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ASREN's AfricaConnect3 (C3) and EUMEDCONNECT3 Meeting

 29 - 31 May 2024

  Farah Hotel, Rabat, Morocco


Summary: 

The Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN) convened its Bi-Annual Meeting on May 29th to 31st, 2024, at Farah Hotel in Rabat, Morocco. This gathering brought together distinguished representatives from various member institutions to engage in a rigorous exchange of updates concerning the progress, current challenges, and prospective developments within their respective National Research and Education Networks (NRENs). The main highlights included the introduction of ASREN's new structure and branding; a comprehensive overview of ongoing and upcoming projects, namely AfricaConnect3, EUMEDplus and Medusa; and in-depth discussions during a dedicated workshop at MARWAN. This meeting set the stage for future initiatives and strengthened regional cooperation among the network's partners.  
 
Each institution provided a detailed account of their operational milestones, infrastructural enhancements, strategic collaborations both regionally and internationally, and forward-looking strategies aimed at bolstering connectivity and services across their networks. The discussions highlighted the collective efforts to overcome challenges, leverage opportunities, and foster a conducive environment for research and education across the region.  

The meeting was an opportunity to introduce the changes that ASREN went through, namely management and legal aspects, branding, governance, strategic focus, staffing and re-engagement with various actors.


Agenda: 

29 May 2024
09:00-10:30
 
Session I: ASREN Shareholders and Members (Arabic and English)
·       Welcome by the host followed by Introduction
·       ASREN Update: Management, Legal, Branding, Governance, Technical, Cloud, Open Science.
·       Partners updates* Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Egypt, Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Oman, Palestine, Lebanon, and SESAME
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:30
·       ASREN plans and challenges
·       Discussions and conclusions
·       e-AGE24 in Tunis
·       Preparation for the next shareholder’s meeting
12:30-13:30 Lunch Break
13:30-15:00
 
Sessions II: AfricaConnect3 Project results, achievements, lessons (English)
·       ASREN
·       GEANT
·       AC3 Cluster3 Partners: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt
30 May 2024
09:00-10:30
 
Session III: Moving on from AfricaConnect3 to EUMEDplus & Medusa (English)
·       Discussions and preparation for Medusa and EUMEDplus projects.
·       Discussions include roles, responsibilities and readiness of ASREN and NRENS for both projects
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:30
Continue the discussion
12:30-13:30 Lunch Break
13:30-15:00
Continue the discussion
31 May 2024
09:00-10:00
 
A visit to CNRST and MARWAN Data Center
Welcome Message, Prof. Jamila El Alami, Director of CNRST
REN Technology Story, Shadi Sayed
Technology Solutions for RENs, Nassim Dahmani
 
11:00-11:20 Coffee Break
11:20-13:00

Workshop on Technologies and Opportunities for NRENs
·       Customer Success Stories, Bruno De Troch
·       Advanced IP Technologies to accelerate REN ambitions, Slim Sidhom
·       High Performance Optical Technologies for RENs, Osama Abdel Rahman
 
13:00-14:00
Jomaa Prayer
 
14:00-15:30
Lunch