A Survey Reveals How the Pandemic Has Hurt MENA Research
A survey of scholars done in the late spring and early summer that included researchers who study the MENA region showed the pandemic’s adverse effects and the occasional beneficial ones on research, the authors of the survey say.
Despite Controversy, Emirati-Israeli Research Cooperation Has Kicked Off
The decision to normalize relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel angered many in the Arab region. Still, some see it as an opportunity to support research.
Dust Left by Beirut’s Massive Explosion May Be a Major Danger to Health
The threat of toxic dust is just one facet of the mammoth task of restoring Beirut after the port blast. Teams of academics have formed to coordinate recovery efforts.
Hazine, a Blog for Scholars of the Islamic World, Reinvents Itself
Launched as an archives review site, Hazine is transitioning into a multilingual platform for reviews, interviews, profiles, digital-humanities tools, and more.
Land of No Rain: How Jordan Is Facing a Parched Future
With limited rainfall and aquifers already over pumped, the kingdom is running out of water. Researchers are tackling some aspects of the problem, but hard choices still lie ahead.
Egyptian Universities Ramp Up Research to Meet Covid-19 Crisis
For many Egyptian universities, the coronavirus pandemic presents an opportunity to refocus on supporting research in different fields for the benefit of society.
How Policy Makers and Universities Can Help Arab Scientists
Advances by Arab scientists, such as a faster new coronavirus test developed in Jordan, could benefit their home countries and the world. Universities and governments must do more to help put such discoveries into use.
Health and Economic Crises Threaten Arab Funding for Research
The Arab region already lagged in government spending on research. Now, with oil prices in decline and Covid-19 taking hold, spending levels could fall further
Society Through the Lens of a Pandemic: What Anthropologists Are Learning
Anthropologists aren’t surprised at the stigmatizing and blaming that followed Covid-19. It’s a typical human response to events too complicated to grasp.
The Middle East’s Only High-Energy Physics Lab Faces a New Test: Surviving Covid-19
Sesame, the region’s only synchrotron, is well versed in upheaval. But the pandemic promises more pressure on the project’s shoestring budget.
