Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa, Minister of Awqaf of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and together they explored prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry in areas of common interest.

During the meeting, held on Thursday, September 1, 2022, at the Ministry headquarters in Cairo, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the key elements in ICESCO’s vision and the programs and activities the Organization implements in its areas of competence. The Director-General stated that ICESCO focuses on encouraging the Member States to capitalize on the great potential of modern technology to develop their systems of education, scientific research and culture, noting that the Organization also accords great attention to promoting the presence of the Arabic language and supporting the efforts to increase the Arabic digital content on the internet.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik stated that ICESCO is implementing several programs that aim at incorporating the values of peace and tolerance in educational curricula to reflect the true image of the culture and civilization of the Islamic world and encourage the youth to uphold dialogue and accept differences to enrich human civilization.

The Director-General also invited the Egyptian Minister to visit ICESCO Headquarters and give a lecture during the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, which will open on September 8.

For his part, Dr. Gomaa congratulated Dr. AlMalik on the signing of the MoU with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Saleh A. Kamel Humanitarian Foundation (SAKHF) on the Professional International Certification in Teaching in Egypt. He also reviewed the expertise of the Ministry in training preachers, stressing the importance of selecting trainees who must have a real desire to develop their skills and build their capacities.

The Minister also highlighted the expertise of the Ministry and its activities in promoting scientific research, and publishing, stating that Egyptian Waqfs generate large revenues that are then used in many social and humanitarian initiatives.
The two parties agreed to build cooperation between the two institutions, especially on preserving identity, increasing Arabic content online and publishing a number of the Ministry’s publications on ICESCO’s Digital Home.

At the close of the meeting, the DG presented the Minister with an ICESCO Shield, while Dr. Gomaa presented the Director-General and the ICESCO library with some of the Ministry’s publications.