The Arab States Research and Education Network (ASREN) took part in the virtual Omren Technology Summit, 31 May 2021. The first edition of OTS attracted wide participation from the regional and global research & education community, with a recorded virtual attendance of more than 500 visitors from 20 countries.
ASREN’s Managing Director, Yousef Torman gave a presentation during the virtual summit titled: “Towards a New Role of NRENs”. Torman provided insight into the new global trends to which National Research and education Networks can be of a great value.
Throughout the years, National Research and Education Networks have been struggling with many challenges making their own case towards their users, funders and partners. This is why NRENs sought to habitually identify and deploy new demand-led value added services, keeping up with the stakeholders’ constantly changing needs and strengthening the overall case of the NREN from within.
To further foster the relationship of an NREN with its stakeholders, NRENs should also keep pace with the global trends and priorities recently aroused in the research and education arena. In his presentation, Torman highlighted a number of these trends such as; the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Science and Science Diplomacy, Open Science, Open Access, Open Data, Science Communities and Communities of Practice, Scientific Computing, Science Collaboration Platforms and Internet Access, Security and Governance. By engaging and taking an active part in promoting, adopting and achieving these initiatives and trends, the NREN will become more than just a network and thrive towards achieving the optimal model for its country.
Torman called upon all NRENs to no longer live isolated form these global trends and grow beyond their typical role, moving from "Making the Case for NRENs" to "NRENs are Making the Case".
ABOUT OMREN
Oman Research and Education Network (OMREN) is a central part of a sustainable infrastructure that contributes to the emergence of an effective national innovation ecosystem. It provides the research and education community in the Sultanate of Oman with a common network and collaboration infrastructure adapted to their needs.
OMREN works with a vision to enable innovation, research, education, strategic and International e- collaboration for the research and education community of the Sultanate of Oman.
