His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday urged more investment in scientific research to “improve the quality of higher education and its outputs”.

King Abdullah made the remarks during a visit to the Jordan University of Science and Technology's (JUST) Robotics and Intelligent Automation Innovation Centre (RIAIC), where he was briefed on scientific research and experiments conducted by the facility.

In his remarks after the briefing, presented by JUST President Wajih Oweis, the King stressed that higher education should keep pace with the latest scientific advancements so that it is able to meet the requirements of different economic sectors and contribute to the development process. He urged more attention to Jordanian inventors.

The King underscored his support for RIAIC's efforts to take scientific research to a new level, and the support the facility extends to creative projects of students and faculty members.

In a statement to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Oweis said that researchers at RIAIC are currently working on implementing several projects, including the Micro-Nano Robot Project, an affordable computer display for the blind, small vehicles powered by solar energy, and a multipurpose mobile robot navigator for landmine detection and mapping.

King Abdullah paid a visit to JUST in November 2010, where he emphasised the need to increase investment in scientific research and support innovative and creative Jordanians.

During the visit, the King toured an exhibition featuring students' projects and achievements in the areas of medicine, engineering and renewable energy, including models of their projects.

JUST, which was founded in 1986, was classified as one of the top 50 universities among the 1,460 in the Islamic world.