The Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) is a regional, independent, non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening social science research and knowledge production in the Arab world. By supporting researchers and academic/research institutions, the ACSS aims to contribute to the creation, dissemination, validation and utilization of social science research and to enrich public debate about the challenges facing Arab societies. The ACSS also aims to enhance the role of social science in Arab public life and inform public policy in the region. Specifically, the ACSS objectives include: 1- Identifying and addressing the needs of social scientists and social science communities in the Arab countries; 2- Enhancing social science capacities of individual researchers, as well as academic and research institutions; 3- Encouraging the production of independent, high quality research; 4- Providing forums for exchange and communication among social scientists in the Arab region; 5- Articulating and supporting the role of the social sciences in promoting the public interest; 6- Promoting and supporting the principles of independent thought, critical thinking, and the academic/intellectual freedom of researchers and scholars in the Arab region; 7- Supporting effective networks among research, academic, policy and practitioners’ communities as well as with the public and the media; and 8- Supporting the publication and wide dissemination of high quality social science research in the Arab region.