Association of Arab Universities Participates in the 2026 Symposium on Information Sciences and Intelligent Systems

As part of the Association of Arab Universities’ commitment to keeping pace with advances in artificial intelligence and strengthening the international visibility of Arab research, Prof. Dr. Anas Ratib Al-Soud, Executive Director of the Association of Arab Universities, participated in a panel discussion entitled “AI and Emerging Metrics: Challenges in Enhancing the Visibility and Impact of Knowledge Produced in the Global South.” The session was held as part of the International Symposium on Information Sciences and Intelligent Systems (3IS 2026), which took place in Tunisia from 29 to 31 October 2026.

The symposium was organised by the SILAB Research Laboratory at the Higher Institute of Documentation, University of Manouba. It brought together academics, researchers and specialists in information sciences, artificial intelligence and digital technologies to discuss scientific and technological transformations and their implications for knowledge production, organisation, preservation and accessibility, as well as issues related to measuring scientific output and assessing its impact.

The panel focused on the challenges posed by artificial intelligence applications and emerging research metrics to the research evaluation system, particularly with regard to the visibility of knowledge produced in the Global South, its access to international scientific platforms, and the recognition and measurement of its contributions to the advancement of knowledge.

Prof. Al-Soud emphasised the importance of developing research evaluation tools and metrics in line with digital transformations, while ensuring that they more comprehensively reflect the diversity of knowledge production, its various sources and contexts. He also stressed the need to improve the international visibility of Arab research and highlight the contributions of Arab universities, while taking into account the specific characteristics of research in the Arab region and the wider Global South when assessing its quality and measuring its impact.

The Association of Arab Universities’ participation in the symposium forms part of its ongoing efforts to expand the engagement of Arab universities in international scientific forums, strengthen research cooperation and the exchange of expertise, and support the development of research and academic publishing. These efforts aim to increase the global visibility of Arab research and enhance its impact and standing in the international knowledge landscape.