Adnan Badran

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Adnan Badran (Arabic: عدنان بدران ) (born December 15, 1935) is a Jordanian scientist, academic and politician. He was the prime minister of Jordan from April 7, 2005 to November 28, 2005.

Badran was born in Jerash, Jordan. He received his MS and Ph.D degrees from Michigan State University, and from 1966 to 1986, he was a professor of biology at several universities in Jordan, quickly becoming a leader in his field and the writer of several textbooks and many papers, particularly about the development of science in the Arab world. Professor Badran founded and presided over Yarmouk University, which was Jordan's first university to adopt the American style of higher education. Later on, he established the now-called Jordan University of Science and Technology, before he was forced to resign from his academic post following some politically motivated student demonstrations. In 1987, Badran was appointed first Secretary General of the country's Higher Council for Science and Technology, the president of which is HRH Prince Hassan.

Professor Badran also served as agriculture minister and education minister briefly during the late 1980s. During the 1990s he became president of the Arab Academy of Sciences and the Philadelphia University of Jordan, positions that he still holds. From 1992 to 1998, he was deputy director of UNESCO.

Badran was appointed prime minister on April 7, 2005 by King Abdullah II as part of a new government which was to be more reformist than previous governments. Badran also became defense minister in the new government. After seven months, however, he and his government resigned over the slow progress of reforms and the frustration caused by the hotel bombings in Amman on November 9, 2005.

Badran's brother, Mudar Badran is also an important politician in Jordan and served as prime minister several times.