Announcements

During NAMES 4th General Assembly Meeting, NAMES Full Members elected a new President for the term 2014/16; Ms. Sawsan Dalaq—Director, The Children’s Museum, JORDAN

Bursa Science and Technology Center will be hosting NAMES Fourth General Assembly Meeting (NAMES 2014), which will take place in Turkey on 7-9 November 2014. The overarching theme of the conference will be "Innovations: Revisiting your Mind".

On 7 June 2013, NAMES Board of Directors (BoD) convened during the Ecsite Annual Conference in Gothenburg, Sweden. The BoD initiated discussing the organization of the 4th General Assembly Meeting upon the confirmation of Bursa Science Center, Turkey, as host. The BoD also discussed the upcoming 1st edition of the Euro-Mediterranean and Middle East Summer School for Science Communication (EMME 2013).

The North Africa and Middle East Science Centers Network (NAMES) held its Third General Assembly Meeting, NAMES 2012, on 5-6 December 2012. The hugely successful event was hosted by Tunis Science City. The success of the conference solidified the status of the Network on the international arena with 100 delegates representing their countries.

Ecsite and NAMES, the two networks of science centers and museums, launched the Euro-Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) Summer School for Science Communication during Ecsite Annual Conference 2012 in Toulouse.

On 5 September 2011, NAMES Board of Directors (BoD) convened during the 6th Science Centers World Congress (SCWC 2011) in Cape Town, South Africa, where NAMES was recognized as co-host of the South African Association of Science and Technology Centers (SAASTEC), one of NAMES’ sister networks. The BoD discussed the 3rd General Assembly Meeting to be hosted by Tunis Science City; they brainstormed potential themes and a diversity of potential subthemes.

On 29 May 2009, Turkey Science Centers Foundation hosted NAMES Board of Directors (BoD) at the Şişly Municipality Science Center in Istanbul. The BoD reviewed the outcomes of the 1st General Assembly Meeting, NAMES 2008, and started planning the 2nd General Assembly Meeting, NAMES 2010. The BoD decided on “Science for Knowledge and Prosperity” as a theme; they also discussed potential subthemes: “New Technology”, “Life Sciences”, and “Sustainable Development”. The BoD also discussed potential joint projects and exchanged information regarding best practices among the members. NAMES Secretary also presented the new network website.

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.