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This study aims to focus on exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the students’ academic performance in Jordanian higher education during the outbreak of the pandemic, evaluating the e-learning education and evaluating online education in practical lessons during the pandemic according to the university type, educational level, academic year and different specializations or faculty.

This study provides quantitative and qualitative analysis on the students’ e-learning performance during the pandemic. It presents the analysis of online learning preference of 424 questionnaires and 85 structured interviews with the university’s students and examines whether there is significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their academic performance.

The findings of this study present evidence of students’ improvement in their academic performance and lend credence to the notion that organizational characteristics may play a role in the adaptation of emergency remote teaching. This was evident that more scientific-based faculties (engineering, pharmaceutical and medicine) faced more challenges during the pandemic, and it negatively influenced students’ performance. This was justifiable to the need for a more practical one-to-one interaction and integration.

The findings of this research present evidence of students’ improvement in their academic performance and lend credence to the notion that organizational characteristics may play a role in the adaptation of emergency remote teaching. This was evident that more scientific-based faculties (engineering, pharmaceutical and medicine) faced more challenges during the pandemic and it negatively influenced students’ performance. This was justifiable to the need for a more practical one-to-one interaction and integration.

This study aims to explore the opportunities and challenges in activating a Smart Contract to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Ṣukūk offerings in the Islamic capital market.

The study adopts a mono-method qualitative approach. Data were obtained from survey interviews of two issuances on the fusion of smart contracts in Ṣukūk structures that were Sharīʿah-compliant. A thematic approach was further used to analyze the interview data based on the onion research method while opportunities and challenges of activating the Smart Ṣukūk (SṢ) relied on doctrinal evidence.

The results from the issuances across two jurisdictions showed that deployment of SṢ can resolve contractual ambiguities arising from Sharīʿah interpretations, jurisdictional policies and legal regime issues, which affect Ṣukūk origination and issuances especially on the right of investors in the event of Ṣukūk defaults. Although SṢ is automated, the third party’s presence is not eliminated as the blockchain platform still relies on the validators who are usually blockchain developers functioning as a third party in the Ṣukūk chain.

The study relies on doctrinal literature to explain the features and requirements of SṢ. The empirical approach is limited to interview data based on local SṢ issuances. Future studies need to explore regulators’ role and global standards in cross-border issuance of SṢ with multiple jurisdictions/laws.

The paper concludes that the offering of SṢ using local currency has been successful in the two issuances because of the facilitative regulatory environment. However, addressing Ṣukūk’s challenges in cross-border offerings would require guidance from international standard-setters such as the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions and the Islamic Financial Services Board.

This study is an advanced application of smart contracts to alleviate the related Ṣukūk challenges in the Islamic capital market.