Who is Khaled Toukan?

- 🏛️ Academic and Professional Career
- 🧪 Roles in Energy and Science
- 🎖️ Awards and Recognitions
- 🌱 Impact and Achievements
- 🔬 Global Engagement
- 📝 Summary
🏛️ Academic and Professional Career
• Worked as a researcher and teaching assistant at MIT • Taught at Yarmouk University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia (1983–1986) • Joined the University of Jordan as a professor in Industrial Engineering (1987–1997) • Former: o Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology at the University of Jordan o President of Al-Balqa’ Applied University (1997–2001) o Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the University of Jordan
🧪 Roles in Energy and Science
• Currently chairs the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) and leads the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) project. • Served as the Director General of the SESAME Project (Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East), the first regional scientific research center of its kind, launched in 2017 near Amman. • Member of the IAEA’s International Nuclear Advisory Group since 2016.
🎖️ Awards and Recognitions
• UNESCO Gandhi Medal for Peace (2003) • Recipient of national and international honors from Jordan, Germany, and France • Named by Nature Magazine in 2017 as one of the Top 10 Scientists Who Made a Difference Globally, for his leadership in the SESAME project • Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 2018
🌱 Impact and Achievements
• Played a significant role in reforming Jordan’s education system, including launching the “Education Reform for the Knowledge Economy” initiative, which helped improve student performance in TIMSS assessments. • Instrumental in promoting regional scientific cooperation through SESAME, using science as a tool for peace and collaboration across political and cultural borders.
🔬 Global Engagement
• Held bilateral meetings with IAEA Directors, including Yukiya Amano, Cornel Feruta, and most recently Rafael Grossi in Vienna in 2024 • Frequently appears at international nuclear and scientific conferences as a representative of Jordan and the Middle East
📝 Summary
Dr. Khaled Toukan is a distinguished Arab figure who combines academic expertise with visionary leadership. From educational reform to pioneering scientific infrastructure like SESAME and nuclear energy development, his journey represents a powerful story of regional progress and international recognition in science and innovation.

















