The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, and Dr. Mostapha Bousmina, President of the Euro-Mediterranean University in Fez (UEMF), explored yesterday, October 19, cooperation opportunities between ICESCO and the University, in light of ICESCO’s new vision and working strategy.

Dr. AlMalik presented the Organization’s vision which adopts an open-door policy with civil society organizations, namely universities which play key roles in the development of societies and achievement of economic growth. He also emphasized ICESCO’s constant willingness to support leading programs of universities in the Islamic world and coordinate university partnership, cooperation, and complementarity. The Organization also focuses on developing mechanisms of inter-university communication and networking.

The DG gave an overview of ICESCO’s relevant initiatives, including its effort to train future young leaderships in the Islamic world. He pointed out that the Organization is hosting and granting a select of young university students with training opportunities to acquire diversified expertise in the field of international institutional work.

The goal is to reach out to non-Member States, international organizations, and civil society institutions. Dr. AlMalik underscored such approach will open the door to leadership opportunities for the participants in their countries.

The President of the Euro-Mediterranean University in Fez lauded ICESCO’s new vision and its ongoing development, renewal, and willingness to constructively cooperate with universities, in service of the Islamic world. He also emphasized that the cooperation reaffirms the important role deployed by the Organization and its support to Member States in the fields of education, science, and culture.

The two parties discussed future cooperation prospects, topmost of them is the preparation of an agreement to set up ICESCO chair at the University. The end result is to boost partnership between the Organization and the University and bring closer the two shores of the Mediterranean, in line with the development program of ICESCO chairs.

ICESCO’s directors of sectors and the DG’s advisors attended the meeting along with UEMF’s Dr. Abderrahman Tenkoul, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and Ms. Ghada Bouhlal, Director of Cooperation and International Relations.