25 August 2025
The Arab Network for Early Childhood (ANECD) and Moving Minds Alliance, in collaboration with the National Council for Family Affairs, convened a regional forum on early childhood research on 16–17 August 2025 in Amman, Jordan.

The forum provided a rich platform that brought together over 40 researchers, policymakers, experts, and specialists in early childhood issues, alongside representatives of governmental institutions, humanitarian, and development organizations from 12 Arab and international countries: Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Bangladesh.

Participants engaged in discussions on strengthening knowledge and practice related to early childhood development in times of crisis through sharing research findings, fostering collaboration and dialogue between researchers and policymakers, as well as advocating for evidence-based programs, policies, and strategies and disseminating outcomes. They also presented a wide range of research on the early childhood sector, with a focus on the strategic research model.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Ghassan Issa, General Coordinator of ANECD, emphasized the importance of this event in setting priorities for future research and advancing both regional and international networking. He highlighted that this is the first of its kind in the Arab region and builds on the efforts of ANECD and national networks to establish the Arab Working Group on Early Childhood Research, with the aim of connecting researchers in the field and advancing knowledge production and exchange.

For his part, Dr. Mohammad Al-Meqdadi, Secretary-General of the National Council for Family Affairs, linked the significance of this event—which seeks to protect childhood—to the tragic events unfolding in the Arab region, foremost in the Gaza Strip. He stressed that “these events remind us that protecting childhood is not a luxury, but an urgent humanitarian necessity”. Al-Meqdadi further noted that “the importance of this meeting stems from its focus on evidence-based scientific research as a key tool for developing policies, programs, and strategies”, underscoring that “scientific research is the cornerstone of any successful policy in the field of early childhood”.