Gulf Times - 27/4/2006

Qatar is committed to providing an attractive environment for Arab scientists so as to benefit from their expertise, the Founding Conference for Expatriate Arab Scientists, which completed its second day yesterday, was told.

“We intend to hold in-depth discussions with the participating experts and put the idea of partnership into practice,” the founding committee co-ordinator and HH Sheikha Mozah Nasser al-Misnad’s office adviser, Dr Abdeljaliel Lahamanate explained.

Addressing a press conference, the official stated that transfer of technical expertise needs proper environment in the receiving country and Qatar was working in this direction.

Referring to the selection of experts for the conference, Dr Lahamanate said that those Arab scientists who go beyond academic experience and capable of linking their expertise to the needs of the market were the ones invited.

Asked about the nature of the partnership envisaged, the official pointed out that the general frameworks have to be agreed upon in the first place.

“When I was assigned earlier to meet all of these scientists personally, my mission was to ask them if they had enough time to help Qatar Foundation (which is organising the conference in association with the office of HH Sheikha Mozah) by sharing their expertise,” he recalled.

Asked if Qatar would bestow citizenship on Arab scientists interested to come to the country, Dr Lahamanate said it was too premature to raise that question, and the principle of partnership requires both sides to make some sacrifices.

“Though Qatari Constitution does not allow dual nationality, I can tell you that HH the Emir respects scientists very much and he may do anything in the interest of the country,” he maintained.

The official expressed hopes that the conference would help build a database of Arab scientists. The event is intended to put together a sustainable mechanism that would catalyse the partnership, facilitate the exchange and be the pool of information, funding and expertise. The conference aims at discussing the ways through which a partnership could be established with the Arab immigrant scientists for the benefit of Arab societies, and formulating projects mirroring the urgent needs.

The general goal is to formulate a partnership framework between the Arab Expatriate Scientists and Qatar Foundation through which scientific research and development in Qatar can be developed.

There are four specific goals. Portraying to the participating scientists the current infrastructure and the possibilities for future scientific research in Qatar, and researching the partnership mechanisms and the shared collaboration channels are two of them.

The two others are to prepare and establish contacts for a database for further communication and participation for the scientists in Qatar, and to set the mechanisms for the post-conference phase.