Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), affirmed that the Organization’s new vision and strategic orientations adopt an open, forward-looking approach to sustain the efforts of its Member States in modernizing the fields of education, science and culture, and prioritize building the capacities of youth and training them on leadership for peace to contribute to building a brighter future for humanity and to confront the challenges imposed by the rapid changes and transformations occurring in all sectors.

This was part of a television interview given by Dr. AlMalik to the famous journalist Mikhail Gusman, First Deputy DG of the Russian TASS News Agency, and aired by Russian television via the Russia 24 news channel, as part of the most prominent talk show, which hosts senior officials and decision-makers from all over the world and broadcast by a large number of websites.

During the interview, Dr. AlMalik stated that ICESCO has strong relations with the Russian Federation, which joined the Organization as an observer in 2007, and that both sides cooperate in several programs and projects, including the launch of research chairs in Russian universities in the field of the Arabic language for non-native speakers, and the promotion of relations between the countries of the Islamic world and Russia in ICESCO’s areas of competence.

He further pointed out that ICESCO has made great strides over the past five years in its endeavor to become a global beacon of civilizational and knowledge exchange, stressing that all of the Organization’s initiatives, programs and projects are designed and implemented to serve people, regardless of their gender or religious beliefs, and focus on supporting creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship; encouraging investment in technology including artificial intelligence, space science and its applications, and spreading a culture of anticipation.

ICESCO DG touched upon the Organization’s roles in contributing to the development of educational systems in its Member States, supporting scientific research, enhancing the status of universities, and valuing and preserving tangible and intangible heritage through the programs and projects it implements in countries of the Islamic world and beyond in the areas of building the capacities of youth and women and consolidating the values of coexistence, peace and civilizational dialogue.

He also stressed that the development witnessed by ICESCO is the fruit of recruiting distinguished competencies in all specializations from around the world, and of rejuvenating the Organization’s staff with more than 41% of ICESCO’s employees are now under 35 years of age, in addition to women assuming 50% of leadership positions in the organization.