Under the Patronage of His Highness Sayyid Taimur Bin As’ad Al Said, the Arab States Research and Education Network – ASREN, held its fourth annual event “4th International Platform on Integrating Arab e-Infrastructure in a Global Environment - e-AGE 2014” on December 10-11, 2014, in Muscat, Oman. The platform was hosted by The Research Council (TRC) of Oman.
In e-AGE 2014, the main theme was “Intercontinental Connectivity of the Pan Arab Network.” ASREN took concrete steps towards interconnecting researchers and academics across the Arab States by launching its first PoP in London Telicity and worked with Ankabut to establish the first Arab Education Global Open Exchange in Fujairah. They also collaborated with partners on new PoPs in Egypt and the Maghreb region. ASREN supported the development of NRENs in some Arab countries. During e-AGE 2014, ASREN focused on users and how the e-Infrastructure could support their needs in terms of services and applications. Special sessions were dedicated to users to present their research and education activities and identify how NRENs could better serve them.
Following the success of e-AGE in previous years, e-AGE 2014 included events, workshops, and meetings centered on the following themes:
- The 7th Event on Euro-Mediterranean e-Infrastructure
- The 4th annual meeting of ASREN
- AROQA 6th Annual Conference
- EUMEDCONNECT3 Project Meeting
- Technical Workshops on R&E networking
The Research Council (TRC) is Oman’s exclusive research funding body and leader of research development in the country. TRC serves as a focal point and hub dedicated to promoting and supporting research, scientific inquiry, and innovation in the Sultanate of Oman. At the heart of its work is nurturing research talent to power innovation and create economic benefits for national prosperity.
Established in June 2005, TRC was founded by Royal Decree No. 54/2005 under the chairmanship of His Highness Sayyid Shihab Bin Tariq Al-Said, adviser to His Majesty the Sultan. This was notably followed in 2010 by Royal Decree No.30/2010 with TRC set to lead the way in drawing up a national plan for scientific research in the Sultanate.
As a policy-making body and funding agency, TRC encourages the promotion and application of research, innovation, and science to create value that serves business, markets, and the wider needs of society. It believes that research conducted in Oman should further the public good with a commitment to the spread and transfer of knowledge.
As part of its mandate and strategy, TRC provides and enables a sustainable infrastructure that contributes to the emergence of an effective national innovation ecology. ICT-based services in general, and an Oman National Research and Education Network (OMREN) in particular, are seen as a central part of this infrastructure.
Dates: 10th - 11th December 2014
Location: Muscat, Oman
