Our Speakers

UNESCO Keynote

Dr. Abdulaziz Almuzaini 
Director, UNESCO

F.O.R.M. Keynote

His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Ould Amar

Director General, Arab League Educational,
Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO)

Dr. Abdulaziz Almuzaini

Director, UNESCO

Welcome

Dr. Tarek, Shawki


Former Minister of Education and Technical Education,
and Supervisor of Egyptian Knowledge Bank Project (EKB)

**Page is updated on a rolling basis.

Honourary Speaker

MoC Resized

HE Sheikh Salem Bin Khalid Al Qassimi (Minister of Culture and Youth, UAE)

His Excellency Salem Bin Khalid Al Qassimi was appointed the Minister of Culture and Youth in February 2023. In his current role, His Excellency is responsible for the strategic and policy direction of the UAE's culture and youth sectors. He leads the Ministry's initiatives to enable a robust cultural and creative ecosystem in the country and ensure its sustainability and active contribution to the local economy. Helming multilateral engagements with the UAE's global and regional partners on international platforms, His Excellency represents the country on high-level global fora related to culture and creativity and heritage preservation. His Excellency was the Permanent Delegate of the UAE to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization "UNESCO" where he contributed to highlighting the country's efforts and success endeavors, in addition to strengthening relations with other permanent delegates and overseeing the implementation of many joint projects that aims to enhance human and cultural cooperation. He has previously served as the Assistant Undersecretary for Arts and Heritage at the Ministry of Culture and Youth, where he led the implementation of high-level projects on national identity, Arabic language, Islamic arts, theatre, literature, archaeology, film and architecture to name few. His Excellency holds a Bachelor of Science in Design Management from the American University of Sharjah, as well as a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science & Policy from Columbia University and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Paris Sorbonne University, Abu Dhabi/Paris.

Keynotes

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HE Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi (Minister of Education, UAE)

His Excellency E Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi has been named the Minister of Education since May 2022, taking ultimate responsibility for the prosperity and progression of the UAE’s Education sector. His Excellency also holds the position of Deputy Chairman at Emirates Development Bank, as well as the position of First Vice of the National Olympic Committee since June 2021, which aims to raise the level of the Olympic teams technically and administratively, thus enhancing the regional and international position of the UAE at the sports arena, that places it with the highest-ranking countries. In addition, His Excellency was the Minister of State for Higher Education during which he supervised the development of higher education and scientific research in the UAE. He also formulated new policies for the sector as well as streamlined the work of higher education institutions to ensure quality outputs that match the requirements of the labor market.

Amanda Stevens

Associate Director of Publishing Services and Support

Public Knowledge Project (PKP)

Amina Itani

E-Resources Expert, Content & Scholarly Communication

United Arab Emirates University

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Dr Asmaa Alfadala

Director of Research & Content Development

WISE Qatar

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Dr Batool Almarzouq

University of Liverpool and King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC)

Cable Green

Founder & CEO

Creative Commons

Dr Emily Choynowski

Head of Publishing

Knowledge E

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Dr Ezra Clark

Policy and Capacity Building Division Director

UNESCO

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Heather Joseph

Executive Director 

SPARC

Professor Kamel Belhamel

Professor of Chemistry  

University of Bejaia

Kamran Kardan

CEO & Founder  

Knowledge E

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Nazar Hassan

Senior Specialist at Cairo  

UNESCO

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Dr Raed AlZoubi

Library Director  

Arab Research & Education Network (ASREN), Jordan University of Science and Technology

Dr Tariq Shawki

Former Minister of Education in Egypt

Dr Yousef Torman

Secretary General 

Arab Research & Education Network (ASREN)

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Yvonne Campfer

Founder

OA Switchboard

Rania Abdulghani | Associate Professor | Al Azhar University

Ahmed Abdullah Nasser | Senior Library System Administrator | Galala University

Mariam Al Jaberi | Unit Head of Digital Services | United Arab Emirates University

Dr. Alwaleed Alkhaja  | Senior intellectual Property Librarian | Qatar National Library

Dr. Batool Almarzouq | Founder | Open Science Community Saudi Arabia (OSCSA)

Dr. Rabab Almuqahwi | Arabic Languages Course Coordinator | RCSI Bahrain

Ra’ed Al-Zoubi | Library Director | Arab Research & Education Network (ASREN), Jordan University of Science and Technology

Menna Bahloul Emam | Specialist Librarian | Galala University

Ahmed Bawa | CEO | USAF | Tokyo University

Dr. Kamel Belhamel | Managing Editor | Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

Bakheet Beshtawy | Specialist Librarian | Medical Library, Dubai Health Authority (DHA)

Yvonne Campfens | Founder | OA Switchboard

Dr. Emily Choynowski | Organiser | Forum for Open Research in MENA (F.O.R.M.)  

Dr. Ezra Clark | Policy and Capacity Building Division Director | UNESCO

Stephanie Dawson | CEO | ScienceOpen

Dr. Victorien Dougnon | Associate Professor | University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin

Dr. Tosin Ekundayo | Assistant Professor | Synergy University Dubai

Prof. Amr Ezzat Salama Secretary General | Association of Arab Universities

Dr. Cable Green | Director of Open Knowledge | Creative Commons

Dr. Yousra Hamdaoui | Post-doctoral Fellow | Cape Town University

Nazar Hassan | Senior Science Specialist at Cairo | UNESCO

Rebecca Hill | Strategic Partnership Manager | F1000

Hagar Hussein Ashour | Libraries Director | Galala University

Tiberius Ignat  | Director | Knowledge Services

Amina Itani | E-Resources Expert, Content & Scholarly Communication | United Arab Emirates University

Dr. Reem Jamil Younis | Senior Specialist | UAE Ministry of Education

Dr. Sherif K. Shaheen | Dean of Faculty of Special Education | Misr University for Science and Technology

Kamran Kardan | CEO & Founder | Knowledge E

Dr. Galina Kedrova | Professor | Lomonosov Moscow State University

Dr. Danny Kingsley | Library Services Director | University of the Sunshine Coast

Carolyn Kirby | Director of Open Research | Taylor & Francis

Nabil Ksibi | Engagement Lead | ORCiD

Dr. Yrjo Lappalainen | Assistant Professor and Data Services Librarian | Zayed University Library & Learning Commons

Paloma Marín-Arraiza | Engagement Manager | ORCiD

Dr. Nada Messaikeh | Adjunct Faculty | Alliance Manchester Business School

Tom Mosterd | Community Manager | OAPEN

Dr. Mootaz N. Elnozahy | Professor of Computer Science | King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

Khalid Pasha |  Librarian Specialist | United Arab Emirates University

Johan Rooryck | Executive Director | cOAlition S

Mohamed Sayed Ibrahim | Senior Library Specialist | Galala University

Dr. Khalid Shaalan | Research Solutions | Elsevier

Amanda Stevens | Associate Director of Publishing Services and Support |Public Knowledge Project (PKP)

Isaac Tabor | Head of Digital Learning | Knowledge E

Dr. Yousef Torman | Secretary General | Arab Research & Education Network (ASREN)

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Heather Joseph (Executive Director, SPARC)

Sharing knowledge is fundamental to the progress of society. Fast, barrier-free or “open” access to knowledge accelerates discovery, fuels innovation and improves both the reliability and quality of research and education.  It also facilitates collaboration; as we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic, interdisciplinary teams composed of scientists from around the world can solve pressing, complex problem much faster than those working in isolation. We have a unique opportunity to make choices that can radically improve how knowledge is both produced and communicated. This talk will examine opportunities for actions that individuals and institutions can take on a local level to contribute to creating systems for sharing research and education that function more effectively and more equitably for all members of the global community.

Salvatore Resized

Dr. Salvatore Arico (CEO, International Science Council)

Dr Salvatore Aricò was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the International Science Council in January 2023. He has 30 years of scientific experience at the international and intergovernmental level including as Head of Ocean Science at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board, Senior Research Fellow at the United Nations University, Chief of Programme at the Convention on Biological Diversity, Researcher at the University of Delaware, and professor at universities in Italy and Malaysia. Salvatore's knowledge and skills focus on the organization of large science endeavors and the brokerage between science and policy.

Welcome Session

HE Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al-Qassimi

UAE Minister of Culture and Youth

Ministry of Culture and Youth, UAE

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi

Associate Professor

Khalifa University of Science Technology, UAE

Kamran Kardan

CEO & Founder

Knowledge E

Regional Strategy Panel

Exc. Prof. Amr Ezzat Salama

Secretary General, Association of Arab Universities

Former Minister of High Education & Scientific Research, Egypt

Dr. Emily Choynowski

Director of Operations

Forum for Open Research in MENA

Prof. Mahmoud Sakr

President

Egyptian Academy for Scientific Research and Technology

Prof. Seteney Shami

Director-General

Arab Council for the Social Sciences

Dr. Yousef Torman

Managing Director

Arab Scientific Research and Education Network (ASREN)

Panellists

Dr. Aftab Ara

Assistant Professor

University of Hail, Saudi Arabia

Dr. Ali Saleh Alkhabti

Associate Professor

University of Business & Technology, Saudi Arabia

Prof. Ali Shehadeh

Professor

United Arab Emirates University

Alkasim Hamisu Abdu

Branch Libraries Coordinator

Yusuf Maitama Sule University Kano, Nigeria

Dr. Alwaleed AlKhaja

Head of Open Access & Copyright

Qatar National Library

Ameneiha Itani

E Resources, Content, Scholarly Communications Expert

United Arab Emirates University

Dr. Anthonia Akhidenor-Bamidele

Lecturer & Academic Researcher

University of Technology, Bahrain

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi

Executive Vice President

Khalifa University of Technology, Bahrain

Dr. Batool Almarzouq

Research Project Manager

The Alan Turning Institute

Prof. Bronwyd Wood

Associate Professor

United Arab Emirates University

Carolyn Kirby

Vice President & Commercial Lead

F1000

Dr. Ciraj Ali Mohammed

Professor

National University of Science & Technology, Oman

Dr. Danny Kingsley

Community Manager & Researcher

OAPEN Foundation

Dr. Saad Ibrahim Yaaqeib

Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development

Ebtsam Abdullah

Graduate Student

Bursa Uludag University, Turkey

Prof. Elomari Driss

Professor

Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Morocco

Dr. Faisal Albakeri

Education Specialist

Ministry of Education, UAE

Dr. Glenn Muschert

Professor

Khalifa University, UAE

Dr. Haleama Al Sabbah

Associate Professor

Abu Dhabi University, UAE

Dr. Imad Bachir

Dean of Libraries

American University of Iraq – Baghdad (AUIB)

Jessica Maluch

Director of Strategy, Research & Impact

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research

Jo Havermann

Trainer & Consultant in Open Science

AfricArxiv

Johanssen Obanda

Community Engagement Manager

Crossref

Jordan Bass

 Coordinator of Research Services and Digital Strategies

University of Manitoba, Canada

Prof. Kamel Belhamel

Professor & Director

Directory of Open Access Journals

Prof. Habibul Knondker

Professor

Zayed University, UAE

Prof. Menna Bahloul Emam

Professor

Galala University, Egypt

Mohamad Mostafa

Regional Engagement Specialist

Datacite

Mohamed Boufarss

Head of Library Operations

House of Wisdom

Mohamed Salah Eldin Mohamed

Researcher; Information and Library Specialist

Dubai Health Authority (DHA)

Mohit Garg

PhD Scholar

Indian Institute of Technology

Moumita Koley

Consultant

International Science Council

Nabil Ksibi

Engagement Lead

ORCiD

Nada Al-Shammari

Educator & Space Tech Entreprenuer 

Higher Colleges of Technology, UAE

Dr. Nada Jammoul Messaikeh

Higher Education Consultant & Adjunct Faculty

Alliance Manchester Business School, UK

Nick Sheppard

Open Research Advisor

Leeds Knowledge Network

Nikesh Narayanan

Information Technology Librarian

Zayed University, UAE

Dr. Rabab Almuqahwi

Arabic Language Programmes Coordinator & English Lecturer

RCSI Bahrain

Raed Al-Zoubi

Library Director

Jordan University of Science and Technology

Reem Jamil Younis

Research Consultant

Rick Anderson

Senior Librarian

Birgham Young University, UK

Rodrigo Pinto

Head of Technology

Zendy

Salha Abdo

Key Partner

Leeds Knowledge Network

Sarah Logan

Regional Sales Manager

The Company of Biologists

Prof. Sami Boudelaa

Assistant Dean for Research

United Arab Emirates University

Saurabh Khanna

Junior Research Fellow

Public Knowledge Project (PKP)

Sayeed Choudhury

Researcher

Carnegie Mellon University, USA

Sosil Somokian

Academic Manager

Box Hill College, Kuwait

Dr. Tatiana Karabchuk

Associate Professor

United Arab Emirates University

Tatiana Usova

Director

Carnegie Mellon University, Qatar

Dr. Tosin Ekundayo

Senior Lecturer

Synergy University Dubai, UAE

Dr. Victorien Dougnon

Associate Professor

University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin

Yrjo Lappalainan

Data Services Librarian

Zayed University, UAE