Dr Amjed Ghanim
Secretary General of the Council of Minister, Palestine
- PhD in Industrial Engineering and Artificial Intelligence USA (1995)
- Founder and Head of the Industrial Engineering Department and a professor in the department at An-Najah National University 1996-2007
- Member of the educational body in the European Organization for Quality EFQM Faculty Member
- Member and accredited expert from the International Institute for Innovation (GInI).
- Practical experience of more than 30 years in the development of government business, private and civil sectors, in many Arab and foreign countries, in academic and professional fields specialized in policies, strategies, technological solutions, innovation and AI, institutional development and performance management.
Dr. Amjed has more than 30 years of diversified experience in the academic and professional fields in engineering and management, in governments and private/civil sectors. He started his career as a researcher specializing in artificial intelligence in American universities and companies. He then moved to work at An-Najah National University in Palestine in 1996 to lead efforts as the founder and Head of the Industrial Engineering Department, where his legacy included the establishment of the first bachelor's program in industrial engineering in 1997, management information systems in 2005, and the master's program in management and quality engineering in 2007.
After completing his mission at the university by the end 2007, Dr. Amjed continued his professional mission as a consultant and expert in strategic planning, performance management, institutional development, innovation, technology solutions, and AI/Analytics, with companies and government institutions in the Arab world, through a wide business network based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ramallah, and Amman. He designed, implemented and supervised hundreds of successful projects in Palestine, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Canada, Britain and others. His practical experience mixed with a very large spectrum of governmental and semi-governmental institutions and private sectors.
Among the international institutions with which Dr. Amjed worked are: World Bank, International Labor Organization, WHO, the American agency USAID, the German GIZ, the Japanese JICA, the Dubai Quality Group (DQG) and the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM).
In April of the year 2019, Dr. Amjed was called to serve in a national mission in Palestine as the Secretary General of the Palestinian Council of Ministers, a minister-level job, to lead and manage the Cabinet Secretariat to provide support to the Council in all legal, logistical and technical aspects, coordinate work among government entities, and rebuild the General Secretariat. The Secretary General assumed several responsibilities of high importance. Among the most important challenges he handled was the design and implementation of the technology cluster and e-government services provided to citizens. He led the team and accomplished for the first time (across governments) this e-system to provide services in a reliable, easy and secure electronic form. Dr. Amjed, with his team, prepared the multifaceted reform agenda, and made important achievements at government and national levels, in the economic and social sectors, governance and infrastructure. With his deep experience and knowledge in business and data analytics, Dr. Amjed prepared many professional studies, such as government services and fees, the results of which tuned into binding decisions and legislation issued in accordance with the rules. Among the most important issues raised and discussed by Dr. Amjed at the Council was a study and road map for the value-added tax, which showed the magnitude of the losses due to poor management, and the positive impact that this tax could achieve if it was properly managed. The Government Excellence Center was established as the government's leverage in updating work policies, systems and procedures in line with government goals and international standards.
Dr. Amjed has authored and published dozens of scientific, research and applied papers in international journals and conferences specialized in artificial intelligence, algorithms, quality control and management, information systems, and others. He is a paper presenter and speaker at local and international scientific conferences. Among the applied scientific research fields are:
- Performance indicators system in government institutions
- A model for partnerships between government institutions and the private sector
- The impact of information systems on the sustainable capacity of institutions
- Social responsibility
- Corporate evaluation and planning model with the aim of raising quality and improving export capacity
- Algorithms and applications of artificial intelligence
- Total quality management applications in institutions
- Enhancing quality functions through QFD methodology
- Statistical description of the relationship between maintenance jobs and energy consumption
Amjed is a member of international bodies and associations, including:
- Member, Certified Evaluator and Licensed Consultant with the European Foundation for Quality Management - EFQM
- Member, resident and licensed trainer with the Global Institute for Innovation GInI / USA
- Certified expert in governance - from the International Finance Corporation IFC
- CMC certified management consultant and member of the Management Consultants Association - IMC
- Member of the American Society of Industrial Engineers (IIE)
- Member of the American Society for Quality ASQ))
Education:
- PhD in Industrial Engineering and Artificial Intelligence Engineering, New Mexico State University, USA, in 1995.
- Master's degree in Intelligent Control Engineering in Management (University of New Mexico, USA, 1994).
- Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence Systems (University of Jordan - Amman 1990).
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from (University of Jordan - Amman in 1988).