Amman, Oct. 18 (Petra) -- The Higher Council for Science and Technology participated in the Union for the Mediterranean's Higher Education and Research Week, held in Barcelona, Spain, last week to discuss the future of scientific cooperation, innovation and the development of a shared Mediterranean knowledge space.
The council was represented by Assistant Secretary-General for Scientific and Technological Affairs Raed Odeh, who took part in two major events focusing on research and innovation priorities, academic partnerships, science diplomacy and translating Euro-Mediterranean cooperation into initiatives supporting sustainable development.
As part of Jordan's role in the Union for the Mediterranean's co-presidency, Odeh co-chaired the 32nd meeting of the Research and Innovation Platform alongside Nienke Buisman, representing the European co-presidency.
The meeting reviewed progress in implementing the research and innovation agenda, particularly in health, climate change and renewable energy.
Odeh reviewed the outcomes of specialized working groups on researcher mobility, capacity building, science diplomacy, open data and digital transformation, along with initiatives aimed at strengthening ties between research institutions and economic sectors.
He also presented the work of the Open Data and Digital Transformation Working Group, co-chaired by Jordan and Spain, highlighting progress in preparing a policy paper and action plan, as well as efforts to strengthen research cooperation, knowledge exchange and the integration of digital transformation into innovation systems.
The meeting also discussed the regional expansion strategy and preparations for the 2027 ministerial conference, including a draft ministerial declaration and future priorities for scientific cooperation among Mediterranean countries.
In his second engagement, Odeh addressed the opening session of the dialogue conference titled "Co-Building the Mediterranean Knowledge Space," which explored opportunities for academic and research partnerships and the role of science diplomacy and researcher mobility in supporting development and strengthening the resilience and recovery of crisis-affected communities.
Discussions also covered proposals to establish a Mediterranean center for science diplomacy and develop regional research and innovation centers.
Odeh stressed the importance of moving scientific cooperation beyond policies and recommendations toward concrete initiatives with tangible impact, while strengthening capacity building, exchanging expertise and expanding opportunities for researchers to address shared challenges and promote knowledge integration across the region.
//Petra// NQ
