New Initiative Throws Open Access To Arabic Science Education

New initiative to provide free, open access, high-quality education materials in Arabic, with a focus on science and technology.

The outgoing US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, last week launched a project that will lower obstacles to scientific education for Arabic-speaking people across the world. In one of her last acts as America's top diplomat, Clinton launched the Open Book Project (OBP), which will make high-quality educational resources freely available online in the Arabic language.

The OBP – a joint initiative between the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO) and the US State Department – will focus mainly on science and technology. It came about after the first US-Arab League Dialogue last year.

Clinton said that the architects of the project hoped that by broadening access to information, people precluded from information by poverty or distance would be more likely to benefit. "Our hope is to lower geographic, economic, and even gender-based barriers to learning," she said at the project's launch in Washington...