Aware of the urgent need for national frameworks to navigate through the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on science, the International Science Council’s Centre for Science Futures (CSF) has been actively engaging with local experts around the world in a benchmark study on national research ecosystems and their adaptation to AI.
Under the umbrella of the Global Knowledge Dialogue (GKD), the Centre previously hosted two regional workshops — one in Kuala Lumpur in October 2023 and another in Santiago de Chile in April 2024 exploring how national research systems are preparing for AI in different regional contexts. Building on these insights, the Muscat workshop, held on 26 January 2025, brought together high-level representatives from nine Middle Eastern and North African countries, an expert from China and experts from Namibia, Benin and Nigeria to discuss national AI preparedness and policy strategies for science and research. This discussion delved into the challenges faced by the different countries, as well as their priorities and main achievements, as highlighted in the sections below.
A major concern raised during the workshop was the challenge of securing government investment in AI for science. While AI presents transformative potential, convincing policymakers to prioritize funding often remains a hurdle. Participants highlighted the effectiveness of use cases as motivators for investment and emphasized the role of regional collaboration in making persuasive arguments for investment.
Discussions explored innovative infrastructure solutions beyond traditional centralized computing, such as federated clouds and edge learning.
Participants also stressed the need for mobility programs to enhance AI-related skills across different countries.
Experts and participants underscored the importance of preserving scientific integrity. They agreed that AI should complement, not substitute, human creativity and critical thinking, even though it is already being integrated into teaching and research as a tool for productivity and efficiency.
Another topic of debate was the impact of AI on research assessment and evaluation. As AI-driven research becomes more prevalent, assessment methods may need to evolve to accommodate these changes. Participants also flagged intellectual property rights and the legal status of AI-generated content as pressing issues requiring further exploration.
With AI evolving rapidly, regulatory frameworks must be agile and forward-looking. Participants advocated for holistic guidelines and high-level principles to guide AI’s design, development, and use in science. Moreover, ethical AI development, including bias mitigation and transparency, was a key ambition. For example, Oman has taken initial steps toward adopting AI by establishing minimum requirements and considering applicable data protection laws. This led to the introduction of an Open Data policy across all ministries and governmental institutions to make governmental data available, with a law enacted on protection of private data in 2024 to support these efforts.
Following the workshop the Centre for Science Futures released a second version of the paper on “Preparing National Ecosystems for AI: Strategy and Progress”. This report consolidates case studies from eighteen countries and synthesises common approaches and shared challenges.
As AI continues to shape the future of science, ethical considerations, proactive policymaking, and investment in infrastructure and skills, will all be fundamental to ensuring that AI serves as a catalyst for scientific progress. The ISC remains committed to fostering these discussions, convening science expertise and experience, and showcasing what is possible for science systems navigating the AI revolution.
The ISC Centre for Science Futures invites you to a webinar exploring how countries are integrating AI into their research systems.
During the session, the Centre will present key findings from its Science Systems Futures project, followed by expert contributions from selected case studies and an open discussion. Join us to learn about the evolving opportunities and challenges AI presents for science, and how global collaboration can help shape more effective, inclusive AI strategies.
For more information contact Dureen Samandar Eweis at [email protected].
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