Today, Thursday, October 3rd, 2024, the second day of the third ICESCO Education Ministers Conference kicked off. Organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman and coordinated with the Oman National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, the event is being hosted in the Omani capital, Muscat. The Conference is centered around the theme: “Beyond Transforming Education Summit: From Commitments to Actions.”

The session opened with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a procedural meeting where the Conference Bureau for the third session was elected. Oman assumed the presidency of the Conference, taking over from Saudi Arabia, President of the previous session and Rapporteur of the current one. The Republic of Benin was elected as Vice-President. Subsequently, Dr. Madiha bint Ahmed Al Shaibaniyh, Oman’s Minister of Education and Chairperson of Oman National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, presided over the subsequent sessions.

In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, emphasized that since 2020, the Organization has embraced a renewed vision with the motto “Renewal for Advancement and Improvement,” grounded in proactive and initiative-driven efforts to serve its Member States and humanity at large. He noted that the Conference aims to tackle the rapid transformations and complex issues of the technologiy and artificial intelligence era, with a focus on ensuring educational quality and inclusivity. Additionally, he highlighted ICESCO’s launch of the Islamic World Charter for Artificial Intelligence, urging efforts to bridge the gap between the Member States and more advanced nations in this area, while stressing the importance of media and digital literacy.

Dr. AlMalik expressed ICESCO’s hope that its Member States will usher in a new era of education, affirming that the Organization will continue to support its Members through innovative initiatives, particularly for those affected by conflicts and disasters. He also conveyed ICESCO’s full solidarity with educational systems and institutions in Palestine and Lebanon.

Her Excellency Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former President of Mauritius and guest of honor at the Conference, underscored educational exclusion in many countries in the Islamic world. She stressed that any effective educational policy must ensure access to all segments of society across all geographic regions.

In his address, His Excellency Macky Sall, former President of Senegal and another guest of honor, stressed that investing in education is akin to planting the seeds of humanity in every child, nurturing discernment and enlightening minds against obscurantism. Furthermore, he addressed the need to restructure educational systems to better align with modern market demands.

Speaking via video-call, Dr. Michael Kremer, Director of the Development Innovation Lab and Director of the Development Economics Center at the University of Chicago, and Nobel Prize laureate, discussed the role of experimental methods and best practices in improving education, through gathering data to assess the outcomes of learning programs.