Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), convened with 120 master’s students in International Law and Diplomatic Advocacy at the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences in Ain Chock, Hassan II University in Casablanca, Morocco. The meeting took place at ICESCO Headquarters and was attended by the dean of the faculty, the master’s program coordinator, faculty members, along with several sector heads, department and center directors at ICESCO.

During his opening remarks at the meeting on Wednesday 27 December 2023, Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Director of the Legal Affairs and International Standards Department at ICESCO, welcomed the research students and underscored the importance of professions and disciplines associated with international law as catalysts for the functioning of international organizations. Mr. Shili highlighted that this meeting marks a new milestone in ICESCO’s commitment to fostering collaboration with universities.

Afterward, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main aspects of the key developments that ICESCO has undergone over the past four years, in terms of organizational and administrative structure, strategic and forward-looking vision, and openness to Member and non-Member States. Additionally, he pointed out the notable advancement in ICESCO’s activities, attributing it to the recruitment of experienced experts and young talents from 35 countries to work or undergo training at the Organization.

Dr. Almalik explained that ICESCO’s new vision embraces collaboration with universities and higher education institutions, recognizing them as incubators for creativity and innovation. Furthermore, he affirmed the Organization’s unwavering dedication to advancing fields of education, science, culture, heritage preservation, and promoting peace and security. In this context, ICESCO has launched and implemented various ongoing programs and initiatives and established scientific chairs in esteemed international universities that have yielded valuable research and studies.

For his part, Dr. Abdellatif Komat, Dean of the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences in Ain Chock, expressed appreciation for ICESCO’s noteworthy efforts in furthering the fields of science, education, and culture. He commended the Organization’s initiative to offer students opportunities to understand its work and highlighted its focus on the training and development of youth skills.

Subsequently, the students were allowed to pose their questions to Dr. AlMalik, who provided responses and confirmed that the Organization has established numerous partnerships with various international entities to contribute to sustainable development. He reiterated the ongoing focus on foresight, positioning youth and women as pivotal elements in future plans and emphasizing the importance of digitization and leveraging artificial intelligence for technological progress and digital transformation.

Dr. Komat and the faculty members presented shields from Hassan II University and the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences in Ain Chock to Dr. AlMalik as an appreciation for steering ICESCO and supporting its Member States in their respective fields of expertise.

By the end of the meeting, the students and faculty members visited the International Exhibition and Museum on the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted at the ICESCO Headquarters, as part of the partnership between the Organization and the Muslim World League and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.