REGIONAL SCIENCE CONFERENCE SEEN AS SUCCESS FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 005419

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OES, AMMAN FOR WHITTLESEY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2016
TAGS: TSPL ECON EU SY
SUBJECT: REGIONAL SCIENCE CONFERENCE SEEN AS SUCCESS FOR
ASAD, SYRIA

Classified By: CDA William Roebuck, for reasons 1.4 b/d


1. (U) Summary. Syria hosted from December 11-14 the fourth
biannual Scientific Research Outlook (SRO-4) meeting of the
UAE-based Arab Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF) in
Damascus. In attendance were a handful of Americans,
including Dr. Osman Shinaishin from the National Science
Foundation and Dr. Norman Neureiter, former Science Advisor
to Secretaries Albright and Powell. Several Syria-specific
initiatives were discussed, ranging from IT projects to
incubator funds for entrepreneurs. Attendees lauded Syria's
work in organizing the meeting, which seems attributable to
President Bashar Al Asad's renewed commitment, first
announced when he took office in 2000, to scientific
advancement in Syria and the region. End Summary.

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OVERVIEW
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2. (U) Founded in Sharjah, UAE, in 2000 on the model of the
U.S. National Science Foundation, ASTF holds biannual
conferences to bring together scientists from around the
region to share ideas and network for collaboration on future
projects. ASTF focuses on funding and outreach rather than
research. The SARG Ministry of Higher Education offered to
host the conference, on short notice, after the original
Egyptian venue fell through. About 1,100 people attended the
conference from around the region. Especially well
represented were Iraq, the UAE and Egypt; the Syrian
contingent was larger than it ordinarily would have been due
to the location. Several U.S. citizens served as panelists
on various topics across all disciplines.


3. (U) The conference included plenary sessions on broad
topics and smaller, more targeted panels and workshops during
which scientists presented papers, discussed methodologies
and shared experiences in their fields. The main areas
covered for these smaller sessions were Agriculture, Energy
and Water, Medicine/Biotechnology, Information Technology,
and Engineering. There were also breakout groups to discuss
the role of international organizations and cooperation in
Arab scientific efforts. Women scientists were well
represented, and there were two special sessions devoted to
the successes of women in science and technology in the Arab
world.


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EMERGING THEMES
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4. (U) Common themes that emerged included: a lack of
education and employment opportunities in the region;
ineffective management of science research and development
efforts; and the failure thus far of Arab nations to
collaborate both intellectually and financially on scientific
work. Mohsen Tawfik, of Ain Shams University in Egypt,
stressed in his remarks that if these issues are not
addressed the brain drain from the region will continue and
could lead to future economic depression as the Arab world
falls farther behind. Osama Al Ansari, member of the Network
of Syrian Scientists, Technologists and Innovators Abroad
(NOSSTIA),and Director of the Dubai International Financial
Exchange, said that a functioning money market, one that will
mobilize savings and spread financial risk, and that
incorporates checks and balances, is a key component for an
economy to thrive on a global level. Innovation and growth,
IPR considerations and corporate trust are also required
elements to compete in today's global climate. Allowing for
foreign ownership, the repatriation of profits and other
financial incentives could help bring much-needed venture
capital, incubators and other investment to science in the
Arab world, he added. Finally, he said, first-class science
requires proximity to a first-class university, something
that especially needs to be addressed in Syria as well as the
broader region.


5. (U) There were some Syria-specific initiatives discussed,
including a few being run by women scientists. NOSSTIA is
keen to establish exchange programs with universities in the
U.S. and Europe, and currently works with UNDP and several
groups within Syria (Syrian Computer Society, Syrian Arab
Airlines and the Syrian Telecom Establishment). They hope to
learn from the experiences of other scientists and improve
the chances for Syrian students to obtain science/technology
jobs within Syria rather than remaining overseas
post-graduation. An effort called Reefnet, aided by UNDP and

DAMASCUS 00005419 002.7 OF 002


the SARG Ministry of Communication, is working to connect
rural Syrians with the rest of the world by building and
staffing small community centers and interactive community
portals and discussion fora. Ten training centers in towns
and villages help physically disabled Syrians to train for IT
jobs, with women comprising 44 percent of the enrollees.
Reefnet also includes centers for the visually impaired to
use computers, and plans to build more in the next three
years. Finally, a young Syrian woman is heading up a
technical incubator to fund entrepreneurs as agents of
change. Ms. Rima Shaban commented that the lack of business
knowledge and teamwork skills among science students sorely
needed to be addressed. Her goal is to develop this first
Syrian incubator organization and eventually engage with
international NGOs and universities.


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OVERHEARD
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6. (C) As in any gathering in this region, many discussions
revolved around political matters. EconOff was frequently
asked about U.S. visa policy, as many scientists are
reportedly now having trouble getting visas due to clearance
issues. One scientist complained about what he described as
discriminatory U.S. border enforcement procedures, claiming
many Arabs are singled out unfairly for extra scrutiny simply
because they are Arabs. A journalist from Egypt asked the
group if perhaps the cooperation between the Arab world and
the EU is increasing because of all the problems Arab
scientists are having with the U.S.


7. (C) Comment. In a meeting at the Embassy, Drs. Shinaishin
and Neureiter highlighted the SARG,s successful effort to
organize and host the conference, and attributed it to
Asad,s desire to be seen as promoting science not just in
Syria, but in the region. His remarks upon taking office in
2000 noted that he was intent upon improving and advancing
science, but those efforts have borne only modest results
thus far. Some attendees expressed a hope that this
conference signals a re-emergence of Asad's interest in
scientific endeavors. EconOff attended this event as it fell
naturally into line with increased Post efforts to develop a
broader range of contacts as the SARG increasingly tries to
restrict embassy access to our more traditional civil society
contacts. Given Syrian scientists' current greater freedom
of access to the outside world, science will hopefully emerge
as a sector through which Post can have more engagement with
the broader Syrian civil society.
ROEBUCK