Arab Universities Urged to Build Regional Research Council
Speakers at the Times Higher Education Arab Summit in Morocco called for stronger coordination among Arab universities on major research challenges.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Lecture and Seminars
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At the Times Higher Education Arab Summit at UM6P University in Morocco, Said Hamdioui argued that research across the Arab region lacks coordination. He proposed an Arab research innovation council, bringing together governments, companies, and stakeholders.
Why it matters
Hamdioui argued that universities need formalised collaboration to tackle the big challenges facing the Arab world. Farida Fassi pointed to historical precedent, noting that Arab scientific discoveries translated into Latin helped spark scientific acceleration in Europe.
Speakers cited the 12th and 13th centuries, when European scientific activity accelerated after Arab scientific works were translated into Latin. The summit did not provide current regional research-output or funding figures, and no formal commitments to the proposed council were reported.
The players
Said Hamdioui
Head of the computer engineering laboratory at Delft University of Technology, who argued for coordinated Arab research and a regional research innovation council.
Farida Fassi
Professor of physics at Mohammed V University, who advocated greater scientific collaboration across the Arab world.
The details
Hamdioui proposed that governments, companies, and stakeholders jointly set shared research priorities and select missions transparently, backed by an Arab mission fund for cross-border university and industry teams. He suggested regional hubs share training, testing, and facilities, and that universities form single consortia around defined problems.
Timeline
12th and 13th centuries: European scientific acceleration followed translation of Arab scientific works into Latin.
November 3, 2026: Hamdioui and Fassi spoke at the Times Higher Education Arab Summit.
Legacy of Translation
Fassi linked the proposal to the 12th and 13th century translation movement, when Arab scientific works carried into Latin helped drive European scientific acceleration. The current call for a coordinated Arab research council revisits that model as a modern institutional response.
Readers interested in regional research collaboration can follow future Times Higher Education Arab Summit proceedings for updates on the proposals. No specific public events, registration routes, or dated follow-up sessions were announced in the source material.
The takeaway
Stronger coordination, shared priorities and pooled funding are the core ideas raised at the summit for turning scattered regional research into collaborative progress. Whether these proposals gain institutional backing will determine how far they reach.
Further reading
Explore more lectures and seminars on academic research and scientific collaboration.
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