partcipation in Science-policy networks
Arab German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA)
In 2022, I was elected as a member of AGYA, a prestigious academy for excellent young scientists from Germany and the Arab World. AGYA is housed at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) in Berlin. BBAW is one of the oldest science academies in Germany (founded in 1700).
AGYA members are excellent young scientists from a variety of disciplines. The members are affiliated in equal numbers with research institutions in Germany and in Arab countries.
AGYA offers its members the unique opportunity to develop and implement their ideas, visions, and projects within the framework of Arab-German research collaboration. Limiting the number of members to 60 ensures close cooperation and gives AGYA members a sense of familiarity and mutual trust. At the same time, this number allows for diversity in terms of geographic background and academic fields. Membership is granted for a period of five years, after which members obtain lifelong access to AGYA’s Alumni Network of excellent researchers.
Centers for Natural Resources and Development (CNRD)
I am the Qatar coordinator (with my colleague Dr. Esmat Zaidan) of CNRD, an impressive network of universities – mostly from the Global South, working natural resource management in the context of development. CNRD – initially funded as an excellence project of international educational cooperation funded by Germany – is a global network of higher education institutions promoting academic exchange and cooperation in the area of natural resources management (NRM), in particular related to water, land, ecosystem, renewable energy resources and climate change. CNRD is based on an interdisciplinary and international approach, linking partners from different regions and professional backgrounds.
This network is coordinated by my former institute, the Institute for Technology and Resources Management in the Tropics and Subtropics (ITT) at TH-Koeln University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, Germany.
Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative (EMME-CCI)
I am a member of the Task Force on Water Resources of EMME-CCI which was initiated in March 2019 by Cyprus and has matured into an ambitious scheme striving to coordinate a concerted effort by the countries of the region to address the climate crisis.
In 2022, the task force published a very valuable report on climate change and water resources in the EMME region. You can read the report here.
Marine Science Diplomacy Group
In 2021, a group of scientists from the Gulf and USA – led by the Smithsonian Institution – was formed to advance co-production of knowledge and advocacy of science diplomacy as a way to build-trust and influence outcomes on common environmental issues for all Gulf countries. The special focus of this interdisciplinary network is marine ecosystems and the challenges they face in terms of degradation and threats by climate change.
Read our Letter to Nature.
Read our latest publication on science diplomacy.
Academic Working Group on the intersection of Politics and the Environment of the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)
In 2023, ARI formed a an academic working group on politics and the environment. This group includes coalition of engaged scientists that share the passion to impact policies towards a just environmental development in the Arab region. It is operating within the realm of the Knowledge as Public Good: Fostering the Role of Social Scientists in Policy Development” project funded by the Carnegie Corporation.
