Arabic news channels and digital platforms present us daily with a steady stream of scientific findings and insights: “British Study Reveals the Effects of Chronic Anxiety on Brain Function,” “German Institute Tracks Cognitive Changes in the Digital Age,” or a striking headline on the news ticker: “Study Reveals: Women Are Disadvantaged Even When It Comes to Pain!”
Such coverage is repeated so frequently that it has become a familiar feature of the media landscape, almost an unquestioned assumption: everything related to understanding human beings—their behavior, neurobiology, and psychological and cognitive patterns—is the exclusive domain of Western laboratories. It is produced there, then recycled and consumed here as fast-moving media content.
This situation raises a fundamental strategic question: Can it be that research centers dedicated to the human sciences are absent from the Arab world? Or is the problem deeper than the mere “existence of an institution,” lying instead in the disruption of value chains linking the economy, scientific research, and Arab media?
Arab research centers and universities are not absent in terms of numbers. On the contrary, they have highly qualified and distinguished researchers. The problem, however, lies in the fragmentation of the system’s functional structure:
Research output confined to promotion requirements: Thousands of theses and master’s and doctoral dissertations are produced every year, yet they remain confined to university library shelves. They are often written to obtain an academic degree or professional promotion, and their practical value ends once the defense committee concludes its work, without entering the knowledge economy cycle or being translated into applicable policies and strategies for society.
The absence of experimental interdisciplinary studies (Interdisciplinary Studies): Historically, most Arab think tanks have focused on geopolitical analysis, international relations, or historical and jurisprudential studies. By contrast, contemporary human sciences remain largely underrepresented in the Arab research landscape. These fields are primarily based on the intersection of experimental cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and health economics. They require long-term investment, laboratory infrastructure, and large-scale data collection.
The real reason behind the overwhelming presence of international institutions and journals in Arab newsrooms is not limited to the superiority of their laboratory research. It also lies in their possession of advanced infrastructure for public relations and science communication:
These centers have professional offices that transform complex, technical research papers into concise and clear press releases (Press Releases), complete with charts and ready-to-use quotations that journalists can easily extract and immediately incorporate into television reports and interactive platforms.
These outputs are distributed through specialized global networks designed to serve editors and news agencies, reaching newsrooms at the click of a button.
Arab journalists are constrained by the pace of rapid news coverage and the constant pursuit of engagement. In the absence of ready-to-use local material, and given the difficulty of communicating with Arab researchers who use abstract academic language, publishing translated Western research becomes the quickest and least costly option in operational terms.
The major paradox becomes clear when examining the names of the research teams behind these studies: scientists and researchers of Arab origin feature prominently and play an influential role in them. Abroad, they have found a supportive environment, research governance, and generous investment in data. As a result, their research is attributed to institutions and laboratories in the countries where they work.
Arab people are present in Western laboratories as productive and analytical minds, yet they are absent in their own countries as subjects of strategic research and as funders of a knowledge-production system.
In advanced economies, research in the human sciences is not considered an intellectual luxury, but a major driver of the economy and productivity. Understanding behavior, cognitive patterns, and the dynamics of mental and physical health underpins health insurance policies, workplace strategies, product design, and the rationalization of public spending.
The continued importation of studies on “human beings and their behavior” as ready-made models entails methodological and economic risks. Psychological motivations, cognitive patterns, and the social determinants of health and productivity differ according to cultural and environmental contexts. Findings from one particular environment cannot simply be applied as absolute truths to our societies.
The real problem is not a lack of expertise, but the absence of the economic and communication links needed to connect research with society. Addressing it requires integrated measures:
Moving from abstract theoretical research toward interdisciplinary and experimental sciences based on data and direct economic impact.
Research centers and universities investing in specialized “media and science communication” units that translate research papers into interactive content that can easily reach media platforms and decision-makers.
Treating the human sciences and cognitive and psychological health as a strategic economic investment that supports the sustainability and advancement of societies, rather than continuing to import our understanding of ourselves from overseas.
Dr. Asmaa Al-Najjar
Strategic Health Economist and Researcher
Founder & CEO | MEDSTREAM
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