The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) participated in the virtual international conference "Educational Research between the Challenges of the Present and the Visions of the Future", organized by Dr. Omnia El-Sheikh, Chair of the Board of Directors of New Era College in the United States of America, on 27 and 28 June 2026.

At the outset of his address, Dr. Rami Zaki Eskander, Director of the Education Department at ALECSO, conveyed the greetings of His Excellency Professor Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, to the conference organizers and participants, affirming the importance of this meeting in shaping new visions for the future of educational research amid accelerating global transformations.

ALECSO affirmed that educational research is passing through a transitional phase from "describing the educational reality" to "shaping the educational future", amid the growing impacts of artificial intelligence and digital transformation on the structure of knowledge and patterns of learning.

Dr. Rami Zaki Eskander called for adopting a model of "proactive educational research", based on analyzing early indicators and building future scenarios, as an essential gateway to developing evidence-based educational policies, rather than impressions or traditional estimates.

He also put forward a proposal to establish an "Arab network of educational future laboratories", operating as applied research platforms to test new educational models before their generalization, thereby strengthening the transformation of research from knowledge production into a tool of direct impact on policies.

He pointed out that artificial intelligence represents a structural transformation in education, offering wide possibilities for analyzing educational data, but in return imposes challenges related to justice, privacy, and algorithmic bias, stressing that technology must enhance the human dimension and not replace it.

He also demonstrated the importance of preparing the "fifth-generation educational researcher", capable of integrating educational analysis with digital analysis and future foresight, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of scientific research in influencing educational policies and decision-making.

He concluded ALECSO's address by affirming that the future of educational research will not be measured by the number of published studies, but by its ability to bring about a real impact on educational policies and pedagogical practices, calling for a shift from the knowledge economy to the economy of knowledge impact, reflecting a transformation in the value of research from mere scientific production to a tangible applied impact within educational systems. This transformation rests on employing knowledge in supporting decision-making, developing policies, and improving learning environments, in a way that achieves a measurable impact linked to the priorities of educational development, while strengthening Arab and international cooperation to produce knowledge more connected to the future and more capable of bringing about change.