register now

The Arab Science Symposium in Germany is a science symposium, that will bring together successful scientists and researchers from Germany and the Arab world to foster cross-border collaboration and exchange of knowledge, propelling scientific progress and fostering innovation in a myriad of fields.

A Shared Vision: Bridging Cultural and Scientific Divides

The symposium aims to bridge the cultural and scientific divides between Germany and the Arab world, fostering a harmonious environment where knowledge and expertise converge. It is an opportunity to showcase the rich scientific strength of the Syrian and Arabic diaspora in various disciplines and to explore the immense potential for collaboration.

A Platform for Innovation: Igniting Ideas and Fostering Partnerships

The symposium will serve as a dynamic platform for exchanging ideas, fostering partnerships, and exploring new avenues of scientific exploration. It will provide a stimulating environment for scientists, scholars, and students (PhD students mainly) to present their research findings, engage in open discussions to propose innovative ideas and applicable solutions to develop German society, initiate R&D research projects, and find possibilities to collaborate, help each other and initiate productive dialogues.

Nurturing a Culture of Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

The symposium’s interdisciplinary approach will break down silos and foster cross-pollination of ideas, encouraging researchers from diverse fields to engage in meaningful dialogue and identify new avenues for collaboration. This convergence of expertise will lead to the formation of innovative research teams, where fresh perspectives and methodologies can converge to tackle complex scientific challenges.

Fostering Open Dialogue and Meaningful Exchange

A key aspect of the symposium will be its emphasis on open dialogue and meaningful exchange. Through plenary sessions, panel discussions, and flash talks for early-career researchers, scientists will have the opportunity to share their latest research findings, engage in lively discussions, and experience other perspectives. This open environment will nurture a culture of intellectual curiosity, encouraging participants to explore new ideas and approaches.

Harnessing the Power of Technology to Drive Innovation

The symposium will not only focus on scientific research but also on the integration of innovative technologies to enhance the research process and accelerate innovation. This will include showcasing cutting-edge tools and technologies, fostering discussions on the ethical implications of scientific advancements, and exploring emerging digital platforms to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Empowering the Next Generation of Scientists

Recognizing the importance of nurturing the next generation of scientists, the symposium will dedicate special sessions to young researchers, providing them with a platform to showcase their work, network with established scientists, and gain valuable mentorship. These opportunities will empower young scientists to develop their research skills, build professional connections, and contribute to the future of scientific innovation.

Building a Legacy of Scientific Collaboration

The German-Syrian Research Society’s symposium is not merely a one-off event; it is a catalyst for fostering lasting scientific collaborations between Arab-German scientists. The connections formed during the symposium will pave the way for future joint research projects, international collaborations, and the exchange of scientific knowledge. This legacy of collaboration will have a profound impact on the advancement of science in.

What is ASSG?

Meet the Committee

Prof. Dr. Hani Harb

Dr. Harb obtained his Bachelors in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Amman University in 2006.

Since then he has moved to Germany and got his Master in Infectious Immunology and PhD in Immuno-epigenetics from the Philipps University Marburg.

In 2017, he moved with his family to the USA to work as a research fellow at Harvard Medical School/Boston Children’s Hospital.

In 2019 he was promoted to Junior Faculty member at Harvard Medical School as an instructor in pediatrics and immunology.

In 2022, he was appointed as an assistant professor of Infectious Immunology at the Technical University Dresden. His lab focuses on various lung infections and immunological diseases such as Asthma, COPD, and Lung fibrosis.

Ms. Razan Hessenow

Syrian pharmacist with an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree (EMJMD) in Nanomedicine for drug delivery in France, Italy, and Greece.

Currently she is a PhD Early Stage Researcher-THERADNET-ITN – MSCA in Universitätsklinikum Essen & Westdeutsches Protonentherapiezentrum Essen (WPE), Essen Germany.

Within DSFG, Razan is DSFG vice-president and manager of Academic Empowerment Scholarships AES & External Collaboration EC projects.

Dr. Yamen Al Salka

Dr. Yamen completed his PhD and postdoc in chemistry at Leibniz University Hannover in the field of photocatalytic hydrogen production.

He then worked as a senior researcher in the field of photonic sensor technologies at the Institute of Nanophotonics in Göttingen.

Today he works as Head of the Chromatography Laboratory at Haupt Pharma Wülfing GmbH in Gronau.

Since 2021 he has been working as manager of the mentoring program at the DSFG.

Dr. Samer Alkarkoukly

Physician, data scientist, and the lead medical data steward at University Hospital Cologne.

His research focuses on the interoperability of healthcare data and FHIR applications.


Currently pursuing a PhD in Medical Informatics, acting as a member in the international talents pool of UN WFP and leading the Workshops team of DSFG.

Dr. Mohammad AlAsadi

PhD in International Development Studies from Ruhr University Bochum, with a focus on economic recovery in countries affected by armed conflicts.

Research Economist at the Syrian Center for Policy Research (Viene, Austria).

Research Associate at the Economic Research Forum (Egypt).

Dr. Batool Shanan

She is a Senior Scientist and has been working at the University Hospital Essen since 2019.

Her current research focuses on melanoma therapy resistance and different therapy combinations.

Throughout her career, she has worked in several countries and has had the honor to collaborate and publish with many great scientists.

She aims to improve melanoma patient survival.

Mr. Basel Myhub

Basel Myhub is a philosopher of science who specializes in exploring the intersection of science and society.

Additionally, he offers training in areas like science communication and fostering creative processes, emphasizing the importance of transdisciplinarity and engaging stakeholders.

Presently, he serves as a member of the coordinating team for the recently formed European Universities Alliance COLOURS at Paderborn University.

E. Bilal Ghalawinji

Software engineer graduated from Philadelphia University Jordan.

Recap of the Last Symposium

The last symposium which was held in September 2024 in the German city of Hannover was a one-day event with a big educational and informative core along with field-specific science sharing sessions where researchers could share their findings with peers and high-level professionals.

The Featured Speakers

Prof. Dr. Annika Schach

Doctorate at the Moritz Arndt University in German Linguistics, and Founder of Segmenta Futurista GmbH

Doctorateat at the Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald in German Linguistics.

She studied social sciences and psychology at the Gerhard Mercator University Duisburg focusing on culture and communication.

She was the head of Communications in the State Capital Hanover, and the head of Communications & Marketing Department
at the Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Since 2020, she has been the founder and managing director for segmenta futurista GmbH.

Prof. Dr. Rand Kouatly

Senior International Academic and Executive Leader, Professor, and Researcher

Prof. Dr. Rand Kouatly is a senior international academic and executive leader, professor, and researcher, with 20+ years of experience and deep understanding in higher education, education technology, corporate knowledge management, and executive training sectors, and 10+ years of international experience as senior project management and consulting in multiple technology, market, and business.

He is an international scholar and expert in telecommunication engineering and software development, frontend and backend development, artificial intelligence, deep learning, artificial neural networks, including the fields of pattern recognition, audio and speech processing, and speech and speaker recognition, e-learning, project management, and business consultancy.

He is well experienced in leading small companies, start-ups, projects, and team leaders. Moreover, he has been driven successfully in multiple roles such as dean and vice dean, academic researcher and supervisor, and study program creator in various public and private universities.
Professor and Program leader at the University of Europe, for Software Engineering (MSc, BSc) and Digital Business and Data Science Programs, Berlin and Potsdam.”

Prof. Dr. Shadi Albarqouni

Professor of Computational Medical Imaging Research at the Technical University of Munich

Professor of Computational Medical Imaging Research.

Since 2020, Albarqouni has been working as an AI junior research group leader at Helmholtz AI, Munich.

His research focuses on the development of AI models in medicine, interpretable deep learning, robustness, uncertainty quantification, and federated learning. Albarqouni earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from IU Gaza, Palestine, in 2005 and 2010, respectively.

Before receiving his summa cum laude PhD in computer science in 2017, he worked as a Senior Research Scientist & Team Lead at CAMP and led the Medical Image Analysis (MedIA) at the Technical University of Munich.

Dr. Zeyd Boukhers

Data Scientist and AI Specialist from the University of Siegen

Zeyd Boukhers is a data scientist and AI specialist.

Zeyd is the co-leader of the FAIR Data & Distributed Analytics Group at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology -FIT.

He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Computer science from University of Science and Tehnology of Oran, Algeria where he has performed his master’s in Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence.

He received his Engineering Doctorate in Pattern Recognition from the University of Siegen, Germany.

Prof. Dr. Rami Abu Jamra

Professor of Medical Genomics at the Faculty of Medicine in Leipzig

A Medical School graduate from Damascus University, he performed his doctoral thesis, and specialization in Human Geneticist (specialist), then conducted his postdoctoral lecture qualification (Habilitation) at the Institute of Human Genetics in Bonn.

After focusing on complex genetics of psychiatric disorders, his research focus since 2008 has been the genetics of intellectual disability in special and of rare disorders in general.

After he led a working group in Erlangen between 2010 and 2014, he has been the Medical Director of Centogene in 2015. Since 2016 he has been a consultant (senior physician) at the Institute of Human Genetics in Leipzig, the deputy of the Institute Director, the Medical Director of the MVZ, and a professor of Medical Genomics at the Faculty of Medicine in Leipzig.

The main tasks are genetics diagnostics, research on the genetics of intellectual disability, teaching, as well as strategic development of efficient clinical genomics.

Prof. Dr. Paul Hoyningen-Huene

professor of philosophy at the Leibniz Universität Hannover

Paul Hoyningen-Huene is professor emeritus of philosophy at the Leibniz Universität Hannover (Germany) and lecturer for philosophy of economics at the Dept. of Economics at the Universität Zürich (Switzerland).

He received a PhD in theoretical physics in 1975 before switching to philosophy of science. He was a Visiting Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, with Professor T.S. Kuhn, from 1984 to 1985, and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh, from 1987 to 1988.

His main research interests are the dynamics of scientific theory change, especially Kuhn, Feyerabend, and incommensurability; the nature of science; reduction and emergence; the ethics of science; metaethics; the philosophy of logics, of physics, of biology, of history, of psychology, and of economics; and the philosophy of soccer.

Hoyningen-Huene is best known for his books Reconstructing Scientific Revolutions: Thomas
S. Kuhn’s Philosophy of Science (University of Chicago Press, 1993), Formal Logic: A
Philosophical Approach (Pittsburgh University Press, 2004), and Systematicity: The Nature of Science (Oxford University Press, 2013).

Sessions Highlights

  • Importance of Arabic Scientists in the German Academic System.
  • Mentorship in science.
  • Women in Science: Challenges and Opportunities.
  • Diversity in Science.
  • AI in Scientific Research.
  • Human Genetics.
  • Big Data Science: Current Situation and Future Perspective.
  • Telecommunication Engineering Landscape.
  • Philosophy of Science.