Dr. Nael Thaher is a Faculty Member in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness within the School of Agriculture at the University of Jordan. Dr. Thaher has a diverse academic background, ranging from natural to social sciences. Dr. Thaher holds a PhD degree in Rural Development from University of Guelph, Canada and a Master of Science degree in Plant Agriculture from the same university. Dr. Thaher was a Research Affiliate with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Saskatchewan and Guelph. During his doctorate research program, he had the privilege to conduct his research in Canada, USA and Brazil focused on intellectual property protection in agricultural R&D and capacity development for effective IP management that allowed him to gain deeper knowledge on the importance of technology transfer and agricultural innovations. He was the first University of Guelph scholar to attend the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with University of Geneva-Summer Academy in 2014. As an academic researcher and with a robust academic background and diverse research interests, Dr. Thaher has established himself as a committed educator and researcher in the field of rural development and agribusiness management. Dr. Thaher's work is particularly focused on the intersection of rural development and agribusiness, where he explores sustainable agricultural practices, economic policies for rural communities, and innovative agribusiness models. His research aims to bridge gaps between academic insights and practical applications in sustainable food systems, transformation of food systems, digital agriculture, access to finance and credit by small-scale farmers, and the socio-economic impact of agricultural cooperatives on rural households and farmers, addressing both local and global challenges. He received numerous awards for his academic excellence including the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food-University of Guelph Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) Scholarship (2012) and a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant (2014). He has also been published in number of international peer-reviewed journals.