Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), participated on Monday, March 10, 2025, in a meeting to discuss arrangements for the 6th Vice Chancellors’ Forum of Universities in the Islamic World (VC Forum 2025). The event will be organized by the Higher Education Commission of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, in partnership with ICESCO, COMSATS University Islamabad, and the British Council in Pakistan. Scheduled to take place on May 12-13, 2025, in Islamabad, the forum will be held under the theme: “Rethinking Higher Education in the Islamic World: Innovation, Sustainability, and Global Impact.”

The meeting, attended by representatives from Pakistan’s most prestigious universities, commenced with an address by Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. He emphasized that the upcoming forum will focus on strengthening investment in the future of higher education in the Islamic world, enhancing cooperation and partnerships between universities, and harnessing the latest emerging technologies.

For his part, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik described the meeting as an excellent opportunity to promote fruitful collaboration for the advancement of higher education in the Islamic world. He expressed confidence that the sixth edition of the forum will stand out due to its meticulous preparations, which will feature several discussion sessions on the future of education in the region.

The meeting also covered the latest preparations for the forum and ways of bringing together the largest possible number of prestigious universities in the Islamic world, in addition to stepping up joint efforts with a view to achieving the forum’s objectives. Participants also stressed the importance of securing private sector sponsorship for its activities.

Moreover, participants discussed the holding of a cutting-edge technology exhibition to showcase state-of-the-art technological innovations and their applications in the educational process, as well as the possibility of increasing the number of scholarships granted to young people from the Islamic world at a number of prestigious universities.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector; Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Science and Environment Sector; Ms. Sally Mabrouk, Director of the Office of the Director-General and Supervisor of the Strategy and Institutional Excellence Sector; Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to the Director-General for the Federation of Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW); and Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Advisor at the Science and Environment Sector at ICESCO.