The Arab Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF), a UAE based, independent, non-governmental and non-profit organisation established to promote the development of science, technology and entrepreneurship in the Arab world, has announced that it is organising the biennial Scientific Research Outlook Symposium (SRO 4) in Alexandria, Egypt from April 22nd – 25th, 2006.
The fourth conference of the SRO, which is being organised in partnership with Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), is a co-ordination and collaboration platform that guides scientific research and technological development aimed at achieving common strategic and sustainable development goals in the Arab countries.
This year’s conference, with the theme, "Towards Harvesting the Success of Science Output in the Arab World", aims to generate debate on a number of pressing issues including the role of scientific research and technology in bridging the Arab Knowledge Divide; weaknesses and strengths of the Arab scientific community; bilateral co-operation between scientific and technical sectors, and identify and encourage research into priority sectors such as water and energy, IT and Communications, Biotechnology and New Materials. Among 700 Arab scientists expected to participate, from all four corners of the world, are Nobel Prize Laureates.
Commenting on the event, Dr. Abdalla Abdelaziz Alnajjar, President of ASTF, said, “SRO is a scholarly event that charts the future of science and its development in the Arab World. Over the past six years, the conference has provided ample platform for thinkers, intellectuals and researchers from the Arab world to voice their opinion on the state of scientific thinking and performance in the region. This year’s conference acquires great significance as it is being held in a city that served as a bastion of knowledge for humanity. ASTF is eagerly awaiting the successful outcome of the conference.”
The conference is placing exclusive focus on measures and means to harvest Arab output in science, technology and innovation to achieve sustainable development in the region. The conference is expected to discuss in depth the role of women in science and the ways to incorporate expatriated Arab scientists in collaborative research projects in the Arab world. The three-day sessions will also prioritise areas for scientific research, including the propriety of establishing virtual research centres as well as identifying the ways of improving economics of Research and Development activities.
“The region is facing several formidable challenges as it embarks into the 21st century,” says Alnajjar. “Science and Technology holds the key for development of the region. The conference has been conceived in order to mainstream the development of scientific and technical resource as a strategic asset among the Arab nations.”
ASTF was formed in 2000 as an initiative by 400 Arab scientists and the support of the Ruler of Sharjah, H.H. Sheikh Sultan Al Qassimi. ASTF's mission is to promote science and technology in the Arab world, and today it boosts a network of more than 3000 scientists residing in Middle East, Europe and USA, and working in a wide spectrum of disciplines. As a result of its dedicated efforts, ASTF has been acknowledged by international and regional development organization -- like UNESCO, UNDP, TWAS, KFAS, KACST, and others -- as a driving force in bridging the technology gap in the region.
ASTF programs include, among other things, a wide array of activities to encourage more investments in technology. It supports technology startups through strategic, financial, and marketing advice and seeking for them financial and strategic partners. It also organizes the "Investing Technology Forum", which is held twice a year in different cities around the Arab world. ASTF also supports various initiatives to setup venture capital funds focused on the Arab world, and assists large Arab corporations to expand their technological capabilities.
Over the past few years, ASTF has had several successes in IT, communication, water desalination, engineering, and pharmaceuticals. It has always outlined to investors the high returns realized from technology investments, which may exceed 50% per year. It minimizes the investor's risk by conducting extensive technical and financial feasibility for the projects it sponsors, and supports investors in overcoming financial, managerial, and technical problems through its international network of members.
