The MP's Question and the Missing Answer

There are issues raised by members of Parliament that are highly sensitive and deserve immediate follow-up, rather than being treated as just another item in the daily news cycle as if lawmakers are simply expected to “say their piece and move on.”

MP Dr. Hussein Al-Amoush has brought forward one such issue through a legal memorandum addressed to the government concerning the continued absence of boards of trustees at Jordan’s public and private universities since their legal terms expired on June 25, 2026.

He noted that Jordanian universities are entering a new academic year without boards of trustees for the first time in the country’s history, arguing that this unprecedented situation raises legal concerns related to the rule of law and requires urgent government action.

According to Al-Amoush, the expiration of the boards’ terms also marked the end of their legal authority.

He called on the government to clarify the legal basis for not reconstituting the boards and to explain the legality of any procedures or decisions taken during their absence in order to avoid future legal challenges or judicial disputes.

He also stressed the need to expedite the renewal or reappointment of university boards of trustees in accordance with existing legislation until the amended Universities Law is finalized, while reviewing all decisions made during the governance vacuum.

In any case, this is an important issue because of the impact that the absence of boards of trustees has on university governance.

Even more significant is the question of whether decisions made after the boards’ mandates expired on June 25, 2026, remain legally valid. This highlights both the importance of the issue and its implications for Jordan’s higher education institutions.

Dr. Al-Amoush did not stop at submitting the memorandum, During a parliamentary session, he also questioned who should bear responsibility for this legal vacuum, describing the situation as a legislative failure.

Perhaps the MP should not stop there, The higher education sector as a whole requires comprehensive reform from the financial conditions and debt burdens facing universities to the modernization of academic programs and their ability to keep pace with the rapidly evolving labor market and global developments in education, teaching methods, and academic content.

For a country that considers education, human capital, and its people to be its greatest assets, these issues deserve sustained attention.

Since the discussion has turned to boards of trustees, their appointment should also be based on transparent criteria rather than the informal distributions or considerations that sometimes influence such decisions.

These boards play a fundamental role in shaping Jordan’s future and should not become merely symbolic bodies established simply to keep routine administrative processes moving.

What the public expects from members of Parliament is precisely this kind of oversight.

Loud rhetoric is not what matters most. Rather, lawmakers should strengthen accountability, safeguard legislation, closely monitor domestic affairs, and work to improve key sectors instead of allowing them to deteriorate or suffer under difficult circumstances.

The MP’s question is an important one. But the answer will remain absent until the university boards of trustees are finally appointed.