Announcements

On 31 January 2008, NAMES Board of Directors (BoD) met mainly to discuss the organization of the 1st General Assembly Meeting; theme, subthemes, program structure, potential speakers, target participants, etc. The BoD also worked on the development of the Mission Statement, Mission, Vision, and Objectives of the Network. Among the other topics on the agenda was the revamping of the network’s website.

The Euro-Mediterraneam and Middle East (EMME) Summer School for Science Communication (EMME) is the first major collaboration between NAMES—the North Africa and Middle East Science centers network- and Ecsite—The European Network of Science Centres and Museums.

On 7-8 March 2007, The Scientific Center of Kuwait (TSCK), one of NAMES’ founding members hosted the third meeting of the network, marking the first official Board of Directors (BoD) Meeting. The BoD discussed membership applications, as well as eligible science centers within the region to be approached.

On 9-10 November 2006, Tunis Science City hosted the second NAMES meeting where the five founding members signed the Memoranda of Understanding marking the official launch of NAMES network. The five members formed NAMES first Board of Directors, electing Ms. Hoda Elmikaty—then Director of the Planetarium Science Center, Egypt; currently Deputy Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina—President of NAMES.

On 30 January 2006, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA), through the Planetarium Science Center (PSC), organized the first meeting to discuss with similar regional institutions the establishment of a network of science centers and museums in the North Africa and Middle East. Seven regional institutions representing six countries, in addition to two European institutions, participated in the meeting, which aimed to explore the status—experiences and challenges—of science communication endeavors within the region, and investigate means of collaboration with the purpose of maximizing our collective knowledge, expertise, and progress.

NAMES first fun and interactive SciComm Break took place on Tuesday, 27 September 2022. A SciComm Break is an online hands-on 30 minute tinkering activity cross cutting between science and arts.