Research Title: Examining the Impact of Corporate Governance on Investors and Investee Companies: Evidence from Yemen

Author: Jafer Maroof Al Sawalhah, Published Year: 2023

Economies 2023, 11, 13, 11

Faculty: Business

Abstract: : The purpose of this study was to determine whether corporate governance is an important and effective technique for enhancing investors’ confidence in existing and prospective companies and for creating opportunities for safe investment in Yemen. A survey was conducted among certified public accountants to assess the importance of corporate governance. We employed regression analysis to test our hypothesis. According to the results of the study, corporate governance is an essential component of success for companies, and those firms that apply corporate governance best practices are highly regarded. Additionally, the findings suggest that regulators, policymakers, and standard-setters should raise awareness of the importance of protecting shareholders’ rights by providing seminars and courses for Yemeni media, unions, and professional associations. Moreover, in an environment of uncertainty there is a reluctance to invest and a prevalent tendency to invest in real estate. Furthermore, the results indicate that corporate governance is not practiced by all companies but only to a limited extent by some joint-stock companies. Most of the Yemeni companies that have adopted CG are joint-stock companies, so investors prefer to invest in these companies. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for regulators, practitioners, and academicians. We recommend that this survey be extended to a larger sample, including supervisory managers of companies. This study provides an insightful contribution, because it clarifies the importance of corporate governance for Yemeni investors and investee companies.

Keywords: transparency; awareness; disclosure; investee companies; investor protection; corporate governance in Yemen

Research Title: Intention to Use E-Payments from the Perspective of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT): Evidence from Yemen

Author: Mohammad Oqlah Al-Smadi, Published Year: 2022

Economies, Vol.10

Faculty: Business

Abstract: This study explores the challenges facing the current e-payment systems and investigates the main factors that support using the e-payment system. This study used a cross-sectional approach. An online survey was conducted on Yemeni consumers as part of the collection of data. The data from 486 questionnaires were analyzed using smartPLS4 and Jamovi software for structural model analysis and statistical analysis. According to the PLS-SEM results, the structural model shows that R2 is 0.757, which explains the variances in behavioral intention via all the constructs. Statistically, the intention to use e-payment systems is significantly and positively influenced by performance and effort expectancies and social influence. In contrast, facilitation conditions are significantly and negatively correlated with behavioral intention. This is attributed to consumers’ view of the infrastructure of Internet services, which does not contribute to the behavioral intention and acceptance of using electronic payment in Yemen. Contrary to expectations, age does not moderate the relationship between performance expectancy, social influence, and intention to use e-payment systems; hence, the related hypothesis was not supported. This study provides valuable suggestions for policymakers, designers, developers, and researchers, enabling them to better understand the critical aspects of using the electronic payment system. This study developed a model for predicting the likelihood of acceptance of electronic payments in a country that has not given adequate attention to this issue. An application and evaluation of the UTAUT model in Yemen are presented in this study.

Keywords: technology acceptance; facilitating conditions; intention; e-payment; Yemen

Research Title: Examining the relationship between digital finance and financial inclusion: Evidence from MENA countries

Author: Mohammad Oqlah Al-Smadi, Published Year: 2022

Borsa Istanbul Review, Vol.23

Faculty: Business

Abstract: Although financial inclusion (FI) has attracted growing attention from academics and policymakers, the effect of digital finance (DF) on FI has not been studied sufficiently. Therefore, this study examines the association between DF and FI in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. FI is measured with a composite index incorporating three subindexes: access, availability, and usage of financial services; DF is measured by the number of ATMs per 100,000 adults. A system–generalized method of moments (sys-GMM) panel method is employed with annual data on 12 countries in the MENA region over the period 2004–2020. Additionally, five control variables are used in the study. The results confirm the role of DF in enhancing FI in the MENA countries. Policymakers and digital financial service providers in MENA countries can use the study's findings to expand the boundaries of FI in their countries.

Keywords: Digital financial services; Financial inclusion; MENA region

Research Title: Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion among University Students in Jordan

Author: Mohammad Oqlah Al-Smadi, Published Year: 2023

Journal of Financial Economics, Vol.51

Faculty: Business

Abstract: By providing empirical support for the relationship between financial literacy and financial inclusion among Jordanian university students, this study contributes considerably to the growing body of literature on financial education and inclusion. Policymakers, educators, and other stakeholders working to improve financial education programs and advance financial inclusion initiatives should consider the findings. This study highlights the significance of cultivating financial knowledge and skills among the youth population in Jordan and abroad because financial literacy continues to be a critical driver of financial well-being and economic stability. The analysis is supported by a thorough survey instrument that was carefully validated through expert consultation and a pilot study and was modified from the OECD/INFE. The resulting survey assesses FL and FI and demographic factors, including gender, major, age, and year of study. With a coefficient of 0.76, Cronbach's alpha test validates the instrument's dependability and internal consistency. In addition, an investigation of gender-based differences in FL scores, although observed, did not reach statistical significance, indicating the influence of other contextual factors. Using regression analysis and Spearman's rho correlation, this study discerns a strong and statistically significant positive relationship between FL and FI among university students in Jordan (89.4%, P<0.01), corroborating the central hypothesis. The study's econometric model, supported by tests for goodness-of-fit, exhibits statistical significance, underscoring its potency in clarifying the intricate dynamics of FL and FI in this situation. The study emphasizes the critical part financial literacy plays in promoting financial inclusion and the demand for customized strategies that consider the variety of students' academic backgrounds. The findings substantially contribute to the global conversation on financial inclusion and education, highlighting their critical role in fostering economic stability and progress.

Keywords: financial literacy, financial inclusion, university students, Jordan

Research Title: Investigating the Maximum Instantaneous Fault Current in Power Systems with High Penetration of Type-4 Wind

Author: Wasseem Hani Al Rousan, Published Year: 2023

2023 IEEE IAS Global Conference on Emerging Technologies (GlobConET), London, United Kingdom

Faculty: Engineering and Technology

Abstract: The increased attention towards Renewable Energy Sources (RESs), such as wind generation, has become a priority for systems operators and policymakers worldwide. Type-4 wind generators are considered one of the most common types of wind for large-scale integration of RESs. Type-4 wind generators employ converters for their interface to the AC grid. In such generators, the power exchange with the grid is fully controlled by the converter interface that utilizes power electronic switches of limited current-carrying capability during normal and faulty conditions. Hence, type-4 wind generators have different and limited fault current contributions compared to the traditional conventional generation units based on Synchronous Generators (SGs). In future scenarios where such RESs are extensively integrated, and the SGs are also decommissioned, the SC current behavior of the systems would be affected significantly, and a fault level reduction would be witnessed too. The maximum instantaneous SC current is one of the key SC current components that should be monitored in such scenarios due to its importance for several applications such as faults detection, proper settings of the protection settings, and the design of circuit breakers …etc. This paper is aimed at investigating the effect of the increased penetration of type-4 wind generation on the maximum instantaneous fault current in power grids with the increased penetration of type-4 wind RESs. The results and findings of this research are tested on the IEEE 9-Bus test system modeled in Matlab.

Keywords: instantaneous fault current, artificial neural network, type-4 wind generation, renewable energy

Research Title: Power Systems Cascading Failure Analysis and Mitigation Using Discrete Events Systems Approach

Author: Wasseem Hani Al Rousan, Published Year: 2022

Faculty: Engineering and Technology

Abstract: A power system cascading failure can propagate through sequential tripping of components in the network. As a result, a complete or partial shutdown may occur. Many models were developed to understand the failure propagation mechanism at a higher abstract level and methods were implemented for failure mitigation. This work introduces a unified framework of modeling and mitigating cascading failures. Based on a Discrete Event Systems (DES) approach, a power system is modeled by an automaton via parallel composition of the sub-models of system components. A modified DES supervisory control (SC) strategy is introduced as a solution to mitigating cascading failures and compared with a regular off-line control. The proposed supervisory control strategy is then extended to an on-line based control called limited lookahead policy (LLP) to overcome the increased complexity of large scale systems. An evaluation method and a criterion for assessing cascading failure risk and identifying critical components during failure propagation in the DES framework are then proposed. The proposed on-line control was implemented and verified through joint simulations between continuous time power flow analysis and discrete events dynamics with supervisory control. An illustrative example of the proposed approach is presented. Simulation studies for the on-line approach are carried out for IEEE 6-bus, 30-bus, and 118-bus systems to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Modular supervisory control is also introduced to mitigate cascading failure for large scale power systems. A framework to implement modular control approach is then proposed. Similar to the on-line LLP approach, simulations based on case studies for the IEEE 6-bus and 30-bus systems are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Keywords: Cascading failure, discrete-event systems, Supervisory control

Research Title: Short-Term Load Forecasting Based on NARX and Radial Basis Neural Networks Approaches for the Jordanian Power Grid

Author: Wasseem Hani Al Rousan, Published Year: 2016

Jordan Journal of Electrical Engineering, ISSN (Online): 2409‐9619, Volume 2, Number 1

Faculty: Engineering and Technology

Abstract: This paper presents two techniques for short-term load forecasting (STLF) based on Artificial Neural Networks method (ANN). These techniques are the nonlinear auto regressive with external input (NARX) and radial basis function (RBF). The results from both methods are compared in order to attain minimum percentage errors. Input data implies weather factors that are the temperature and humidity. A comparison between the two techniques shows that RBF method has a better performance over NARX method in short periods training whereas NARX has the advantage in long periods training. The comparison between hourly actual and forecasted load readings shows a reasonable normalized mean square error (NMSE) with minimum values in summer: 3.9% for NARX and 3.5% for RBF, and in winter: 3.5% for NARX and 3.47% for RBF. Results show that minimum error is achieved by using five training days for summer and nine days for winter.

Keywords: ANN, Jordan, NARX, STLF

Research Title: Optimization of Induction Motor Equivalent Circuit Parameter Estimation Based on Manufacturer’s Data

Author: Wasseem Hani Al Rousan, Published Year: 2018

Energies, Volume 11, Issue 7

Faculty: Engineering and Technology

Abstract: This paper presents a two-stage optimization of the parameters of a seven-parameter equivalent circuit of three-phase induction motor. The initial parameters of this equivalent circuit are estimated by a method called the Engineering Method using the data given in the manufacturer’s data sheet. The two-stage parameter optimization procedure was developed to minimize the errors between the estimated and the actual values in motor torque and current. In the first stage, the method is targeted to optimize the parameters of the stator only. The second stage, if necessary, aims at optimizing the rotor-circuit parameters. Normalized least squares method is used to formulate the optimization problem. An objective function is established to minimize the errors between the calculated starting torque and current and the pullout torque and the given values in the manufacturer’s data sheet. The model parameters of ten industrial induction motors are estimated without and with optimization. The obtained results are compared with the Engineering Method and the actual manufacturer’s data to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Keywords: equivalent circuit; induction motor; manufacturer’s data; optimization; parameters estimation; squirrel cage

Research Title: A Discrete Event Theory Based Approach for Modeling Power System Cascading Failures

Author: Wasseem Hani Al Rousan, Published Year: 2019

2019 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting (PESGM), Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Faculty: Engineering and Technology

Abstract: For a power system cascading failure, the failure propagates through a sequential tripping of the components in the network. As a result, a complete or partial shutdown may occur. Although many models were developed to understand the failure propagation mechanism, the joint dynamics between discrete sequential tripping and continuous power flow has not been fully evaluated. Further study is needed in this area to develop an abstract higher model, which captures the systems flow dynamics. This paper introduces a new approach for studying the cascading failure and develops a model that translates the power system into an Automata based on the components operational modes. Based on a Discrete Event Systems (DES) approach, the overall system is analyzed. Cascading failure is then defined in a DES framework, and supervisory control strategies are introduced as a solution to mitigate cascading failures. Additionally, an illustrative example for the proposed approach is presented. Finally, the proposed modeling approach is simulated by combining continuous power flow study and DES tools in a unified framework.

Keywords: Cascading failure, discrete-event systems, hybrid simulation

Research Title: A Discrete-Event System Approach for Modeling and Mitigating Power System Cascading Failures

Author: Wasseem Hani Al Rousan, Published Year: 2022

IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, Volume: 30, Issue: 6

Faculty: Engineering and Technology

Abstract: A power system cascading failure can propagate through sequential tripping of components in the network. As a result, a complete or partial shutdown may occur. In this article, we develop a new systematic approach to identify and prevent cascading failures in power systems using supervisory control of discrete-event systems (DESs). We build the DES model for a power system in a modular fashion by first modeling its components as (small) automata and then combining these automata using parallel composition. To overcome state explosion, we use online lookahead control that can significantly reduce the number of states to be considered. Since some events such as line trips cannot be disabled but can be preempted by forcing some forcible events such as load shedding, we extend supervisory control of DES to include forcible events. This extension allows us to control power systems effectively. The proposed control is implemented in an implementation platform that we build in MATLAB. The platform uses MATPOWER to simulate a power system and then control it using the proposed DES controller. Simulation studies are carried out for IEEE 6-, 30-, and 118-bus systems. The results verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Keywords: Power system protection, Power system faults, Power systems, Supervisory control, Hybrid power systems, Discrete-event systems