Professor Elizabeth completed PhD studies at Durham University (UK) and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research group develops small molecule fluorescent sensors and sensor arrays for biological, clinical and environmental applications, three of which have been commercialised. She is chief science and technology officer for Fluorescentia, a start-up commercialising her assay for measuring chemotherapeutic agents in the blood. She has graduated 20 PhD students and has won major national and international awards for research, teaching and leadership.

Prof. Rana Dajani is a Yidan Global Fellow at Harvard and a professor of molecular biology at the Hashemite University in Jordan, specializing in epigenetics and trauma biomarkers among refugees. She is the founder of We Love Reading, a grassroots initiative that empowers women and fosters changemakers, now present in over 70 countries with 8,000+ locally run libraries. Prof. Dajani is also the creator of a global mentoring program supporting women scholars in STEM, recognized by the National Academy of Sciences. Her 2018 book, “Five Scarves: Doing the Impossible—If We Can Reverse Cell Fate, Why Can’t We Redefine Success?”, challenges global policymakers to rethink equity and redefine measures of success. She has held visiting positions at Harvard, Yale, MIT, and Cambridge and has been honored with numerous awards, including the UNESCO International Literacy Prize, the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award, and the Schwab Social Entrepreneur Award, cementing her reputation as a social entrepreneur and global thought leader.

Fatima Botmeh is a gender and organizational development specialist with over 20 years of experience in Palestine, the MENA region, and internationally. She focuses on women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, and inclusive leadership, working with public institutions, civil society, and the private sector to foster gender-responsive and inclusive change. A certified Participatory Gender Audit (PGA) Facilitator with the ILO in Geneva, Fatima has trained and accredited gender audit facilitators globally and developed empowerment and mentoring programs, including GIZ’s Duos for Empowerment toolkit. As a leadership coach and trainer, she provides advisory support and capacity-building initiatives that promote women’s leadership, youth engagement, and economic participation across the region.

Across her career spanning 28 years in the fields of Telecommunications and IT, Rima Manna has always been drawn to companies that pushed boundaries. This drive for growth brought her to invaluable opportunities across multiple organizations covering the MEA region Alcatel-Lucent, TechData, 3Com, that continuously challenged her capabilities in new fields and environments. In Rima’s current role as Vice President for Nokia’s NI Middle East Market Unit & UAE Country Director, she shaped successful region-wide growth strategies that included business model transformation and sales organizations revitalization. She achieved this by combining strong business acumen, fluency in the latest technologies and passion for delivering value. Early on Rima saw technology as a means to transform our lives and now, as a crucial means to preserving our planet. She is proud to be part of the collective effort to bring about these changes.

She earned her PhD in Drug Delivery from King’s College London and specializes in innovative topical drug delivery systems. A recipient of the Study UK Alumni Award for Business and Innovation (2025), she also holds a patent for a novel antifungal therapy. Dr. Nasereddin was awarded the British Council’s Going Global Grant for women empowerment in academic leadership and is a graduate of the Leaders in Innovation Fellowship (Royal Academy of Engineering, UK) and the Austrian Leadership Program.

Wissal Benaicha Matti is a Master’s 2 student in Artificial Intelligence and Big Data at Khemis Miliana University, Algeria. She is passionate about using AI to solve real world challenges and she has contributed to several projects, including 3Decor, a 3D interior design recommendation system, and Exodus, a NASA Space Apps Challenge project focused on accelerating the discovery of exoplanets through machine learning. She has also explored wildfire spread prediction using AI, which demonstrates her strong interest in data science, intelligent systems, and Artificial Intelligence.

Marwa Hachem received her BE in Chemical Engineering with High Distinction from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 2024. She is currently pursuing her ME in Chemical Engineering at AUB, where her primary research centers on AI-driven computational reaction engineering (molecular dynamics). She also conducts research in sustainable energy systems and process modeling and optimization.

Youcef Benrached is an AI Engineer and Data Scientist, currently serving as a Lecturer at Khemis Miliana University, Ain Defla, Algeria, where he teaches courses in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science. His expertise spans computer vision, data analytics, and deep learning, with a strong focus on practical and impactful applications. His research includes medical label detection and text extraction using OCR systems such as Tesseract, EasyOCR, and TrOCR. Beyond academia, he is passionate about applying AI to solve real-world problems, with ongoing interests in healthcare innovations, environmental monitoring, and intelligent automation.  

Lara Nasereddin is a master’s student in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan. Her research focuses on natural product drug discovery, with a particular interest in identifying bioactive compounds for potential therapeutic use. In addition to her academic work, she has professional experience as a Regulatory Affairs Officer, which has strengthened her understanding of drug development processes and regulatory compliance within the pharmaceutical industry.

Hajar is a dedicated microbiologist currently serving as an Assistant Lecturer of Botany and Genetics at Pharos University in Alexandria and as a Research Assistant at the Smart Engineering Laboratory at Nile University. In addition to her academic and research roles, she leads the Technical Skills Unit at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Her academic path began with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Environmental Sciences, graduating with Excellence with Honor, followed by a Master of Science specializing in Microbiology. Her research interests encompass a wide range of microbiological fields, including microbial ecology, mycology, plastics biodegradation, and the preservation of cultural heritage. Hajar’s research is deeply anchored in the preservation of cultural heritage, which stands at the core of her scientific pursuits. At the Great Library of Alexandria, she has dedicated herself to protecting rare and valuable historical collections from microbial biodeterioration, with a particular focus on fungi. Her master’s research in the Rare Books and Special Collections Section of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina emphasized understanding and mitigating the microbial threats that endanger centuries-old manuscripts and artifacts. By combining microbiological expertise with conservation science, Hajar strives to safeguard humanity’s cultural legacy, ensuring that priceless documents and artifacts remain intact for future generations. In addition to her work in cultural preservation, she pursues solutions for global environmental challenges through her role at the Smart Engineering Systems Research Centre in Giza, Egypt, which she joined in 2024. There, her research investigates the potential of fungi in degrading PET plastics, aiming to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly biodegradation strategies.

Eya Ben Saad is a PhD student and member of the Laboratory of Useful Materials (LMU) at the National Institute for Physico-Chemical Research and Analysis (INRAP) in Tunisia. She is currently in her third year of doctoral studies at the Faculty of Sciences in Tunis. Her research focuses on the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic pressures on the Grombalia aquifer system, with a particular focus on issues such as drought, overexploitation, nitrate contamination, and increasing salinity.

Kaouthar Karroum is a PhD researcher in Law, focusing on the legal implications of illegal urban development and its impact on urban governance and land use frameworks. She complements her research with practical experience, having taught law tutorials to advance understanding of these critical legal structures.

Marwa Taha Kamel Abo Gabal is a biochemist and master's degree student in the Biochemistry Department at Cairo University. As a research assistant at Chem-Diag Lab, Ain Shams University, she focuses on the development of advanced biosensors for cancer diagnosis. She brings over two years of experience in research and laboratory techniques from her roles as a lab chemist and regulatory affairs specialist, demonstrating strong analytical and project leadership skills.

Mohamed Habbaba is a Master of Engineering student in Chemical Engineering at the American University of Beirut (AUB), where he also earned his B.E. with High Distinction (2024). A Mastercard Foundation Scholar, his research focuses on hydrogen production, catalysis, and the techno-economic analysis of sustainable energy systems.

Mohammed Naji is a PhD student in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). His research specializes in pathogen surveillance using genomic and metagenomic approaches, with a focus on wastewater-based epidemiology to develop early-warning systems for infectious diseases. He has contributed to two scientific book chapters, published multiple research papers, and holds a patent for developing Rapidly Mutating Y-STR markers. Through his work, Mohammed aims to advance genomic surveillance by integrating next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics to strengthen global public health responses.

Sally Najib is an independent development expert from Iraq with a background in Translation and Languages and ongoing studies in Political Science. She brings extensive experience in women’s empowerment, advocacy, and heritage projects. Her work on inclusive community engagement and local governance offers a valuable social science perspective on sustainable development and resource management challenges.

Ahmed is an IP Networks Consulting Systems Engineer at Nokia in the Middle East. He provides technical consulting on the architecture and design of Wide Area Networks (WAN) and data center networks for carriers and large enterprises. In his consultancy role, he delivers best-practice designs for mission-critical IP/MPLS/Ethernet networks, optimizing the delivery of Multi-Play, Internet, VPN, security, and cloud services. With over 17 years of international experience in the telecommunications industry, Ahmed has held various roles across technical presales, project management, and consulting. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Manchester, UK, and a Master’s degree in Wireless Communications from the University of Greenwich, UK.

Dr Emily Choynowski is the Chief Academic Officer at Knowledge E. She is also the Co-Founder and Director of the Forum for Open Research in MENA, working with key regional stakeholders to promote the development and implementation of open science policies and practices across the Arab region. Emily also serves on the Advisory Board of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and various working groups and committees including the European Network of Academic Integrity, and the International Open Access Week Committee. Meanwhile, as an independent scholar working in the field of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British literature and culture, Emily serves as Director of The Byron Society (a UK-based literary charity), sits on the Executive Committee of the British Association of Romantic Studies (BARS) as the representative for independent scholars and non-academic members, and serves on various editorial boards for journals and book series.

Nicole Mulaku is an Open Science advocate and Programs Officer for Library and Consortia at the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa), a capacity-building organization based at the University of Nairobi. She holds a degree in International Relations and Diplomacy and is dedicated to advancing the visibility of African research through Open Access and Open Science initiatives.

Joy Owango Is an experienced award winning Founding Director of the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa) an award winning Trust registered in Kenya set up in 2006 and is the first African-based training centre to teach effective communication skills to scientists. TCC Africa is in partnership and housed at the University of Nairobi, Kenya and provides capacity support in improving African researchers output and visibility through in scholarly and science communication.

Dr. Barakat graduated at the top of his class in Mechanical Engineering from Ain Shams University, where he also earned his Master’s degree in Acoustics and Vibrations. For his distinguished research, he received both the University Award and the American Acoustical Society Award. He later obtained a DAAD scholarship to pursue his Ph.D. at the Technical University of Darmstadt, where he investigated a class of nonlinear dynamical systems and developed an advanced control method for microelectromechanical gyroscopes. This work earned him the Ali Nayfeh Best Paper Award from the International Society of Nonlinear Dynamics (NODYS). During that period, he also worked as a Control Systems Engineer, contributing to the development of autonomous vehicle technologies. Following his doctoral studies, Dr. Barakat joined the Technical University of Munich as a Postdoctoral Researcher, where he developed a theoretical framework elucidating the correspondence between classical and quantum dynamics using resonant nanostructures. He also contributed to the introduction of an interdisciplinary course in Quantum Engineering and serves as a Postdoctoral Representative on the Executive Committee of the Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology. Beyond his technical research, Dr. Barakat maintains a deep interest in the philosophy and history of science. He co-authored a book translation and is currently preparing a critical edition of an Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) manuscript on modal logic. In parallel, he actively promoted science communication as Vice President of the German–Egyptian GESR association and as a students’ mentor with the Egypt Scholars association. Since last year, he has been serving as Section Editor for Physical Sciences at the Scientific Arab Forum (SAF), where he is also organizing its inaugural conference of physical sciences, themed “100 Years of Quantum.”

Douaa is a systems biologist by training and currently a faculty member at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health which she joined after the COVID19 pandemic revealed the importance of better digital infrastructure, more interdisciplinary research, and public-private partnerships for local and global pandemic preparedness. In her current role, she is the Data Officer for a large NIH-funded consortium of international researchers leveraging multi-OMICs to identify principled vaccine and diagnostic strategies for adults at risk of TB – the world’s deadliest infectious disease by number of lives claimed. She also manages a partnership with Siemens Healthineers focused on using digitally-connected diagnostics for public health monitoring. Outside of academia, she is a part-time Senior Consultant at the Brussels-based consulting firm myEUconsulting, where she helps high-risk but promising early-stage Life & Health Science startups obtain EU funding. She is also the COO and acting Chief editor at the Scientific Arab Forum (SAF). In this role, she focuses on community building and science communication as means for promoting broader interest in science and collaborative research and innovation, which she believes are major pillars for radical advancement in the MENA region.

Joel Omiat is an Officer in Events & Public Relations in the Communications Department at the Research and Education Network for Uganda (RENU). He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Kampala International University and a Media Professional Award Certificate from Olstar PR & Media LTD. With expertise spanning event management, social media influencing, photography, videography, content creation, and customer engagement, Joel has successfully led numerous high-profile initiatives, including RENU eduroam awareness campaigns, Annual General Meetings, Federated Identity Management workshops, and Schools workshops.

Nouf Al Shukaili is a Marketing Specialist at the Oman Research and Education Network (OMREN), where she leads initiatives to enhance the network’s visibility and engagement within academic and research communities in Oman and beyond. With a strong background in strategic communication and digital marketing, she plays a key role in promoting OMREN’s services, partnerships, and events. Her work supports the network’s mission to foster collaboration, drive innovation, and build a digitally connected research and education ecosystem aligned with national priorities.

Dr. Lazhar Medkour is an Algerian researcher and advisor specialized in Education Sciences, with a focus on school and vocational guidance, counseling, and educational supervision. He holds a PhD in Education Sciences from Tizi Ouzou University (2024), a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Sétif 2 (2016), and a Bachelor’s in Education Sciences from the University of Algiers (1995). With over 20 years of experience in guidance, evaluation, and professional integration, Dr. Medkour has served as a main advisor and coordinator in various educational and vocational institutions in Algeria. He has published 13 research articles, contributed to 8 collective books, and participated in more than 70 national and international conferences. He is a member of several scientific and professional associations, including the International Union of the Arabic Language, and is part of national research projects (PNR and PRFU). His work focuses on improving educational practices, student counseling, and entrepreneurship education.

Dr. Houda Chihi is a Senior Researcher at the InnovCOM Lab at Sup'COM Tunisia, with a PhD in Telecommunications. She is a TechWomen Fellow (2019), hosted at Qualcomm in California, and an Eugen Ionescu Postdoctoral Fellow (2021), hosted at Politehnica University of Bucharest. Her research focuses on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and internet governance. In addition to her academic and research work, Dr. [Last Name] is an international speaker and trainer, and an active member in several associations promoting women in technology. She is passionate about empowering women in STEM and advocating for inclusive digital development across the MENA region and beyond.

Dr. Ines Sbai is currently an Assistant Professor at the Higher Institute of Computer Science of Kef, university of Jendouba. She Earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the higher institute of management of Tunis, ISG University of Tunis, Tunisia in 2021. Currently she is a Member of the LARODEC laboratory ISG Tunis. Current research interests include Artificial Intelligence, combinatorial optimization problems, optimization algorithms (metaheuristics), especially genetic algorithms, and their application to real-parameter benchmarking and real-world problems in the domain of road-traffic optimization. She published several papers in referred to international journals, international and national conferences and book chapters.

Hilal Al Jassasi is a Business Development Specialist at the Oman Research and Education Network (OMREN), where he focuses on expanding strategic partnerships and identifying opportunities to grow the network’s impact across the research and education sectors in Oman. With expertise in stakeholder engagement, project development, and innovation management, Hilal supports OMREN’s mission to deliver advanced digital infrastructure and collaborative platforms that enable knowledge sharing and academic excellence. His work contributes to strengthening OMREN’s role as a key enabler of national research and educational priorities.

Dr. Ahmed A. Kabeel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication at Delta University for Science and Technology, Egypt. He is a specialist in antenna and microwave engineering and serves as the Secretary of the IEEE AP-S & MTTS Chapter, Egypt Section. His research interests include RF energy harvesting, artificial intelligence and neural networks, and transparent and flexible electronics for renewable and sustainable applications. His recent work focuses on hybrid Solar–RF energy harvesting systems, AI-driven spectrum sensing for cognitive radio, and metasurface-based antennas for next-generation 6G communications.