The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies is hosting its second annual conference in Doha for centers of political and strategy research in the Arab world. This year’s title is “The Palestinian Cause and the Future of the Palestinian National Project,” and the conference will be held from December 7-9 in coordination with over 60 Arab research centers that specialize in political and strategy studies. In consecration of the Center’s tradition of inviting international research centers as guests of honor, this year’s conference will host a number of Indian and Chinese research centers.

The Conference for Research Centers is the only conference in the Arab world that brings together leading Arab research centers in addition to political and public figures and media representatives. It provides a space for discussion and debate on the conference’s particular theme, as well as the issues that face scientific and academic research in the Arab world as a whole. This year, the conference is bringing together a group of representatives from the most active research centers and scientific research institutes in the Arab world, having secured the attendance of over 50 Arab and international politician participants and 60 representatives from Arab and international media outlets.

During its three days, the conference will offers the presentation and discussion of 54 research papers by prominent and emerging academics and researchers. The papers have been approved by the conference’s scientific committees from a pool of 200 research papers submitted for consideration; the topics discussed in the papers include: the developments of community, politics, and identity in Palestine, Israeli colonialism and its policies, refugee issues and the future of refugees, the changes in international policies toward the Palestinian cause, the Arab Spring and its effects on the Palestinian nationalist project, the Palestinian cause in international law, and patterns of change in the Palestinian resistance movements. The conference will also designate an academic session in which a group of European researchers will discuss European policies toward the Palestinian cause.

On the sidelines of the academic sessions, focused sessions will be held to discuss topics related to the Palestinian cause—its place in Arab press and media, options for negotiation and resistance, global solidarity campaigns, and the experience of youth activist movements. The conference committee expects to have wide participation from important guests and specialists, thereby enriching the academic discussions.

The Policy Analysis Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies believes that this conference should be a yearly tradition to provide for the gathering of Arab experts in a free space for dialogue, the exchange of views concerning Arab causes, and the discussion of selected vital issues. With the Conference for Arab Research Centers, the ACRPS has a total of three annual conferences: the Conference for Research Centers, the Annual Conference for the Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Conference of Islamists and the Democratic System of Governance.