Abu-Ghazaleh Announces the 1st International Platform on Integrating Arab e-infrastructure in a Global Environment

Posted on: 13 Dec, 2023

AMMAN--------December 5, 2011---------HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN) chairman announced on Monday the 1st International Platform on Integrating Arab e-infrastructure in a Global Environment which will be organized under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein December 12-14 at the Four Seasons Hotel.

The event will be held in conjuction with EUMED Event 4, Internet2 SIG Middle East Meeting and ASREN 1st Annual Meeting with special sessions to be dedicated to specific domains such as Digital Cultural Heritage, Climate Change, Economic Crisis, Global Warming, and Energy.

During a press conference conducted today at Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Graduate School of Business, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh extended his appreciation to His Majesty King Abdullah II and welcomed the media who are part of this one of a kind event.

"This unique event in the region and the world is meant to be the launching pad for Research & Education connectivity and cooperation. It will bring together the ASREN, EUMED, GEANT, and INTERNET 2 stakeholders and the region’s foremost innovators, leaders, scientists, and businesses to discuss and debate new models of innovation, integration of R&E networks, policies for sustainable development in education, means of knowledge sharing and dissemination, capacity building programs, and the region-wide e- infrastructure deployment to tackle today’s crises in climate change, global economy, food and water scarcity, alternative energy, and threatening environmental issues. The forum can lay the foundation for a dream of many of today’s leaders towards a global e-infrastructure for R&E based on real life broad inclusiveness beyond any political protocols," he said.
According to Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh the objectives of the event are to:
- announce the first year of achievements of ASREN and present its future planning
- launch the third phase of the EUMEDCONENCT project
- show the achievements of e-Infrastructures in the area such as EUMEDGRID and further build on the success of the previous EUMED Events 1,2 and 3 to
present and develop cooperation between the Arab, European, and US researchers.
- draw attention of high level politicians and decision makers on the importance of the e-Infrastructures to develop the research and education communities in the Arab world and beyond.

- help and support sustainable research and education network across the Arab region connected to the European Network GEANT2, North American Network Internet2 and other regional networks around the world.
- attract and encourage donors, research foundations and supporting institutions in the Arab region, Europe and worldwide to support the development of ASREN and research e-infrastructure .
- strengthen the involvement of the private sector’s collaboration in developing research and education.
- Bring the attention of scientists and researchers on the importance of e-Infrastructure and to showcase examples of collaborative and joint research projects.
He added that the Integrating Arab e-Infrastructure in a Global Environment will help tackle development of R&E networks in the Arab world and beyond by showing how e-Infrastructures can be used to provide high-quality education and research on a large scale.

At end of the press conference, HE Abu-Ghazaleh extended his gratitude to the European Union particularly the Directorate General Information Society and Media (DG- INFSO) for supporting the scientific infrastructure in the Arab countries bordering the Mediterranean through the EUMED CONNECT and EUMEDGRID-SUPPORT.

He also thanked all sponsors for their support:

• Royal Court - the Royal Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
• Jordanian Government: Ministry of ICT and Ministry of Higher Education
• European Commission: DG INFSO and DG RELEX
• The United Nations , UNESCO and UNDP
• International Model United Nations Association
• League of Arab States: Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and Arab ICT Organization (AICTO)
• USAID
• Foundations like Qatar Foundation, MBR Foundation, AGFUND, Macarthur Foundation , Clinton Initiative , Packard Foundation , Ford foundation, Abu Dhabi Research Fund
• Research and Education Networks: ASREN, GEANT2, INTERNET2 SIG, European NRENs, Arab NRENs, other Regional NRENs
• Universities: Universities from around the region will be involved
• IO/NGO and Research Communities: European Investment Bank, FAO, ICTP,CERN,
SESAME, CONGO , Global Hope , ICRC, African Union, Sharing Knowledge Foundation
• Industry: TAG-Org , Jordan Telecom, ZAIN, Cisco, Regional Telco’s, Google, Tata communications, Microsoft, Hewlet Packard, Apple , Dell , Oracle, and more.

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