We are hugely delighted to announce the 5th Annual Forum (2026) will take place online on 19th and 20th October 2026. This year’s theme is Resilience in Research: The Role of Open Science in the Arab World.
This year has been a complicated one for the region, with significant geopolitical issues across many countries within our membership network and beyond. In recognition of these difficulties, and the resultant financial pressures which many of our community are now facing, we have decided to hold this year’s Annual Forum as an online-only event, which will be free for everyone to attend.
This year’s theme, Resilience in Research: The Role of Open Science in the Arab World, addresses the growing importance of open science policies and practices for countries in crisis.
Many countries and communities across the world could currently be classified as being ‘in crisis’ – suffering war, famine, disease, or profound economic instability inter alia. Yet, despite (or sometimes because of) the issues these countries are undergoing, the value of open science policies and practises remains extremely important, especially within scholarly and scientific communities.
We are inviting delegates to join us to discuss what resilience and autonomy mean in the open science movement during human made crises, the challenges of maintaining open policies and practices during times of crisis and the challenges associated with recovery and reconstruction. It will also address the value of open science activities and outputs during these periods of upheaval and aftermath, the benefits provided by transparency, visibility, credibility, and accessibility.
The purpose of this event is to bring together insights and experiences from a range of research communities, policymakers, and scholarly solutions providers to discuss and explore the role of open science for countries in crisis, with a particular focus on the unique experiences of the Arab world (past and present) and on speakers who have “lived experience”.
As always, this will be a bilingual event, with live English-Arabic and Arabic-English translation.
The Call for Papers is now open, and we are accepting submissions until August 1st. Registration for this free online event is also now open!
If your organisation might be interested in sponsoring this event, with opportunities for networking, partnership development, and increased regional visibility – our Sponsorship Prospectus is available here.
Join us, as we work together towards a more open and knowledgeable world!
