Two scientific publications released on the 20th anniversary for the establishment of the Arab Thought Foundation

The Arab Thought Foundation (ATF) released, on the 20th anniversary of its establishment, two books, the first one in Arabic entitled “The Arabs Challenges towards Knowledge and Innovation”, and the second in English entitled “Empowering Knowledge and Innovation: Challenges for the Arab Countries”, both written by Dr. Mouin Hamze, expert and advisor for scientific research, development and innovation, and Dr. Omar El Bizri,senior consultant specializing in science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies, targeting sustainable development in the Middle East and North Africa. ATF issued these books emphasizingits constant interest in highlighting the role of science in the progress of peoples and the development of communities, and the tireless efforts it has made since its inception to monitor the reality of scientific research and technology and innovation activities in various Arab countries.

The Arabic book comprises of 4 sections dealing with the following topics: the scientific approach to challenges faced by theArab development, Arab research towards innovation, knowledge transformations in Arab countries, and enabling society to acquire and invest scientific knowledge. It also includes a conclusion on the cognitive challenges in the transition towards innovation, as well as an appendix to the most prominent research and development activities in 22 Arab countries.

Thus, the chapters under the first section of the book deal with the main challenges facing comprehensive and sustainable Arab development, and the hoped-for directions for ambitious and effective policies and strategies implemented by young frameworks open to the horizons of science, technology, and innovation. The second section deals with research and development activities, their resources and outputs, the developing environments for acquiring technology, and the mechanisms for stimulating innovation and its investment in Arab countries. The chapters under the third section focus on the emerging cognitive transformations based on digital technologies, biotechnology, and novel materials. The fourth section deals with enabling society to interact constructively with scientific knowledge and its repercussions on various social and economic levels and addresses the need for Arabic based platforms dealing with scientific and technological knowledge, and the role of women in acquiring these knowledges, forming and investing them, and promoting Arab culture and scientific media.

Moreover, these two books are characterized by various advantages that give them a novel character, as they include new topics, and are rich in data related to the latest published information on the conditions of research, technological development, and innovation in the Arab countries, within the approved international references, and are consistent with the emerging transformations in the axes of research, technological development, and innovation in the Arab countries, and its implications for comprehensive and sustainable development. 

Both books are distinguished by their keenness to cover all Arab countries without exception and are characterized by the complex methodology adopted by the two authors, in which they combined, in a consistent and coherent manner, the description, the analysis and the foresight, as distinct, but necessary and integrated elements. These two publications represent two documented and reliable references that those concerned with scientific research and technology and innovation activities in the Arab world can benefit from and invest in their contents. They also draw a clear roadmap towards building the awaited future and make an urgent call for inclusion in the process of advancement to achieve the comprehensive and sustainable development that our Arab countries need.

It should be noted that ATF will hold several seminars on the book in more than one Arab country.

Watch the live streaming of the books launch at Saint Joseph University in Beirut by registering on the following link: https://events.hubilo.com/AtfBooksLaunchingEvent