Under the gracious patronage of His Excellency Professor Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), ALECSO (Science and Scientific Research Department) organized:
This forum comes within ALECSO's efforts to "enable intellectual unity among the parts of the Arab world, by encouraging scientific research in the Arab countries, proposing treaties, and helping to exchange expertise, information, and educational, cultural and scientific experiences and technical assistance" (the Organization's Constitution, Article One). Accordingly, ALECSO included in its future action plan for the years (2023-2028) a set of objectives, the most important of which are: encouraging joint research among researchers, building networks and strengthening partnership between the public and private sectors and research and academic institutions at the Arab, regional and international levels, and enhancing the contribution of science and scientific research to achieving the goals of sustainable and inclusive development in the Arab countries. This is out of ALECSO's awareness of the importance of networking between Arab universities and international institutions concerned with the scientific research and sustainable development sector, to enhance cooperation in driving comprehensive economic and social development. Therefore, ALECSO devoted an important place in its programmes and projects to this sector, the most prominent result of which was the launch of this forum, with broad, effective Arab and international participation, in line with the development taking place on the international scene in the field of scientific and technological research, entrepreneurship and innovation, in order to give green entrepreneurship, the circular economy and the green economy all due importance and care, in a way that drives them towards progress and excellence and creates all opportunities for our children who are counted upon to build a promising future for the Arab nations. His Excellency the Director-General of ALECSO affirmed that "given the growing global interest in the culture of volunteering and its links to economic and social returns, and the achievement of sustainable national and global visions, and its impact on increasing productivity and developing young competencies and enabling them to participate effectively in the advancement of their societies, it has become incumbent upon us to also contribute to spreading the culture of forming voluntary environmental teams among our university students and to developing and enhancing their capacities in all fields of voluntary work, especially environmental work, in a way that preserves our planet and its natural resources, in light of the climate changes that threaten the future of our coming generations and undermine their hopes for a safe, sustainable life."
The forum aims to reach the actual and scientific contribution of ALECSO, the Arab universities, and the relevant Arab and international bodies and institutions to achieving the general objectives of the Arab Strategy for Scientific Research, Technology and Innovation, the implementation of which the Twenty-Eighth Arab Summit entrusted to the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization in coordination with the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States; to support the initiatives of the participating Arab universities to achieve the objectives of that strategy and to open up more participation and cooperation between ALECSO and the Arab universities and the Arab and international academic and research bodies and institutions; and to facilitate the exchange of scientific visits and Arab scientific mobility among members of the Arab universities from academic and research bodies, for the purpose of transferring expertise and knowledge and increasing Arab scientific output, as well as with members of international academic and research institutions and bodies.
