Although we are a regional initiative seeking to advance open science policy and practise across the Arab States, and promote regional collaboration and community engagement – we also think it is important to recognise individual local needs, challenges and strategies. That is why, as we hold our Annual Forum in a different Arab State each year, we like to provide a platform for the leading

As the 3rd Annual Forum draws closer, we have now finalised our Keynote speakers and we are excited to share the news with you. Our Regional Perspectives Keynote is Dr. Hilal A. Lashuel, Research, Development & Innovation Advisor to the Chairperson & Executive Director of Research Development and Innovation at Chairperson’s Office, Qatar Foundation and Professor of Neuroscience (EPFL, Switzerland). This keynote will offer a valuable

We have been invited to attend and convene a session at the Science Summit UNGA79, which takes place alongside the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) from the 10-27 of September 2024, in New York!

Lamis Yahia Mohamed Elkheir and Emmanuel Boakye, two passionate advocates for Open Science, share their inspiring journeys and the impactful work they are doing with the African Reproducibility Network (AREN), an initiative dedicated to advancing Open Science across Africa. AREN’s Journey Towards Open Science Lamis’s involvement in Open Science began with the eLife Community Ambassadors programme. Reflecting on her journey, she noted, “When I joined

Despite rising costs and structural inequalities in the Global South, researchers from every region are working together every day to try and produce ground-breaking innovations that positively impact our societies. The Al Qasimi Foundation (AQF), one of FORM’s earliest members, is at the forefront of these initiatives, acting as a catalyst for collaboration and innovation in the social and educational space.  We sat down with

This year’s Annual Forum for Open Research (taking place 21st to 24th October in Doha, in partnership with the Qatar National Library) has been extended by an extra day so we can offer a series of high-impact workshops for our network and stakeholders. These workshops will be included in the cost of the conference registration, and will be delivered by world-class experts. Each workshop is

We are hugely excited to announce that our provisional programme is now ready. There are still some elements to be finalised, and some social and cultural events to confirm, but we hope everyone who attends in person and online will find it a rich and through-provoking event. This year the theme is “Transforming Knowledge Into Action”, and we will explore tangible and practical strategies for the

There has been a great deal of activity over the last 12 months within the global open science and open access communities. New strategies and approaches are being discussed to help support the global accessibility and transparency of research, to help enhance the recognition of societal impact of research, to ensure the openness of scholarly communications infrastructures, and to identify sustainable community-led publishing models. With

As a relatively new initiative and one, moreover, seeking to provide support for a diverse range of stakeholder groups across 22 different states, each with their own complex set of challenges and capacities, it can sometimes be difficult to know what to prioritise. This is especially true when it comes to Open Science – which encompasses a multifaceted array of concepts, approaches and techniques. That

As a small non-profit initiative with a big mission, it is important to ensure our activities are sustainable. That is why we are so grateful to all our sponsors, who help to ensure that we can continue to provide valuable localised resources and free capacity building activities for open science advocates across the Arab world, and also enable us to subsidise the Annual Forum registration