We will focus the workshop on areas of inquiry that are unique and relevant to the GCC region. Some of the primary topics that we seek to explore in detail are: 1) the role of international partnerships in research and higher education in the GCC, 2) improvement 3 of regional cooperation among the GCC states, and 3) incentives for enhancing local participation in STI. International collaborations are recognised as an important new phase in scientific research (Adams 2013). All GCC countries have sought to establish partnerships at various levels with foreign institutions in education and research over the past several years. The collaborative engagements consist of different types, including establishment of foreign campuses of universities based in the US and Europe, joint-degree programmes and research centres, and exchange programmes of students and researchers (Hajjar and Gotto 2013). In this workshop, we will seek to discuss the unique regional context and its implications on the structure and nature of international partnerships. A special focus will be on identifying models of collaboration, and discussion of why some have performed better, and how others may be improved. The discussion will seek to elicit lessons learned from the past and existing programmes in the region to inform planning and design of future initiatives. While international links are growing in the GCC, there are indications of low and in some cases non-existent collaboration between regional institutions. A key focus in the workshop will be to explore how regional cooperation between institutions located in the GCC countries can be enhanced so that common important issues of sustainability, societal welfare, and economic diversification are better addressed. The workshop will seek to identify the causes for the current state (of lack of interactions), and to investigate how scientific and technological cooperation can be increased so that shared learning and enterprise can spur research and innovation in the region for all partners. Another key topic that we aim to discuss in the workshop is the level of participation of local (citizens) in programmes of higher scientific and technical education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship. A critical mass of locally trained and high quality students, faculty, innovators and entrepreneurs is needed to sustain and advance STI in the region (Adams et. al. 2011). Some of the areas we seek to investigate include identifying existing barriers for local participation in STI, incentive structures for attracting local talent, mechanisms for increasing women’s participation in STI beyond education, and strategies for promoting societal appreciation and recognition of the role of STI in national development and progress.