Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of the Arab Gulf Development Programme, the Arab Open University organized the Arab Open Science Forum entitled "Future prospects for open science in the Arab world" in partnership with the Arab Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, and in cooperation with the Kuwaiti National Committee for Education, Science and Culture at the University's headquarters in Kuwait from 22 to 23 November 2023.
The forum's purpose is to examine local, regional, and international efforts and experiences in achieving open science, as well as the most significant practitioners and fields in the Arab world. The forum aimed to provide initiatives and solutions that promote open science, reduce knowledge gaps and digital gaps, protect intellectual property rights and open licenses, and promote cooperation between Arab and global organizations in open science.
A significant number of scientists and experts specializing in open science, along with decision makers from universities and research centers in the Arab world, participated in the forum to discuss and advance open science to broader and wider perspectives.
Here are the recommendations made by the Forum:
Establishing a new Arab Open Science Network in the Open Arab University, with the aid of the Union of Arab Universities and the Arab Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), as well as Arab universities and private sector institutions.
Calling institutions and organizations to work to raise awareness of open science and its tracks in their institutions, intensify training in open science practices and disseminate its culture to the public.
Developing an Arab strategy that enables open science policies, including open access, open science infrastructure, open education, and open-source software. Motivating researchers and faculty to apply open science in related fields.
Strengthening cooperation between Arab universities and higher education institutions in the field of open science and linking with international educational institutions to achieve sustainable development goals.
Coordinating efforts among Arab countries' open-source platforms to share and maximize the use of successful experiences.
Accelerating the opening of libraries and knowledge sources in higher education institutions to Arab communities and the establishment of open digital repositories comprising research, scientific publications, reports, books and educational materials open to all.
