearer understanding of employer expectations, and exposure to the kinds of practical challenges they will face in their careers. As explored in CyberX’s article on students navigating the digital age, the combination of technical knowledge and digital security habits is what distinguishes graduates who thrive from those who struggle.

Technology Awareness and Innovation

The agreement also commits both parties to jointly raise awareness of the latest technological solutions and cybersecurity innovations. This involves academic faculty gaining exposure to CyberX’s platforms and methodologies, creating a feedback loop where industry practice informs curriculum development and academic research informs how CyberX builds its products.

This bidirectional exchange is one of the most valuable aspects of university-industry partnerships. Universities bring research rigor and long-term perspective; industry partners bring urgency, practical tooling, and direct insight into what the market actually needs.

The Visit: Building Relationships That Last

During their visit to CyberX’s Riyadh branch, the University of Jordan delegation — headed by Dr. Ibrahim Al-Jarrah — toured the company’s offices and received a comprehensive briefing on CyberX’s services, solutions, and major achievements in the field of cybersecurity. The tour showcased not only CyberX’s technical capabilities but also the company’s culture and approach to cybersecurity awareness.

The visit concluded with CyberX presenting the delegation with a shield of appreciation. More importantly, it demonstrated that the relationship between CyberX and the University of Jordan is built on genuine mutual respect and a shared commitment to excellence in cybersecurity education. These interpersonal foundations matter enormously in long-term partnerships — agreements sustained by trust endure through leadership changes and organizational shifts in ways that purely transactional contracts do not.

Why University-Industry Partnerships Are the Future of Cybersecurity Education

The CyberX-University of Jordan cooperation is part of a broader trend that security experts and education policymakers are increasingly endorsing: the integration of industry practice into academic training from the earliest stages of a student’s career.

Traditional models where universities train students in isolation and employers retrain them on the job are too slow and too expensive in a field where threats evolve weekly. The most effective cybersecurity programs worldwide — from Carnegie Mellon’s CyLab to the UK’s Academic Centre of Excellence network — are built on tight connections between faculty, researchers, and industry practitioners.

In the Arab world, where cybersecurity investment is accelerating rapidly and where the talent pipeline is still developing, these partnerships carry even greater importance. Every well-trained graduate who enters the workforce is a meaningful contribution to regional digital resilience. And every organization — public or private — that is better protected because of well-trained staff represents a real reduction in risk for the broader digital economy.

Explore Partnership Opportunities with CyberX

CyberX partners with leading academic institutions, government bodies, and enterprise organizations across Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab world to build cybersecurity capability at scale. If you represent a university, research institution, or organization interested in joining the CyberX network, we would like to hear from you.

Our partnership program is designed to create structured, mutually beneficial relationships that go beyond one-time events. Whether through joint training programs, co-developed curricula, or access to CyberX platforms for students and faculty, we work with partners to design arrangements that deliver measurable outcomes.

To learn more about CyberX’s mission, solutions, and existing partnerships, visit our About Us page or contact our team directly to start the conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the University of Jordan?

The University of Jordan, founded in 1962, is the oldest and largest public university in Jordan. Located in Amman, it consistently ranks among the top universities in the Arab world and offers programs across science, engineering, medicine, law, and the humanities. Its information technology and computer science faculties have strong reputations throughout the region.

What does the CyberX-University of Jordan cooperation agreement involve?

The agreement focuses on three areas: creating structured student training opportunities using CyberX platforms, preparing Jordanian students for the cybersecurity job market, and jointly promoting awareness of the latest technological solutions. It formalizes a partnership aimed at developing practical cybersecurity skills in the next generation of professionals.

Why is cybersecurity education important for university students?

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing career fields globally, with millions of unfilled positions worldwide. Beyond career opportunities, cybersecurity literacy is becoming a baseline competency across all industries. Students who graduate with strong security foundations are better positioned for employment, more productive in the workplace, and more resilient against the personal risks that come with life in the digital age.

How can universities partner with CyberX?

Universities and academic institutions interested in partnering with CyberX can visit the CyberX partnership page or contact the team directly through the contact form. CyberX designs partnerships to fit the specific needs of each institution, whether that involves training programs, access to digital platforms, or joint curriculum development.

What is CyberX’s role in cybersecurity education across the Arab world?

CyberX is a cybersecurity awareness and training company headquartered in Saudi Arabia, with operations across the Arab world. Through platforms like AwareX, LMS-X, and PhishX, CyberX delivers cybersecurity education to organizations, government entities, and educational institutions. The University of Jordan partnership is part of CyberX’s broader mission to build a regional culture of cybersecurity awareness that protects digital infrastructure and empowers people at every level.