Category: Director General

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) held a meeting to discuss the outputs of the Knowledge Index Report of 2023, as well as initiatives to improve Muslim countries’ rankings in the upcoming Index reports.

The meeting was held on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat and saw the participation of a number of ICESCO’s experts and heads of sectors and departments, in addition to a host of Member States’ representatives who took part in the meeting via videoconference. The meeting discussed the Knowledge Index data in the Islamic world and explored ways to improve the region’s performance in the annually issued Index.

In his address at the meeting, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), highlighted the Organization’s close cooperation ties with the Foundation and the UNDP, a cooperation focused on exploring effective ways to improve the rankings of ICESCO Member States in the Knowledge Index. The DG also stated that this meeting aims to define the indicators in the Member States and work closely to identify strengths and weaknesses to contribute to their improvement and development.

Dr. Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF), gave an overview of the Foundation’s goals and mission to support knowledge in the Arab and Islamic worlds, highlighting key initiatives implemented by the Foundation and its international partners to anticipate the future of knowledge and develop future skills.

He also emphasized the centrality of this meeting in the process of introducing some ICESCO Member States to the Knowledge Index, and supporting other countries to rank higher in this Index, given its significance in their economic and developmental progress.

Moreover, the meeting featured a presentation by Dr. Hani Turki, Director of the Knowledge Project at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), who discussed the Knowledge Index in ICESCO’s Member States for 2023. His presentation focused on the States’ achievements, the strengths and weaknesses of their data, the clear gap among them in this regard, and issues related to data collection and availability in some countries.

Afterwards, the parties discussed the report findings, the methods used to process and verify them, as well as the role of National Commissions in pooling efforts to control the quality of data sent to international institutions and organizations, and ensure their accuracy and the use of proper tools to assess data and derive diagnostic and analytical studies.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Ms. Hanan Hanzaz, Special Representative of the DG of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for the Arab Region, to explore ways of developing cooperation between the two organizations in areas of common interest.

At the outset of the meeting, held on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at ICESCO’s headquarters, in Rabat, Ms. Hanan Hanzaz conveyed the greetings of Mr. Gerd Müller, UNIDO DG, as well as his invitation to Dr. AlMalik to visit the Organization’s headquarters, in Vienna, to hold a bilateral meeting at the earliest convenience, and attend the upcoming UNIDO General Conference, due to be held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in 2025.

For his part, ICESCO DG welcomed the invitation to visit UNIDO’s headquarters, stressing his keenness to develop and enhance cooperation between the two parties through practical and impactful programs and projects, the results of which will be presented during the UNIDO General Conference, in Riyadh, in 2025.

Dr. AlMalik pointed out that ICESCO has been developed and modernized during the past five years through its new vision, strategic orientations, organizational structure and working mechanisms, adding that the Organization adopts an open cooperation approach with international organizations to promote the integration of roles in such a way as to serve Member States. He also reviewed the key initiatives, programs and projects that ICESCO has implemented in its areas of competence.

The meeting touched on future cooperation proposals, especially on vocational education and training, building the capacities of youth and women to acquire the necessary skills for tomorrow’s professions, and supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and artificial intelligence.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to continue coordination and hold expert meetings to develop joint cooperation programs, which will be included in an agreement to be signed by the two Organizations based on a specific implementation program.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Ibrahim Hadia Al-Majbari, the DG of the Libyan News Agency and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Celebrating Benghazi as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World. The two officials discussed several topics during the meeting, including the preparations for Dr. AlMalik’s visit to Tripoli to participate in the International Conference on the Holy Quran, as well as coordination regarding the programs and cultural events to be held during the Benghazi celebration.

During the meeting, held on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik praised the depth of the partnership between the Organization and the State of Libya in the fields of education, science, and culture, reaffirming ICESCO’s keenness to enhance cooperation with all Libyan institutions concerned with the Organization’s scope of work.

ICESCO DG also outlined the key pillars of ICESCO’s new vision, emphasizing its focus on the development and modernization of the Organization to keep pace with the rapid global changes occurring across all fields, foreseeing the future and contributing to preparations made to face its challenges, and meet the aspirations, in the fields of education, science, and culture, of its Member States and Muslim communities worldwide.

For his part, Mr. Al-Majbari praised ICESCO’s distinguished efforts in its areas of expertise. He discussed the arrangements for the visit of ICESCO’s DG to Tripoli, at the beginning of upcoming May, to participate in the International Conference on the Holy Quran, as well as the necessary logistical arrangements for the launch of the celebration of Benghazi as capital of culture in the Islamic world, calling for strengthening cooperation between the Organization and the State of Libya to serve the interests of both sides.

Attending the meeting from ICESCO’s side were Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Culture and Communication Sector, Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Director of the Center for Civilizational Dialogue, and Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Advisor to the General Directorate of the Organization

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Ambassador Vladimir Viktorovich Baibakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Morocco, to discuss cooperation between ICESCO and the Russian Federation in areas of common interest.

During the meeting, which took place on Friday, April 5, 2024, at ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat, in the presence of Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General, and several sector heads and center directors within the Organization, Dr. AlMalik outlined the key pillars of ICESCO’s new vision. He emphasized that the Organization has adopted a development and modernization approach to keep pace with the rapid global changes in all fields, anticipate future trends, proactively address its challenges, and meet the aspirations of the Member States and Muslim communities worldwide in education, science, and culture.

Moreover, he pointed out that ICESCO is an open Organization with strong partnerships with many international organizations, built on practical programs and projects that deliver tangible impact and measurable results. He reaffirmed ICESCO’s commitment to strengthen cooperation with the Russian Federation, an observer Member of the Organization in the fields of education, science, and culture.

Ambassador Baibakov commended ICESCO for providing support for its Member States in its areas of competence, confirming Russia’s willingness to enhance cooperation with the Organization as part of its broader policy to deepen its historical ties with Islamic and African countries.

The Russian Ambassador extended an invitation to Dr. AlMalik to attend the Conference of the Strategic Vision Group “Russia and the Islamic World,” scheduled for 16-17 May in Kazan. Dr. AlMalik accepted the invitation and agreed to deliver a speech on behalf of the Organization at the Conference.

The meeting also touched on areas of cooperation between ICESCO and the Russian Federation, focusing on civilizational dialogue and teaching the Arabic language, which resulted in the establishment of the ICESCO Chair for the Arabic Language in the service of dialogue and coexistence, hosted by the Russian Islamic University, affiliated with the Central Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Russia in the Republic of Bashkortostan.

Following the meeting, Dr. AlMalik accompanied Ambassador Baibakov on a tour of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently housed at ICESCO’s headquarters, as part of the strategic partnership between the Organization, Muslim World League, and the Mohammedia League of Scholars.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, the Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Ahmed Réda Chami, President of the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council of the Kingdom of Morocco (CESE), along with his accompanying delegation of the Council members. The two parties discussed the prospects of mutual cooperation, especially in the fields of foresight studies and artificial intelligence.

The Meeting was held on Wednesday April 3rd, 2024, at ICESCO’s Headquarters in Rabat, in the presence of Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy DG, and several sector heads, department directors, and heads of specialized centers at the Organization. During the meeting, Dr. Al-Malik reviewed ICESCO’s efforts, foresight initiatives, programs, and projects geared toward supporting its Member States in developing the education, science, and culture sectors. He emphasized that the Organization adopts an open approach to partnership and collaboration with all to achieve its strategic objectives.
Dr. Al-Malik pointed out that ICESCO’s Center for Strategic Foresight has organized several training sessions on foresight and decision-making for the benefit of public servants, private professionals, and youth in its Member States.

The Organization established its “ICESCO Chair on Women in Science: Artificial Intelligence and the Future” at the Euro-Mediterranean University in Fez. Soon, the “ICESCO Chair for Artificial Intelligence Ethics ” will be established at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

For his part, Mr. Chami lauded the various roles that ICESCO fills, and the support it lends to its Member States in its areas of competence, reaffirming the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council’s keenness to foster a fruitful cooperation with the Organization considering its distinguished expertise, especially in the fields of strategic foresight and artificial intelligence.

Following the meeting, ICESCO’s DG took the President of the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council and his accompanying delegation on a tour of the various halls of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted by the Organization through a strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League, and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Manzoor Nadir, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana, during their participation at the proceeding of the 3rd Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network (NAM PN) held under the banner: “Revitalizing parliamentary action in combating climate change.”

During the meeting, which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 25, 2024, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the Organization’s further progress made towards its development, as well as its new vision and strategic orientations aimed at establishing it as an international beacon of civilization and knowledge hub for the Islamic world.

Dr. AlMalik highlighted ICESCO’s approach of increased communication with its Member States to design programs and projects based on their needs and priorities in coordination with their respective National Commissions.

For his part, Mr.Manzoor Nadir commended ICESCO’s efforts in building the capacities of youth and women, stressing the willingness of the competent authorities in Guyana to promote collaboration with the Organization in education, science and culture.

A host of senior Muslim Ulema and distinguished intellectual figures participating in the Hassani Religious Lectures, held during the holy month of Ramadan and headed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, may Allah assist him, visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently housed at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in Rabat.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, received these guests, on Wednesday (March 20, 2024), including Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the Grand Mufti of AlQuds and the Palestinian territories, Imam and Preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque; Sheikh Essa Darboe, President of The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council; Dr. Bahauddeen Nadwi, Vice Chancellor of Darul Huda Islamic University, in India; Dr. Hassan Al-Mannai, retired professor from Al-Zaytouna University in Tunisia; and Dr. Akram Nadwi, Director and Co-founder of Al Salam Institute in Oxford, in Britain; as well as the reciters Al-Hussein Al-Qasimi Al-Baqali and Ayoub Nasser from Morocco.

During the meeting, ICESCO Director-General reviewed the Organization’s vision and strategic orientations, and highlighted its current programs and projects geared towards developing the fields of education, science and culture, noting that ICESCO is open to all parties with the view of serving its Member States and the Muslim communities worldwide, and introducing the cultures and civilization of the Islamic world.

Moreover, he indicated that the Organization is hosting this Exhibition within its efforts to show the correct image of Islam and confront extremism and hatred, highlighting that the exhibition is the fruit of the strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League and the Mohammadia League of Ulema.

Dr. AlMalik, along with Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General, and Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Advisor to the General Directorate of ICESCO, took the guests on a tour of the various halls of the Exhibition and Museum, during which they listened to detailed explanations.

At the close of the tour, the guests expressed their happiness at visiting this great scientific edifice, which addresses all groups in a simplified manner using the latest technologies.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Osama Al Azhari, Advisor to the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt for Religious Affairs, who visited ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat and gave a lecture entitled: “Today’s youth: tomorrow’s beacon of civilization”.

At the start of the meeting, which took place on Tuesday 19 March 2024, Dr. AlMalik welcomed Dr. Al Azhari stressing the exceptional relations binding ICESCO and Egypt in the fields of education, science and culture.

He commended the support of H.E. Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, to the Organization’s efforts, and his generous sponsorship of ICESCO’s Year of Youth, which saw the implementation of concrete programs and projects for the benefit of youth in a number of countries in the Islamic world, as part of His Excellency’s ongoing support for youth, exemplified by the announcement he made at the opening of the 14th session of ICESCO’s General Conference in Cairo of the granting of 100 scholarships in Egyptian universities to young people from the Organization’s Member States, and by his proposal to create a Fund to support education and talents in the Islamic world.

The Director General reviewed the main thrusts of ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, as well as the programs and projects it implements in the fields of capacity-building for youth and women, consolidating the values of coexistence, peace and civilizational dialogue, combating extremist ideas, promoting investment in technology, innovation, artificial intelligence and space sciences, disseminating the culture of foresight, and consolidating the status of the Arabic language worldwide.

For his part, Dr. Al Azhari expressed his pleasure at visiting ICESCO’s headquarters, praising the Organization’s outstanding and central role in disseminating and strengthening science, thought and culture in its Member States.

Following the meeting, an intellectual gathering was organized during which Dr. Al-Azhari gave a lecture entitled “Today’s youth: the beacon of tomorrow’s civilization”, moderated by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director General, in the presence of a number of ambassadors and ambassadors’ spouses accredited to Rabat, as well as other high-profile personalities.

Dr. Al-Azhari emphasized that the theme of the lecture urges youth in the Islamic world and the world at large, to become the beacon of tomorrow’s civilization. In this respect, he presented examples of scientific methodological thinking, which has transformed the meanings of the Holy Quran into creative scientific thinking, that motivated Muslims throughout history to take inspiration from it to develop minds and promote the values of ambition and innovation to make glorious civilization that has contributed to enriching human civilization, stressing that mercy is the most important and central value of our true religion.

He went on to talk about the transformation that occurred in the civilization of the Islamic world with the appearance of hospitals, the stages of their the evolution, and how the need to relieve the sick was first thought of in application of the value of mercy derived from the opening of Surah Al-Fatihah “In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful”, noting that the innovative Muslim mind transformed the word the “Compassionate, the Merciful”, into a “value”, then created a civilization in which mercy became a central value.

After the lecture, the floor was opened to discussion and questions which Dr. Al-Azhari answered, before ICESCO Director General presented him with a shield of honor.

At the end of his visit to ICESCO, Dr. Al Malik took Dr. Al Azhari on a tour of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Seerah of the Prophet and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted at the Organization’s headquarters as part of a strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Islamic World League and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the NewGlobe Organization, specializing in education on the international level, convened to explore opportunities for collaboration in implementing various initiatives, programs, and projects. The focus was particularly on supporting educational transformation, skill development, and organizing international conferences and seminars on educational matters.

Chaired by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Ms. Shannon May, President and Co-Founder of NewGlobe Organization, the meeting took place via videoconference on Thursday 14 March 2024. Also in attendance were Mr. Jay Kimmelman, CEO and Co-Founder, and Mr. Isfundiar Kasuri, Executive Director of the Pakistan office, as well as Policy and Partnership Director at the Organization. Representing ICESCO during the Meeting were Dr. Boly Koumbou Barry, Head of the Education Sector, and Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, alongside experts from both sectors.

Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s vision and operational strategy during the meeting, expressing the Organization’s keenness to collaborate with various international institutions to serve its Member States and Muslim communities worldwide in the realms of education, science, and culture.

The NewGlobe Organization representatives commended ICESCO’s efforts within the scope of its fields of competence before offering an outline of their Organization’s activities and programs implemented in various African and Asian countries. These endeavors aim to support educational transformation in partnership with the respective governments of those countries, striving to develop sustainable and resilient education systems.

Emphasizing the Organization’s adoption of data-driven and scientifically researched methods, NewGlobe representatives highlighted their efforts to support positive educational transformation, boost gross domestic product, generate employment opportunities, and address poverty issues.

The Two Parties explored possible future avenues of cooperation and areas of mutual interest, agreeing to continue discussions to formulate executive plans for initiatives, programs, and practical activities that carry tangible impacts.