The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with the Group of Spouses of Arab Ambassadors and Heads of International Organizations accredited to the Kingdom of Morocco, held a scientific meeting titled “Excellence in Vicegerency: How to Make a Healthy Heart in Times of Chaos.” The event featured a lecture by Dr. Khadija Abouzid, Professor of Higher Education at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, and was attended by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, along with a number of ambassadors accredited to Morocco, members of the Spouses Group, and participants interested in intellectual, spiritual, and educational affairs.

The meeting, held on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, opened with recitations from the Holy Qur’an, followed by remarks from Ms. Rania Shobaki, Chairwoman of the Group. She highlighted the continued cooperation between ICESCO and the Group, stressing that this partnership reflects a shared commitment to organizing gatherings that combine knowledge- and value-based themes and address the questions facing modern humanity amid rapid global transformations.

Dr. Yousra Bint Hussain AlJazairy, Chair of the Cultural Committee of The Group of Spouses of Arab Ambassadors and Heads of International Organizations accredited to the Kingdom of Morocco, stated that the meeting serves as a prelude to four lectures to be held every Tuesday during the month of Ramadan. She noted that the purpose of these lectures is to ensure complementarity among their themes to nurture the heart before the mind. She added that the challenges facing the world today are less a crisis of progress than a crisis of balance, calling for the restoration of the value system that reinstates human beings to their honored and responsible role as vicegerents of Allah on earth.

At the beginning of her lecture, Dr. Abouzid emphasized that vicegerency is not a mere theoretical notion but a covenant that places an ethical and civilizational responsibility on human beings. She stated that humans are “honored trustees” and “entrusted vicegerents,” and that the path toward a sound heart requires awareness of this responsibility and alignment of daily conduct with the objectives of righteous action.

Dr. Abouzid also reflected on human potential as illustrated in the story of Adam, peace be upon him, noting that the pillars of vicegerency include moral nature, the capacity for learning and development, and the faculty of reflection and discernment that enables one to read reality with clarity, link actions to purpose, and build inner balance that protects against chaos and supports efforts toward reform.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants engaged with the themes of vicegerency, excellence, and the cultivation of value-based balance. A question-and-answer session followed, during which practical guidance was shared on refining the self and strengthening moral resilience in times of turbulence.