The e-AGE platform established itself as an important venue for networking among experts and scientists from all over the world. The 6th International Platform on Integrating Arab e-Infrastructure in a Global Environment, e-AGE 2016, took place at the American University of Beirut (AUB) from December 1st – 2nd, 2016, under the patronage of the Lebanese Minister of Telecommunications.
In e-AGE 2016, the focus was on connectivity, with additional attention to users, applications, services, and the inclusion of stakeholders in research, education, and related services to enable and facilitate collaboration, encouraging resources and knowledge sharing. Discussions, sessions, panels, meetings, and workshops were facilitated to present and exchange research and education experiences and innovations. Access to resources, services, and applications was another key area of focus during the conference. In short, e-AGE 2016 came with “Ubiquity and Cohesiveness of e-Infrastructures” as the main theme, with all activities centered around it.
Following on from the success of e-AGE in previous years, e-AGE 2016 included events, workshops, and meetings centered around the following themes:
- The 9th Event on Euro-Mediterranean e-Infrastructure
- The 6th Annual Meeting of ASREN
- AROQA 8th Annual Conference
- OSSCOM 2nd Annual Conference, OSSCOM 2016
- EUMEDCONNECT3 and Africaconnect2 Project Meetings
- Internet2 SIG Middle East Meeting
- AfricaConnect2 Coordinators Meeting
- Identity Federation Infrastructure Workshop
- Workshop on Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT)
Moreover, special sessions were dedicated to specific domains, mainly focusing on experiences in connectivity and e-Infrastructure, applications, and services across various scientific domains. It was also important to show how research infrastructure creates tangible benefits to communities and collaborations. Different discussions were stimulated during e-AGE 2016 to drive outcomes and concrete results on practical steps towards developing a regional e-Infrastructure.
