The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the Forum on “Future of Education between Coexistence and Recovery.” The Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held the videoconference on October 28. The forum brought together the representatives of specialized international organizations and a host of educational experts and consultants.

Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of ICESCO’s Strategic Foresight Center, represented the Organization in the forum. His presentation focused on the future of global education in the next 20 years.

“Governmental institutions and international organizations should gear their efforts towards developing a comprehensive and anticipatory vision for the future of education in the Islamic world, and a strategic plan to ensure equal access to education for all,” he added.

Dr. Hammami presented four scenarios for the future of education by 2040. The first scenario on “the prolongation of school” expects the continuity of traditional education while capitalizing on AI to develop more private educational structures. The second, “drawing on external educational sources,” aims to develop more private educational methods through technological advancement. The third scenario on “schools as educational centers” seeks to sustain school as a structure and reveal new features of teaching. The fourth scenario on “life-long learning” focuses on the flexibility of education with an expectation of AI revolution in educational systems.

Dr. Hammami also reviewed ICESCO’s achievements in the fields of education and AI. “ICESCO, through its inclusive strategic vision, promotes AI educational applications and held many forums and meetings in various fields, most notably the forum on ‘AI and education: successful practices and best orientations,’ which brought together many experts and specialists who explored the incorporation of AI in education to facilitate teaching and boost the efficiency of information sharing through modern and smooth methods,” he explained.

Dr. Hammami added that the Center of Strategic Foresight will establish “ICESCO Future Laboratory,” which will be supplied with state-of-the-art AI equipment. This facility will draw on international experts and engineers to conduct foresight studies to find concrete solutions for current issues. The Center is preparing a glossary of AI terminology in partnership with various universities within the Islamic world and beyond.