Forum for Open Research in MENA

"The Forum for Open Research in MENA (F.O.R.M.) is being organised by the Knowledge E Foundation, Knowledge E, and Gulf Conferences, with the support of our Advisory Partner UNESCO, our Host Partner EKB, and our Patron ALECSO. It will bring together leading international experts and key regional stakeholders, along with open-source and open-resource solutions and technology providers, to support the advancement of Open Science. The movement towards Open Science is vitally important to ensuring the accessibility, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability of our education systems and scholarly communities. However, Open Science is also a complex and multi-faceted concept, and it can be difficult to know how and where to start. The problem is compounded by the negative publicity surrounding predatory practices, which has tarnished the Open Science movement. Supported by UNESCO, ALECSO and EKB, our goal is to provide a forum for MENA librarians, researchers, government policy makers and higher-education institutions to exchange ideas and start new cross-regional collaborations developing Open Science policies and infrastructure. By bringing together industry leaders and global experts, and providing a mixture of outstanding talks, strategy sessions, networking opportunities and workshops, we aim to encourage participants to consider all the issues surrounding equitable Open Scholarship and Open Research practices."