Workshops

WORKSHOP 1: Research Impact

09:00 – 11:00 | Library, Room LIB 011

Dr. Emily Choynowski, Knowledge E

Dr. Andrea Chiarelli, Research Consulting

In today’s globalised world, universities are expected to go far beyond their original mission to produce and preserve knowledge. Once focused mainly on education and training, they are now seen as key players in solving local and global challenges. They contribute to building strong, knowledge-based economies by developing skilled workers, shaping policies, creating technology and tackling social problems. As their role expands, universities face increasing pressure to show accountability and demonstrate their impact on society.

This 2-hour workshop explores how to develop an effective research culture that focuses on long term impact that extends beyond the narrow boundaries of the individual academic institution. It will cover the scope and scale of potential impacts, pathways to impact, how to track and articulate impact, and how to suitably recognise and reward impact-centric activities and outputs.

Designated audience:

Researchers
Research offices
Institutional policymakers and administrators

What you will learn:

How to plan and develop an impact-centric research culture at your institution
How to track potential impact-generating activities, and trace long term impacts beyond the university
How to articulate potential impacts, as an individual researcher and as a senior administrator
How to establish suitable recognition and reward frameworks

WORKSHOP 2: Open Source AI and AI Scenarios

09:00 – 11:00 | Library, Room LIB 019

Sayeed Choudhury, Carnegie Mellon University

This workshop will connect the Forum for Open Research MENA to two international AI programs, the Open Source AI Definition (OSAID) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL)/Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) AI Scenarios: AI Influenced Futures.

The OSAID is part of the global exchange regarding open source AI, which has profound importance, particularly given its role in the European Union’s AI Act, and attempts by private sector companies such as Meta to use its own definition as a global default. The Open Source Initiative (OSI) led a community co-design process to develop version 1.0 of OSAID, and seeks to build upon this initial definition with feedback from the global community.

The ARL/CNI AI provides a critical asset for research libraries and organizations aiming to strategically plan for the transformative power of artificial intelligence. The ARL/CNI Joint Task Force on Scenario Planning for AI/ML Futures led a consultative process with the ARL and CNI communities to develop their report, which includes scenarios, strategic context report, and a provocateur interview report. ARL/CNI are in the process of developing a toolkit based on these reports, which would offer a roadmap and plan for implementation. One of the co-presenters (Webster) is leading this effort, with workshops already planned for the US and Canada. This proposed roundtable or workshop would be the first in the MENA region.

Designated audience:

Research library leaders and digital strategy officers
Policymakers and research administrators
AI researchers and practitioners interested in open source and governance

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

Gain an overview of OSAID version 1.0 and its development process.
Understand the strategic importance of open source AI definitions in policy and practice.
Explore the ARL/CNI AI scenarios and related reports.
Learn about the emerging toolkit for roadmap and implementation.
Contribute feedback to shape future global developments in both programs.

The presenters from Carnegie Mellon University are Keith Webster, the Helen and Henry Posner Jr. Dean of University Libraries and a member of the ARL/CNI Task Force, and Sayeed Choudhury, Associate Dean for Digital Infrastructure, Board member of the Open Source Initiative and Executive Director of the Open Forum for AI.

WORKSHOP 3: Navigating Fully Open Access Publishing Agreements: From Workflows to Negotiations

11:30 – 13:30 | Library, Room LIB 011

Dr. Alwaleed Alkhaja, Qatar National Library

With the growth of open access (OA), researchers are looking for ways to fund their OA publications. Many libraries are exploring agreements with publishers to support these publishing efforts. However, navigating these agreements can be complicated. This workshop will help participants understand how to set up and manage fully OA agreements. The workshop will guide participants through setting up fully OA publishing agreements, from assessment of institutional requirements, agreement evaluation, understanding publisher workflows, and negotiating the agreements.

Designated audience:

Librarians and scholarly communication officers
Consortia managers and administrators
Research funding and open access funding administrators
Researchers involved in OA publishing decisions

What you will learn:

Understand the different types of publishing agreements.
Recognize the value proposition of publishing agreements.
Identify the key components of a fully OA publishing agreement.
Have an understanding of different publisher workflows
Assess the financial and policy implications of such agreements for their institutions.
Apply practical strategies to negotiate fair and sustainable terms with publishers.

WORKSHOP 4: Research Integrity in Open Science: A Regional Policy Analysis

11:30 – 13:30 | Library, Room LIB 019

Eleanora Colangelo, The Embassy of Good Science

As Open Science gains momentum across the MENA region, research integrity is emerging as a structural component in the design and operationalization of national and institutional research strategies. This workshop will provide a critical policy and regulatory analysis of how research integrity can be systematically embedded into broader Open Science agendas — not as a parallel concern, but as a foundational principle enabling transparent, equitable, and trustworthy research ecosystems. Framed by comparative policy studies, international benchmarks, and empirical insights from the Open Science Monitoring Initiative, the session will dissect the regulatory instruments, governance models, and institutional mechanisms that facilitate the alignment of integrity norms with Open Science implementation. Emphasis will be placed on policy interoperability, enforcement modalities, and the role of monitoring and evaluation frameworks in driving sustained reform across diverse national contexts.

Participants will subsequently be able to (r)evaluate their respective policy environments, share case-based insights, and contribute to the articulation of regionally relevant, integrity-first Open Science models that reflect local legal frameworks, resource distributions, and epistemic cultures.

Designated audience:

Policy-makers working in higher education and research governance
University administrators and research office leaders designing or implementing Open Science policies
Researchers and research ethics committee members across disciplines
Librarians, repository managers, and data stewards involved in research assessment, archiving, or scholarly communications
Regional organizations and funders interested in cross-border alignment of research quality standards

What you will learn:

How to integrate research integrity into national or institutional Open Science policies, with examples of regulatory and operational levers that support this integration.
Which models of monitoring and evaluation can be adapted regionally to track research integrity and open science progress in tandem.
What convergence opportunities exist across MENA countries, and how to navigate cultural, legal, and institutional differences while promoting aligned, scalable policy frameworks.