Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Muhammad, Minister of Education will inaugurate the “Advanced Technology Forum 2009” in Riyadh Sunday in the presence of Dr. Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Suwayyil, President of King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and with the participation of over 45 international and local speakers. The three-day forum will discuss 28 working papers in seven sessions and 15 workshops on the last day. These will focus on the initiative of the government sectors and some bodies in the private sector as well as cooperation in implementing the national policy for science, technology and innovation and the KACST initiative in this field. The forum's sessions will also focus on determining the best experiences and initiatives from the Kingdom and the world in carrying out programs and projects that support scientific development and change to a knowledge-based society. The forum's first session will deal with “initiatives and innovations in science and technology”. Prince Turki Bin Saud Bin Muhammad, Vice President of KACST for Research Institutes, will present a working paper that will give a general view of the Kingdom's strategic plan for science, technology and innovation. Dr. Nawkat Yanis, Chairperson of the Research Council for Science and Technology in Turkey, will present a working paper titled “The best world experiences – science and technology initiatives”. This will be followed by Dr. Hans Jorg Boehlinger from Germany who will present a working paper on “the best international experiences – science and technology initiatives in Germany”. The participants in the forum will be presented with the methods, means and experiences implemented worldwide and in the Kingdom and the role of effective strategic technologies in changing to a knowledge-based society. The forum will deal with the role of the technology and information technology sector in developing strategic science and technology. The forum will bring together decision-makers, officials and members of the 42 government departments concerned with executing the national development programs, developers of information technology and telecommunications and those in charge of the knowledge
