The International Arab Conference on Information Technology

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On Tuesday, the thirteenth of November 2001, the opening session for the second International Arab Conference on Information Technology (ACIT'2001) was held under the royal patronage and the attendance of His Excellency the Minister of Planning, representative for His Majesty King Abdullah The Second, Professor Said Hijazi President of Jordan University of Science and Technology, Dr Omar Al-Jarrah Dean of the Faculty of Computer and Information Technology at Jordan University of Science and Technology, Dr. Mohammad Al-Haj Hassan Dean of the Faculty of Science at Zarqa Private University and the conference Secretary General, and over 700 attendants including guests, specialists, researchers, and participants.

Others who attended including Professor Nooreddin Ruba�yi the consultant at the General Secretrait for Arab Scientific Councils Union, and Proffessor Hilmi Mahran/ Dean of the Faculty of Computer and Informatics at Sues Canal University and the Secretary General for the for Faculties of Computers and Information Society in the Arab World. The opening ceremony started with the Jordanian royal national anthem and recietation of Holy Qur�an.

The conference session were held for three days as follows:

The First Day: Tuesday, November 13, 2001

The opening session uder the royal patronage.
A keynote lecture presented by Dr. Jubair Jwamear Al-Jaafer from Zarqa Private University entitled �Biocomputing�.
Two parallel sessions.
A seminar held at International Jerusalem Hotel in Amman entitled �To E Or Not To Be� and was organized by representatives from Royal Jordanian Air Force, Jordan Information Centre, Jordan Central Bank, and University of Science and Technology.

The Second Day: Wedensday, November 14, 2001

Four morning sessions, each two were held as parallel sessions.
Two parallel afternoon sessions.

The Third Day: Thursday, November 15, 2001

Four morning sessions, each two were held as parallel sessions.
The concluding session was held in the afternoon.

The concluding session was held in the afternoon of the third day. Qatar University was declared to host ACIT'2002 next year. The four universitites that applied to hold the conference were An-Najah National University in Palestine, Hadramout University in Yamen, Qatar University in Qatar, and the Arab Academy for Science and Technology in Egypt.

Fifty papers were presented by researchers representing the following countries: Jordan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Oman, Iraq, Palestine, Lebia, Egypt, Yemen, Turkey, Canada, and Japan.

The following meetings were held during the conference:

ACIT Steering Committee held its meeting that was chaired by the Secretary General and was attended by the majority of members. The committee discussed the articles on its agenda and declared the houst university for ACIT'2002. The Basic regulations for ACIT were also approved.
The General Assembly for the Faculties of Computers and Information Society at the Arab World held its meeting, chaired by its Secretary General and the attendance of most members. The committee discussed articles on its agenda. The most important decision taken by the committee was issuing a scientific refereed journal internationally indexed and specialized in information technology. The committee authorized Zarqa Private University to cooperate with all parties to issue this journal. The committee agreed to call this journal �The International Arab Journal on Information Technology (IAJIT)�.

The conference came up with the following cunclusions and recommendation:

First: Conclusion

1. Papers presented at the conference were varied and up-to-date especially the applied research that had future trends. The papers tackled all topics of the conference scientifically and seriously.

2. The papers submitted in the conference reflected the Arab researcher�s abilities to conduct research, be creative and compete in the field of information technology.

3. There were important and current areas of research that were not dealt with comprehensively due to the lack of specialized and professional researchers.

4. Private sector�s participation in promoting information technology in the Arab world is still humble and below expected ambition.

5. Lack of the participation of academic staff in scientific research information technology because of heavy teaching load. These over-loaded insturctors are merely satisfied by shouldering their teaching duties or they get involved in papers that are not up to the standard.

6. Absence of cooperation betwean academic, industrial and commercial sectors blurs Arab researcher�s creativity and inovation that require support and sponsorship from these sectors.

7. Joined Arab scientific research is almost unavailable.

8. Arab scientific policy is characterised as being misty and unclear.

9. Some instituations, in which Arab researchers work, impose restrictions on scientific research that is viable for industerialization and marketing.

10. Weak utilization of software industry on the Arab world level with the preference of importing ready made software from foreign companies.

11. Ignorance of Arabic language in the scientific research in the field of informatics and its applications.

12. It has been noticed that there has been an acceleration in adopting electronic applications such as electronic commerce, electronic government, electronic education and the like without providing the needed modern infra structure, specialists, and required legistlations.

Second: Recommendations

1. Establishing a clear Arab information policy by specilized Arab researchers.

2. Submitting a study to the Arab League to advise Arab governments to offer financial and moral support for scientific research.

3. Reconsidering the university text books in informatics, computer engineering, and sciences to cope up with the tremendous development witnessed in our world adopting recommendations by specialists.

4. Simplifying adminstrative procedures that limit the freedom of the Arab researcher and confines his movement and cooperation with his peers in the world.

5. Arab institutions should give real attention to software indursty through preparing necessary legislation, offering financial support and decreasing marketing and customs restrictions.

6. Promoting scientific information research, activitating the role of Arabic in this field and preparing a unified dictionary of computer terminology so as to invalidate the claims against suitability of Arabic language for scientific research.

7. Encouraging the private sector to play a more comprehensive role to sponsor and support applied scientific research in academic institutions adopting the encouraging sharing policy instead of the policy of exploitation and more poly.

8. It is essential to set a suitable budget for informatic scientific research that benefits various public industrial, financial and service sectors. Joint research teams could be formed from these sectors and the academic society.

9. Paying attention to information exhibitions to create the chance to market the findings of Arab applied research rather than confining these markets to products of foreign countries.

10. Increasing financial support to conferences and scientific seminars which are considered the best means to exchange scientific experience among Arab researchers.

11. Urging official authorities in the Arab world to issue and establish laws of intellectual property and auther�s rights.

12. Conducting research directed towards information security accompanying it with legislations that guarntee its safty.

13. Encoursying scholars, professors, and specialists to write and translate books on informatics.

14. Facilitating all procedures needed for establishing Arabic scientific network to guarantee exchanging scientific information and research results easily and fastly.

15. Encouraging organising training courses that help participants to update their information.

It is taken for granted that any scientific conference aims at encouraging scientific research and providing the suitable enviornment for exchanging scientific experience among researchers. ACIT therefore looks forward in attracting all researchers to encourage applied research that can be considered for promotion. It is also known that neither the conference nor the researchers have the authority or the financial potential to apply the findings of their studies in real life, so official authorities and private sector should take their responsibilities to create a real power for the conference and bring theory to application.

At the end of the conference, the participants sent a thanking telegram to His Majesty King Abdullah The Second expressing their profound appreciation for His Majesty for having the conference under his patronage and for His Excellency Dr. Basem Ouad Allah/ Minster of Planning who represented His Majesty. They also pledged to devote their scientific capacities to serve scientific development, Jordan and all Arab countries.

The participants recommended sending His Excellency the Minster of Planning a thanking letter along with the conference concluding statement. Participants also expressed their thanks to the Jordan University of Science and Technology and all sponsors. Special thanks go to Professor Said Hijazi/ President of the University, Dr. Omar Al-Jarrah/ Dean of the Faculty of Computer and Information Technology and the conference Vice-President, Dr. Mohammad Al-Haj Hasan/ the conference Secretary General and Dean of Faculty of Science at Zarqa Private University, Dr. Ahmed Dalala�/ Program Chair of ACIT'2001, and all scientific and organizaing committees. Participants express their hope that the General Secretariat continues to hold this conference annually at one of the Arab institutions. They also wished Jordan University of Science and Technology continuous development and prosperity.