AMMAN - Following its success in 2021, the Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN) will be the official convener of the Arab Science Cooperation Summit on 22 September 2022 during the 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77) annual session at the UN headquarters in New York City. 

The summit will be attended by high-level representations from the Arab countries including ministers of higher education and scientific research, Permanent Representatives to the United Nations, the European Commission, the World Bank, UNESCO and other regional and international organizations. 

The main objective of conducting this high-level summit is to promote and inaugurate an Arab Science Dialogue with the rest of the world. It will discuss Science as a mean for development in the Arab region and how cooperation in science at national, regional, and global levels will support the efforts towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). 

It will also present the efforts in conducting science from policies to actions including research, education and innovation and related cooperative projects and activities with focus on Science, Open Science, Open Access and supporting science, research and education communities.

HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, ASREN Chairman said: “We are proud of our achievements in developing the research and education infrastructure in the Arab region and now we are taking further steps towards enabling Science Cooperation and facilitating Science Dialogue with the world.”

“I call upon the organizations representing science in the region to contribute to the global dialogue around science and interact with stakeholders, especially within the context of the next UNGA77, to support collaborative scientific research regionally and globally” he added.

ASREN and the Arab National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) have an essential and increasingly important role in supporting Open Science in the region. Within the context of implementing the works and activities of the European Union ASREN co-funded AfricaConnect3 project, ASREN has adopted strategies of open science, open data and open access in cooperation with its member NRENs and national authorities of relevance in addition to regional organization. The main objective is to facilitate comprehensive access to scientific resources and repositories in order to enhance productivity in science and innovation in research.