Announcements

NAMES is pleased to announce the launch of the Mijbil Almutawa Award Program (MAAP). The Award is granted on annual basis and covers the expenses of one individual to attend either NAMES Biennial Conference or the EMME Summer School, depending on the year.

On 23 May 2017, the Children’s Museum Jordan hosted the 12th Meeting of NAMES Board of Directors (BoD) upon the request of NAMES newly elected Executive Director, Ms. Maissa Azab. Ms. Azab had proposed the re-initiation of standalone annual BoD Meetings to discuss the progress and development of the network in full depth. During the meeting, the Executive Director advocated for the necessity of launching, coordinating, and maintaining collaborative projects and initiatives among members, to be able to maintain and acquire memberships.

NAMES Biennial Conferences are a most valuable opportunity for members of the budding science communication community within the North Africa and Middle East region to come together to share experiences, challenges, and solutions; to network and mingle with members of the greater and more diversified global science communication community with its decades-worth of collective experience and knowledge.

We are delighted to announce the election of Mr. Abdulaziz AlHegelan, Executive Director of Mishkat Interactive Center, Saudi Arabia, to become Member of NAMES Board of Directors.

Having served as NAMES Secretary since the Network’s inception in January 2006, Ms. Maissa Azab has been named NAMES Executive Director by NAMES Board of Directors effective 1 March 2017.

On the occasion of our 10 Years Anniversary, which was celebrated during the NAMES 5th Biennial Conference (NAMES 2016) in Amman, Jordan, NAMES produced and shared a comprehensive 10 Years Anniversary Report [2006-2016], to document and promote its achievements throughout its first decade of existence, celebrate all the milestones, and lay the groundwork for the next phase. We invite you to read the report, which is available in both English and Arabic.

Ten years have passed since the establishment of NAMES, during which great strides have been taken towards reinforcing the Network’s position internationally, expanding its reach across the region, and establishing valuable collaborations.

On Saturday 5 September 2015, the second edition of EMME Summer School was launched at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), welcoming about 20 eminent speakers in the field of informal science education and communication, and 17 professional participants from the North Africa and Middle East region, preparing to become future Science Center Leaders.

On 12 June 2015, NAMES Board of Directors (BoD) convened during the Ecsite Annual Conference in Trento, Italy. NAMES newly elected President, Ms. Sawsan Dalaq, Director of the Children’s Museum Jordan, presented the strategic plan for her presidency to reinforce and further develop the network. The BoD also initiated discussion regarding the organization of the 5th General Assembly Meeting to be hosted in Amman by the Children’s Museum Jordan; NAMES 2016 would also mark the 10th anniversary of the network.

NAMES 2014 Conference was hosted by "Bursa Science and Technology Center", from Friday to Sunday, 7-9 November 2014. The main theme of NAMES 2014 was "Innovation: Revisiting your Mind".