2026 Programme
Day 1
19th October 2026 | 8:30 – 18:00
ONLINE EVENT
8:30 – 9:00
Welcome Ceremony
New Members Welcome
Dr. Emily Choynowski, Forum for Open Research in MENA
9:00 – 10:30
Plenary Session 1: Open Science During Times of Crisis
Keeping an Open Access Journal Alive in Wartime: Lessons from the Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences
Dr. Nazik Elmalaika, University of Tabuk
When Knowledge Systems Fracture: Designing Resilient Research and Knowledge Infrastructures in Times of Crisis
Amina Itani, Western Australian Museum
Open Science in Times of Crisis: Documenting Scholasticide in Gaza
Dr. Rana Dajani, Hashemite University
10:45 – 12:15
Plenary Session 2: Open Science During Times of Recovery
Resilience in the Face of Crises
Dr. Mahmoud Nasani, Aleppo University for Scientific Affairs
Building Research Resilience Through Open Science in Iraq: Challenges, Institutional Practices, and Lessons Learned
Dr. Salwan M. Abdulateef, Open Science Community Iraq (OSCI)
Societal Polarization and Academic Freedom in the Time of Symbolic Liberalism
Dr. Sari Hanafi, American University of Beirut
12:15 – 13:00
Lunch Break
13:00 – 15:00
Plenary Session 3: Building Resilience With Open Science
Advancing Open Science in the Arab Region: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Transformative Contribution of Earth Observation and Open Data
Dr. Islam Abou El-Magd, Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN)
Open Science and Research Resilience in Times of Crisis
Dr. Lamis Elkheir, African Reproducibility Network (ARN)
Open Educational Resources (OER) as a Tool to Enhance the Resilience and Sustainability of Public Education During Crises: An Applied Study and Developmental Vision Based on Schools in the Abu Salim Municipality
Dr. Abdulsalam Mohammed Al-Shukri, Ministry of Education (Libya)
Open Science as a Resilience Strategy: Maintaining Research Autonomy During Times of Crisis
Dr. Naeem Muhammad, DataAI
15:15 – 16:45
Plenary Session 4: Long Term Strategies & Outlooks
Higher Education Resilience in the Arab Region: The Role of Open Science and AArU Strategies in Times of Crisis and Reconstruction
Dr. Walid Salama, Association of Arab Universities (AArU)
When Research Infrastructure Collapses: Open Science, Academic Autonomy, and Resilience in Conflict
Dr. Amani Ahmed, University of Edinburgh
Strategising for Sustainability: National Open Policy Landscape in the Arab Region
Dr. Emily Choynowski, Forum for Open Research in MENA
17:00 – 18:00
Regional Insights Roundtable (Sponsored by MDPI)
Further Details Soon
Day 2
20th October 2026 | 9:00 – 17:30
ONLINE EVENT
9:00 – 11:00
Parallel Sessions
Panel 1: (Arabic)
Building Resilience and Research Independence in the Arab World Through Open Science: From the Libyan Platform to the Smart Arab Platform
Dr. Omar Bouzid, Libyan Centre for Electronic System Programming and Aviation Research
From the Cost of Knowledge to the Sustainability of Knowledge: Toward a Sustainable Economic Model for Open Science in Arab Information Institutions
Dr. Khaled Elhalaby, Arab Institution of Knowledge Management | Dr. Hadeer Kamel, Alwasl University
Enhancing Scientific Research Resilience in the Arab World: The Role of Open Science in Making Arab Medical Knowledge Accessible and Developing AI-powered Translation Tools
Dr. Rabab Almuqahwi, RCSI-Bahrain | Dr. Kawthar Ali, RCSI-Bahrain
The Role of Open Scientific Publications in Research Resilience: A Diamond Open Access Journal in the Arab World
Dr. Jamel Henchiri, RED Laboratory
Panel 2: (English)
Beyond Open Access: Decolonizing Research Infrastructures for Resilient and Autonomous Knowledge Systems
Favour Ayeni, Federal University Oye-Ekiti
Preserving Knowledge in Challenging Landscapes: Digital Preservation as a Foundation for Resilient and Autonomous Research Systems
Dr. Gali Halevi, CLOCKSS | Dr. Arif Shaon, Qatar National Library
Pocket Archive: A Low-footprint Solution for Cultural Heritage at Risk
Stefano Cossu, Harvard University
Building Cognitive Resilience: Challenges of Transitioning to Open Science in Transitional Environments – The Libyan Case as a Model
Prof. Abulgasem Al Mashai, Libyan Authority for Scientific Research (LASR)
11:15 – 13:15
Parallel Sessions
Parallel Panels 3 & 4
Panel 3: (English)
From Open Research to Accessible Science: The Value of Scientific Community in Ensuring the future of a Resilient MENA Region
Dr. Arwa Ahmed, Scientific Arab Forum (SAF)
Higher Education in Times of Conflict: Mapping the Research Terrain and the Conditions of Knowledge Production
Dr. Rui da Silva, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research
Open Science Against Misinformation in the Arab World
Dr. Issam El Birch, Ibn Tofail University
Before Knowledge Can Be Open, It Must Survive: Archives, Metadata, and Community Custody as Research Infrastructure in Times of War
Ghada Dimashk, American University of Beirut
Panel 4: (English)
Power in Numbers, Protection by Design: Aligning Responsible Health-data Governance With Public Health Research Needs in MENA
Dr. Douaa Mugahid, Harvard School of Public Health | Dr. Abdalla Z. Mohamed, United Arab Emirates University (UAEU)
From Evidence to Action: The Role of Open and Transparent Research in Managing Human-made Crises in Developing Countries
Nasif Chowdhury, Anwer Khan Modern University
Access Without Walls: Sustaining Research and Knowledge Access During Regional Disruption at RCSI Bahrain
Dr. Bindhu Nair, RCSI-Bahrain | Dr. Suchita Dsilva, RCSI-Bahrain
AFLI’s Perspective on Library Resilience
Prof. Amany Elsayed, Arab Federation for Libraries and Information (AFLI)
13:15 – 14:00
Lunch Break
14:00 – 15:30
Parallel Sessions
Parallel Panels 5 & 6
Panel 5: (Arabic)
Support from Arab Academic Institutions for Open Access Publishing and Its Role in Fostering a Culture of Open Access Among Their Faculty Members and Researchers
Dr. Saif Al Jabiri, Sultan Qaboos University
Learning Without Borders: Empowering Displaced Students Through Open Educational Resources
Joyce Aways, Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Open Science in Times of Crisis: Strengthening Research Resilience in the Arab Region
Prof. Abdelrahman Farrag, Arab Community of Open Access (ACOA)
Panel 6: (English)
From Access to Agency: Open Access Books as a Catalyst for Knowledge Equity and Research Resilience in the Arab World
Dr. Anna Walek, OAPEN
Building Resilience With Open Research Network and Databases
Dr. Cameron Neylon, ORION
Between Choice and Constraint: Family Resilience in Alternative and Interrupted Education
Janaan Farhat, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research
15:45 – 17:15
Plenary Roundtable
Supporting Resilience in Countries Undergoing Crisis
Moderator: Dr. Emily Choynowski, Forum for Open Research in MENA
Bianca Kramer, Barcelona Declaration
Nabil Ksibi, OA Switchboard
Clare Redhead, OASPA
Kamran Kardan, Zendy
Rebecca Hill, Taylor & Francis
Maria Cotera, Figshare/Dimensions
17:15 – 17:30
Closing & Key Takeaways
Moderator: Dr. Emily Choynowski, Forum for Open Research in MENA
Day 3
21st October 2026 | 11:00 – 15:00
ONLINE EVENT
11:00 – 12:30
Members AGM
13:00 – 15:00
Workshop
Promoting Shared Understanding and Global Pathways for Open Science
Dr. Firas Al Laban, University of Potsdam | Jan Bernoth, University of Potsdam
