News

 

ASREN will build on the various resources available at the existing Arab regional organizations and country level networks and will work very closely with them in all matters. At the same time, research would take advantage of the unlimited potential of ICTs and should be digitally based, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh

CAIRO --- December 15, 2010 --- The founding meeting of the Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN), held under the patronage of the Secretary General of the League of Arab States (LAS) HE Mr. Amr Moussa and presided by HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman of ASREN Board, concluded today stressing the necessity to prepare guidelines for funding research to be proposed to governments.

ASREN’s founding meeting organized at the Arab League Headquarters December 8-9, 2010 witnessed the official launching of the Arab States Research and Education Network in the presence of high-ranking officials, experts and academics including HE Ersat Hurmuslu, senior advisor to the Turkish President. 
 
Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, chair of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development of the United Nations (UN GAID), presided over the ASREN Board session calling for the necessity to promote and support scientific research in the Arab region.

“ASREN’s objectives include the necessity to link Arab research centres altogether in one network, then the need arises to link this Arab network with the European and Turkish networks to eventually build a database for outstanding research in all sectors,” Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh said.

Other conclusions included the tendency to define priorities in ASREN’s strategy action list and proposing a business plan with target timeline and to as well define a framework for the legal structure and governance discipline in collaboration with LAS to ensure its compliance with the requirements of the various rules and regulations acceptable in the Arab world.

“ASREN will build on the various resources available at the existing Arab regional organizations and country level networks and will work very closely with them in all matters. At the same time, Research would take advantage of the unlimited potential of ICTs and should be digitally based,” Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh pointed out.

Moreover, the participants agreed upon the need to encourage research centers at universities to be student driven (not professor driven) yet under the guidance and support of professors and emphasized the need for coordination in research between the Arab research centers and to encourage joint research programs between them as well as in collaboration with European and global networks.

Meanwhile HE Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh said: “We recognize that investing in science in general and in universities in particular needs to meet the ambitions of the Arab countries, hence, ASREN will act as an enabler and catalyst for creating investment in the scientific research and development in universities, the research will be digitally conducted by the students under the directions of their professors."

“ASREN will also adopt GAID’s mission for the advancement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through the use of ICT solutions. Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh added.

Building on EUMEDCONNECT2, the high-capacity Internet network for research and education in the Mediterranean which is co-funded by the European Commission, ASREN sets out to widen its geographical footprint by connecting other Arab national research and education networks (NRENs) in addition to the current seven EUMEDCONNECT2 member countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia.

This is a strategic step that is expected to lea