Doha, October 22 (QNA) - Qatar National Library, in partnership with the Knowledge E Foundation, hosted the third Annual Forum for Open Research (FORM) in MENA.

The three-day conference brought together leading researchers, policymakers and innovators from across the Middle East and North Africa to explore and advance open research practices in the region.

HE Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari emphasized that since its establishment, the library has been keen to communicate with local and international audiences, which resulted in the number of its visitors doubling in 2023 to 1.2 million visitors, after it was nearly 600,000 visitors in 2022, reflecting the keenness to make books and knowledge accessible to all, which in turn provides an environment for exploration and innovation.

His Excellency said: "This year's forum emphasizes a cause central to our mission at Qatar National Library - advancing open research and fostering a culture of collaboration and knowledge exchange that yields tangible, impactful results. The Library has spared no effort in supporting the growth and prosperity of open science ecosystems, both in Qatar and across the region. We remain steadfast in our commitment to engage with our local and global communities, preserve Qatar's rich history and culture, and collaborate with international institutions to expand the reach of knowledge." Open access is one of our core values,"

His Excellency added. "We believe in offering unrestricted access to our collections and services, ensuring knowledge is within everyone's reach. This not only allows us to safeguard our nation's heritage, but also empowers the people of Qatar to positively impact society by creating an environment conducive to learning, discovery, and innovation."

In the same context, HE the Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the library's hosting of the forum reflects its international standing in the field of research and studies and making knowledge available to all, as one of its goals since its establishment, and as part of its vision to host such major events.

His Excellency said that the Library is a pioneer in this field, as it has initiated specialized projects and is open to various international parties. He pointed out the Qatari research platform "Manara," which is concerned with academic research and was established in Qatar with the aim of collecting, preserving, and facilitating access to it.

His Excellency added that the platform currently includes more than 6,000 research materials, reviewed by nearly 40,000 researchers monthly and that the openness of Qatar National Library to international libraries will enable these libraries to benefit from the knowledge provided by the library and the leadership it achieves in this field, in addition to its openness at the local level, in cooperation with various parties, through the "Qatar National Library coalition".

For her part, Executive Director of Qatar National Library Tan Huism said the Library's commitment to supporting and facilitating research continues to grow as it builds on its initiatives to promote and advocate for open research practices in collaboration with various organizations across the region.

"Through initiatives such as the Manara - Qatar Research Repository, our Open Access Fund, and events like today's, we pursue our objective of promoting open access that increases the impact and visibility of published works, which ultimately advances our mission of serving as a hub for learning, cultural development, and personal growth," Tan said.

Chair of the Annual Forum for Open Research Emily Choynowski said that the theme of the annual MENA Open Research Forum, "Transforming Knowledge into Action," reflects the key priorities that emerged during the panel discussions and Q&A sessions at last year's annual forum, as well as the urgent need expressed by many stakeholders to move from discussion to more effective calls to action and take concrete steps.

In turn, CEO of the Knowledge E Foundation Kamran Kardan pointed out that the foundation has supported open research since its inception and has followed up on its development, and that its initiatives have contributed positively in many countries around the world, including Arab countries, which has transformed the forum into a movement for dialogue and cooperation. He stressed the importance of the forum in exchanging ideas, exploring opportunities, and establishing cooperative relationships between participants.

During its sessions following the opening, the forum sought to highlight the latest trends and opportunities in open research, to help facilitate the global transition towards more sustainable and inclusive research models, and to make them more widely available.

The annual Forum for Open Research in MENA, launched in 2022 by the Knowledge E Foundation as an independent, non-profit initiative, aims to support researchers and research groups on their journey towards a more "open" world.

Qatar National Library is a leader in open access in the MENA region, providing services through transformative read and publish agreements. These include an article processing charge (APC) fund to cover processing charges for open access journals, and a digital research repository to support a permanent archive of Qatar-based research. Since 2018, the Qatar National Library consortium has funded the publication of more than 5,000 articles.

In 2023, the library also launched Manara - Qatar Research Repository, which captures, preserves, and provides access to scholarly research created in the country. Manara supports both Arabic and English traditional research outputs, such as articles, conference proceedings, and monographs, as well as non-traditional outputs in the form of datasets and software, multimedia materials, posters, and presentations. Since its launch, Manara now hosts more than 6,700 open-access items and has garnered over 173,000 views and 105,000 downloads.

(QNA)