Category: Director General

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), reaffirmed that the post-COVID-19 world requires us to anticipate the future of education and prepare for addressing the challenges of the upcoming period. The Director-General explained that such a goal could be achieved through the development of innovative curricula, alternative educational programmes to expeditiously make the transition towards the future digital school, adding that the traditional school will definitely change and will be replaced by the future virtual schools.

Dr. AlMalik’s highlighted this issue in his address at the Extraordinary Virtual Meeting of the General Conference of the Ministers of Education of the Member States of the Arab Bureau of Education for Gulf States (ABEGS), held today under the presidency of the Sultanate of Oman. The Conference’s agenda featured many topics on education and Member States’ efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the educational process.

In the same vein, Dr. AlMalik stated that the enormous investments in distance education would not be the magic wand that achieves all the desired outcomes. He maintained that advancing this field entails overcoming the many obstacles to its efficiency, most notably the weak educational data collection system and the slowdown in students’ progress o the official curricula. “The abrupt closure of the educational institutions did not leave enough time to prepare any appropriate transition strategies to adopt to distance education,” the Director-General stated. Moreover, Dr. AlMalik underscored that the current curricula are incompatible with this exigent phase and are in dire need of an upgrade, saying that countries should pay due attention to school wastage, which has mostly deteriorated as a result of the closure of the educational institutions.

Likewise, ICESCO Director-General said that, during the crisis, the Organization provided support to its Member States most affected by the pandemic by identifying its impact on the educational systems and intervening according to criteria and participatory approach. “Aware of the likelihood of the persistence of the pandemic and the risk of a second spike of the virus, particularly in the most affected countries, ICESCO continues to be vigilant of any emergency undermining the right to education in these countries,” he maintained. Along this line, the Director-General stated that the Organization prepared a comprehensive guide on the reopening of educational institutions, which provides practical recommendations and field mechanisms to ensure a safe and stable return to schools.

Furthermore, Dr. AlMalik stated that to prepare for education’s future, ICESCO launched an initiative to standardize the curricula of sciences and mathematics in the Islamic world, which was welcomed by the Conference’s participants. He added that ICESCO is also developing a strategy to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the fields of education and will present two studies at the virtual symposium it will hold on 18 June 2020. “The first study will be on the use of AI in education while the second study focuses on its ethics and regulations,” he further explained.

In closing, Dr. AlMalik called for increasing scientific research’s share in the national output to reach 3% in Muslim countries, which will promote these countries’ efforts towards leadership and excellence.

Today, the Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, met with the Grand mufti of Azerbaijan and Caucasus, Mr. Allahshükür Pashazade via videoconferencing. Together they explored prospects of cooperation between ICESCO and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Caucasus.

At the outset, Dr. AlMalik thanked the Grand Mufti for hosting the meeting, requesting him to convey his greetings to His Excellency, the President of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, and Mrs. Mehriban Aliyev, First Vice President and First Lady of Azerbaijan, and President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Moreover, the Director-General reviewed the major projects and initiatives launched by the Organization, as part of its new strategic vision, including the Comprehensive Humanitarian Coalition. Dr. AlMalik underscored that this Coalition aims to support developing countries as well as the countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through the implementation of concrete projects and field programmes, noting that the Republic of Azerbaijan joined the Coalition and supported it financially.

Likewise, Dr. AlMalik talked about ICESCO’s efforts to open up to non-Member States, noting that the Organization drafted a new Charter including new regulations for ICESCO Observer Status and invites all states to become Observer States with the goal of more cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, and communication.

For his part, Mr. Allahshükür Pashazade commended ICESCO’s initiatives in the area of dialogue and cultural diversity, as well as its efforts to spread the values of moderation, middle stance, and coexistence; keenness to support Islamic solidarity, and sustained interest in support for cultural heritage in the Islamic world.

The President of the Spiritual Administration for the Muslims of the Caucasus reaffirmed the interest and desire of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its specialized institutions in supporting and promoting cooperation with ICESCO, reiterating his Administration’s keenness to work on achieving the noble goals sought by the two parties.
Moreover, Mr. Allahshükür Pashazade invited Dr. AlMalik to visit Azerbaijan and sign a cooperation programme between ICESCO and the Spiritual Administration for the Muslims of the Caucasus, an invitation that ICESCO Director-General welcomed, promising to visit Azerbaijan at the earliest convenience.

The two parties also agreed on coordinating to hold a high-level virtual meeting for leaders of religious institutions to explore ways to promote cooperation, coordination, and consultation, and to hold later an international conference on anchoring the values of peace, tolerance, and coexistence.

The participants taking part in the first meeting in the webinar series, “Societies We Want,” held by Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), reaffirmed their support for ICESCO’s adoption of “Education for Peace”.

The participants stated that this initiative is likely to help address the significant challenges of peace and security, stressing the need to work together to build healthy, peaceful societies that can safely coexist.
The meeting, held virtually by the Department of Human and Social Sciences at ICESCO to discuss perspectives on peace, citizenship, and resilience in conflict and post-conflict contexts, saw the participation of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director General , and several international organizations’ representatives and experts in inter-civilizational dialogue and human and social sciences. Mr. Adama Dieng, Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General for the Prevention of Genocide, also participated in the meeting as a special guest, who called for close cooperation with ICESCO regarding issues of education for peace and conflict prevention through anchoring religious values, safe coexistence and acceptance of the Other.

Moreover, Mr. Dieng stated that education plays a pivotal role in building peace as it is one of the most powerful tools we must use to eradicate the causes of hatred. He added that through education, we could anchor noble values founded on respect for humans and indiscrimination, underscoring that education guarantees a level of awareness and understanding in people which prove necessary in recognizing the danger of those who spread hatred, racism, and segregation through the internet or other mediums.

In the same vein, Mr. Dieng stated that the United Nations would hold a ministerial conference on the role of education in eradicating hatred, whose organization will be overseen by the Office of the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General for the Prevention of Genocide, in cooperation with UNESCO Director-General.   He added that the conference would bring together ministers of education, experts and all stakeholders, including the youth, to come up with practices and recommendations, and outline the commitments of Member States to implement these recommendations at the national level, seizing the opportunity to call on ICESCO to take part in this conference.  

The first meeting of the “Societies We Want” webinar series saw active participation and fruitful discussion; and stressed the need to adopt a comprehensive approach to building peace and attaining safe coexistence. To achieve this goal, ICESCO called for creating a framework of cooperation between the participating organizations and institutions, including UNESCO, the Conference of the Ministers of Education of French-speaking Countries (CONFEMEN), the Conference of French-speaking Ministers of Youth and Sports (CONFEJES), the G5 Sahel, the West and Central Africa Office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the African Development Bank (ADB), Water Summit 2021 Coordination Office, “Roses of Peace” Singapore, and Timbuktu Institute—Niger.
 
For his part, the CONFEJES Secretary-General stated that they would place focus on issues of peace and citizenship in teacher training curricula, as part of the trilateral cooperation with ICESCO and the CONFEMEN.  This would also include physical education teachers to promote the values of sports as a tool for building peace and anchoring citizenship.

** COVID-19 pandemic reveals weakening cooperation in ecosystem preservation

The Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, reaffirmed that joint action to prevent conflicts, address crises and preserve peace must be a priority of all societies under the “global citizenship” concept. He pointed out that the pandemic, the latest in a long series of crises which have plagued the planet in the era of globalization, has uncovered the degree of humanity’s vulnerability and weaknesses, including low commitment and inadequate cooperation to preserve the ecosystem for the service of our peoples and rising generations.

This came in ICESCO Director-General’s address at the opening session of the series of virtual meetings on “Societies We Want” held by the Sector of Human and Social Sciences at ICESCO. The first meeting was dedicated to the discussion of viewpoints on peace and citizenship and resilience during and after COVID-19 as part of the Organization’s “Societies We Want” initiative to spread knowledge and build healthy, peaceful, prosperous, inclusive and resilient societies, a need that surfaced at the time of Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

ICESCO Director-General stressed that when facing considerable challenges to peace and security, we should work as one world and one humanity. To this end, ICESCO advocates for education for peace while paying special attention to youth, women, and religious leaderships through developing their social and psychological capacities to counter violence and extremism and promote peaceful conflict resolution. It also seeks to establish a sense of global citizenship among people to think of other nations instead of thinking solely of ones’ own countries and show a feeling of belonging to our planet and the shared destiny regardless of faith, race, and values.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik stated that in the next few weeks, ICESCO would launch a major project to advocate for the integration of the values of peace, peaceful coexistence, and citizenship in Member States’ education systems. As human civilization is on a crossroads, the choice is to remain in this current situation or face its societies toward a better future. “What happens today signals an urgent need to be addressed. We should proceed with a drastic social change amid the crises and emergencies facing our societies to limit the effects of conflicts and epidemics and reaffirm our resolve to protect humanity,” he added.

He expressed his hope that the entire humanity would prioritize ending conflict, violence rejection, and health crisis mitigation while noting that ICESCO will contribute to building a world free of conflicts and making peace a reality for peoples.
At the close of his address, Dr. AlMalik stated that the Organization would launch a programme for encouraging young researchers to participate, through their studies and research, in the development of the society and limit the social and psychological impact of crises and conflicts on our lives. He called on specialists in development, research, and human sciences to cooperate and put aside their differences and work toward the world’s best interests.

The Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, received today Dr. Götz Schmidt-Bremme, Ambassador of Germany to the Kingdom of Morocco at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat. Together they explored ways to promote cooperation between ICESCO and the Federal Republic of Germany in the educational, scientific and cultural fields.

During the meeting, which was also attended by Mr. Steffen Krüger, Representative of Kaunrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation Morocco, Dr. AlMalik briefed the German Ambassador of the Organization’s new vision which advocates openness and cooperation with all parties in the service of Member States and Muslim communities around the globe. He also reviewed the initiatives, programmes and activities implemented by ICESCO during COVID-19 pandemic to curb its adverse effects and support Member States to overcome them.

Likewise, ICESCO Director-General pointed out that ICESCO had redrafted its Charter and administrative and financial regulations and established a charter for ICESCO Observer States. In this vein, he invited Germany to join the Organization as an observer and contribute to the “Comprehensive Humanitarian Coalition” with executive projects and field programmes to assist the poorest and most affected countries by the pandemic.

For his part, Dr. Schmidt-Bremme voiced his country’s commitment to cooperate with ICESCO within the realm of its competence and in light of its new vision and action strategy, while commending the initiatives and actions of ICESCO during COVID-19 pandemic. He also considered this meeting as a starting point for constructive cooperation between the two parties.

At the close of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik thanked Mr. Krüger for the support extended by Kaunrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation to ICESCO this year, namely the sponsoring of many of the Organization’s foresight conferences and studies, the membership of the Foundation to the Comprehensive Humanitarian Coalition and the involvement of ICESCO as a key partner in its action strategy for the coming years.

The meeting was attended from ICESCO by Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Director of the Sector of External Relations and Cooperation; and Dr. Kaïs Hammami, Director of the Center of Strategic Foresight.

The Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, called on news agencies in the Islamic world for closer cooperation and partnership with similar agencies and media institutions in the world to develop awareness and push for joint efforts in handling Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The remarks came in his address at the first web forum of the Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA-OIC) held today to explore the role of news agencies in backing anti-COVID-19 efforts. The forum was organized under the patronage of Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi, Acting Minister of Media of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chairman of the UNA-OIC Executive Council, with the participation of Dr. Ahmed Yousef Al-Othaimeen, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC); Dr. Bandar Hajjar, President of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB); Dr. Zayed Sultan Abdullah, UNA-OIC Deputy Director-General; and presidents and managers of the Islamic world news agencies.

Dr. AlMalik demanded that the concepts and terms used by news agencies in their discourses and materials in the Islamic world be thoughtfully and seriously reconsidered.  Most notable terminology, “Islamophobia,” which he qualified as “intrusive,” should be scrutinized in terms of meanings, scope, and impact on entrenching on values of tolerance and understanding.

In another vein, ICESCO Director-General listed the initiatives launched by the Organization to support anti-COVID-19 efforts and help the Member States overcome its adverse effects on education, science, and culture. In this respect, he cited the digital information, and video clips ICESCO has broadcasted on its website and social networks pages for raising awareness of the threat of a pandemic. These materials provide ample explanation on how to protect against the virus in three languages: English, French, and Arabic, including few local African languages.

The Director-General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, highlighted the importance of strengthening international cooperation in handling the damaging repercussions of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  

This is the substance of his address delivered at the opening session of the Global Web Forum organized by ASAN Network, under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on the theme “Governments Agile Response to COVID-19.”  Dr. AlMalik further stressed that government responses should be all-inclusive in this critical moment, emphasizing equity and fairness, especially in health, financial and educational spectrums. Moreover, he urged the government to give priority to the most vulnerable communities in the development of policies as the crisis exposed the gap between regional and social categories.

“Government responses to the pandemic should focus on genuine dialogue and inter-disciplinary cooperation while drawing inspirations from the successful experiences of some governments in addressing emergencies. Despite growing tensions, governments should not lose sight of the fact that interinstitutional and external cooperation proves indispensable in the fight against any crises.  Joint efforts and sharing of best practices between international partners can help overcome the grinding standstill of economic activities and the debilitating effect of social restrictions, Dr. AlMalik added.

ICESCO Director-General alerted the Member States to recognize the importance of culture and education as the future of humanity hinges on the preservation and protection of these fundamental societal spheres.

Then, Dr. AlMalik highlighted activities, programmes, and initiatives launched by ICESCO to support the efforts to help cushion the adverse effects of Coronavirus pandemic, particularly:
• ICESCO Prize for Fighting Coronavirus with a value of 200,000 US$ to reward anyone who discovers an efficient treatment or vaccine against the virus.
• Launch of the Comprehensive Humanitarian Forum to help the most affected developing countries and promote innovation and scientific research.
• “ICESCO Digital Home” which is a platform providing technological, educational, social, cultural, and awareness content for all age groups.
• Provision of technical and financial support for the production of sanitizers and disinfectants in several African countries.
• Provision of smart equipment and materials to 30 Member States to ensure the continuity of the educational process during school shutdown.
• “Societies We Want,” an initiative that seeks to disseminate knowledge and implement creative programmes for building healthy, safe, prosperous, and inclusive societies.

At the close of his address, ICESCO Director-General suggested that ICESCO launch “ICESCO-ASAN Award for the Management of Public Services in the Islamic World” to promote good governance, build capacities and provide good services in managing all the sectors related to education, sciences, culture, and social development.

Launched by ASAN Network, the Global Web Forum is an initiative of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It aims to discuss public service activities and ways to access them in times of epidemics and the role of innovations and smart solutions during and after COVID-19.