Supporting a positive and productive regional environment for scientific collaboration in the Arab World

This session, convened by the Forum for Open Research in MENA (FORM) for the 2024 UNGA79 Science Summit, provided a platform to address key themes, challenges and opportunities for fostering equitable and sustainable research ecosystems within the Arab states, and facilitated multi-stakeholder dialogue concerning the visibility of Arab voices and research within the global scientific community.

Themes under discussion included:

  • Regional Goals and Priorities: A discussion of regional, national and institutional priorities with regards to the advancement of scientific research and scholarly communications models, with particular emphasis on ensuring the global visibility of Arab research and inclusion of Arab scientists in global discussions.
  • Equitable Access to Research: An exploration of the benefits and barriers to producing and accessing research outputs and data, and the strategies adopted by regional, national and institutional policymakers for improving accessibility and inclusivity.
  • Capacity Building: An examination of the skills and infrastructure needed to support the advancement of accessible and inclusive scholarly communications and scientific research models for the region, reflecting the particular needs and priorities of the Arab states.
  • Sustainability and Funding: An investigation of regional, national and institutional funding challenges, and potential sustainable financing models and initiatives for the Arab research communities.

Participants

  • His Excellency Dr Aram Mohammed Qadir, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research – Kurdistan Regional Government
  • Dr Faisal Mohamed Elabdli, Director General – Libyan Authority for Scientific Research
  • H.E. Prof Amr Salama, Secretary General – Association of Arab Universities
  • Professor Ahmed Hassan Fahal, MBBS, FRCS, FRCSI, FRCS (Glas), FRCP (London), Professor of Surgery, The Mycetoma Research Centre, University of Khartoum, Vice-President of the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils
  • Dr. Hisham M. Sabir, Executive Director – Scientific Research Programs Office, Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council
  • Dr Lamis Yahia Mohamed Elkheir, Co-Director – African Reproducibility Network (AREN)
  • Dr Mohammed Hussein Ahmed, Head of the Apparatus of Supervision and Quality Assurance – Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Kurdistan Regional Government