Category: Director General

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, stressed that ISESCO’s new vision, through which the Organization aspires to become a beacon of global outreach, involves the anticipation of the issues of human development, focuses on the elimination of poverty and countering extremism and hatred speech; and seeks to empower youth and women, support the civil society, protect children, educate refugees and displaced people, preserve heritage and explore the new roles of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and future education models.

This was part of Dr. AlMalik’s address at the 40^th General Conference of UNESCO, being held in Paris, in which he referred to some global dilemmas such as devastating wars, terrifying climate changes and ethnic conflicts while expressing his hope for a better future whose signs are seen in this Conference.

ISESCO Director General also highlighted that ISESCO’s anticipatory vision is imposed by the Islamic world’s challenges and opportunities in light of five variables. The first is demographic as the Muslim world population will reach over two billion by an increase of 35% over the coming twenty years. This is major variable for the whole world.

The second is economic considering the major negative impact of global economic crises on Muslim countries, especially the poor ones in the fields education and environment.

The third is cultural: many historical monuments and heritage sites have disappeared. Thus, the remaining ones should be rapidly inscribed and protected. Besides, the world should counter extremism and hatred speech.

The variable is educational given that illiteracy is a reality in the Islamic world with 40% of illiterate people, 65% of whom are girls and women. This rate is expected to rise over the coming twenty years.

The last variable is technological; the digital gap between developed and poor countries has expanded. Against this backdrop, ISESCO has launched the Initiative of Modern Technology Integration in Elementary Education with priority focus on poor countries.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed that ISESCO intends to strengthen cooperation with Member and non-Member States, and promote relations with international organizations, particularly UNESCO, to set an example of cooperation in light of the cooperation agreement the two Organizations will sign today.

 ISESCO Director General further called on non-Member States and international organizations to join ISESCO as Observer Members to promote joint action, entrench the foundations of complementarity based on respect and accomplishment of commitments while stressing that ISESCO has taken upon itself to prevent politics and politicization in its missions.

Today in Paris, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, met with the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Abulfas Garayev, on the sidelines of their participation in the 40^th UNESCO General Conference.

During this meeting, Dr. AlMalik presented ISESCO’s new vision, which will turn it into an international beacon, while focusing on issues of sustainable development; combating poverty; countering extremism and hate speech; empowering youth and women; supporting civil society; protecting children; educating refugees and displaced persons; and conserving heritage. The new vision also targets the new roles of artificial intelligence and the future models of education. By the same token, ISESCO Director General revealed that, in the forthcoming period, the Organization will launch a number of special activities and programmes which will greatly benefit Member States, while stressing that this new strategy responds to the requests of Member States and implements programmes requested by these countries, according to their respective needs.

On his part, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Culture shed light on “Baku Process”, which was launched on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, with the aim to establish an effective dialogue between different civilizations and cultures. He also pointed out to “Baku Declaration”, issued in 2008 within the framework of this initiative, following the participation of Ministers of Cultures of 10 Islamic countries in the Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Culture.

The Minister also touched upon the research center, which was established within the initiative, and requested for a permanent delegate of ISESCO at the Center. He also stated that Azerbaijan is interested in two priorities; the protection of heritage and creative cities, while praising ISESCO’s efforts in the cultural field and its outstanding work in documenting heritage in the Islamic World.

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, met with the Pakistani Federal Minister of Education and Professional Training, Mr. Shafqat Mahmood, on the sidelines of their participation in the 40^th UNESCO General Conference, which kicked off in Paris last Tuesday.

During this meeting, Dr. AlMalik reviewed ISESCO’s new vision through which the Organization strives to become a beacon in the fields of education, science and culture, not only for Muslim countries but also for the world at large; and aims to become an organization with a clear identity and references, so as to forge ahead in its areas of competence with a forward-looking approach for the benefit of the Islamic world. He added that ISESCO also aims, through its new vision, to become a leadership and creativity hub able to coordinate efforts to develop educational policies and systems for Member States and improve these systems’ performance and output.

In addition, ISESCO Director General reaffirmed ISESCO’s strong conviction in empowering young people, women and children, and allowing them access to good education, noting ISESCO’s initiative to support women scientists in the Islamic world and announcing that this initiative will be expanded to include all scientists and researchers in ISESCO Member States.

For his part, the Pakistani Minister commended the active presence of ISESCO’s representatives in the proceedings of UNESCO General Conference, highlighting the importance of such presence in expertise sharing and cooperation with the two organizations during such events. The minister also praised ISESCO’s new vision, reaffirming his appreciation of the Organization’s new approach, which consists of allowing Member States to specify their needs in terms of programmes that ISESCO then supports, organizes, and deploys experts to carry out the required tasks.

Likewise, Mr. Mahmood underlined his country’s interest in developing cooperation with ISESCO in its areas of competence, and expanding the scope of partnership with the Organization in the cultural field, particularly with regard to safeguarding heritage in the Islamic world.

At the end of the meeting, ISESCO Director General and the Pakistani minister agreed to co-organize a number of programmes and workshops.

On the sidelines of his participation in the 40^th UNESCO General Conference, being held in Paris, France, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), has held a series of meetings with several ministers and officials of National Commissions in Member States as well as officials in international organizations to explore ways of developing cooperation between ISESCO and these countries in the next period.

With Ms. Golda El-Khoury, Director of UNESCO Office in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik examined ways to foster cooperation and joint action between the two international organizations, as they share the same action areas and seek to preserve world heritage, support countries in reforming their education systems and ensure that projects and activities yield the maximum positive outcomes.

In the same vein, ISESCO Director General pointed out that ISESCO has reopened its office at UNESCO headquarters to further cooperation, under ISESCO’s new vision that advocates openness to and action with all international organizations, civil society organizations, universities and research centers, in service of Member States’ peoples.

For her part, Ms. El-Khoury welcomed the Organization’s new vision and reaffirmed that the next period will witness more cooperation in fileds of action shared by the two organizations.

Likewise, Dr. AlMalik met with Dr. Hamda Al-Sulaiti, Secretary General of Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. The two parties examined the development of cooperation between ISESCO and the State of Qatar in the next phase and touched on the programmes and activities recently carried out in Qatar in cooperation with the Organization.

Moreover, the two parties reviewed the ongoing arrangements for scheduled activities as part of the celebration of Doha as the Arab region’s Islamic Culture Capital for 2021 and agreed on fruitful cooperation in the next period.

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, today in Paris, met with Mr. Arrmanatha Nasir, Ambassador of Indonesia to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.

During this meeting on the sidelines of the 40^th UNESCO General Conference being held in Paris, the two parties examined the development of cooperation between the Organization and Indonesia, under ISESCO’s new vision that seeks to make of the Organization a beacon of outreach in the fields of education, science and culture for Muslim countries and the world at large.

Moreover, the two parties agreed to jointly work to make the activities and programmes, implemented in cooperation with ISESCO in Indonesia, more efficient and beneficial to their targeted categories, namely those overseen by the League of the Institutions of Teaching Arabic to non-Arabic Speakers, an institution largely welcome by ISESCO’s Members States in the African and Asian regions.

With a population of 238 million people, Indonesia is the fourth densely populated country in the world and the world’s largest predominantly Muslim country. Indonesia joined ISESCO in 1986. Its National Commission for ISESCO is presided by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), in Paris, discussed with Ms. Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development of the United Arab Emirates, ways to promote cooperation between ISESCO and the United Arab Emirates in the field of culture.

During this Meeting, Dr. AlMalik expressed his thanks to the UAE Government for their initiative to host ISESCO Executive Council, to be held in Abu Dhabi on 29-30 January 2020, which is expected to take milestone decisions related to ISESCO and adopt its new strategy and vision.

The two parties agreed to work jointly to implement a number of programmes and provide support to a host of cultural initiatives within the framework of ISESCO’s new strategy and vision, and as part of its efforts to protect and conserve heritage in the Islamic world and preserve the civilizational Islamic identity against incitement to hatred, fanaticism and violence.

This meeting was held on the sidelines of participation of Dr. AlMalik and Ms. Al Kaabi in the 40^th General Conference of UNESCO, which kicked off last Tuesday in Paris with the participation of the representatives of UNESCO’s 193 Member States and 10 Associate Members, and the presence of international leaders, most notably the UN Secretary General, Mr. António Guterres.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), in Paris, met with Mr. Abdelhakim Belabed, Algerian Minister of Education, on the sidelines of their participation in the 40^th UNESCO General Conference. During this meeting, the two parties explored ways to promote cooperation between ISESCO and People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria in the fields of education, science, culture and communication

Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed that ISESCO takes pride in Algeria’s membership and appreciates the efforts it exerts to support joint Islamic action, underscoring that the next period will see joint action programmes between the Organization and the Algerian Ministry of Education, in light of ISESCO’s new vision through which the Organization strives to become a beacon, not only for Muslim countries but for the world at large.

Algerian Minister stated that his country will substantially support ISESCO in the upcoming period, lauding the Organization’s role in supporting Muslim countries’ efforts to reform their educational systems, as well as its action to safeguard and preserve heritage in the Islamic world.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), discussed with Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares, ways to promote cooperation and joint action between ISESCO and Dubai Cares with a view to providing education opportunities to children in Islamic countries, which need aid in this field.

During this meeting, held on the sidelines of the 40^th UNESCO General Conference, Dr. AlMalik reviewed ISESCO’s new vision and action plan for the forthcoming phase, and its approach towards empowering youth, women, and children to benefit from their educational, scientific, cultural, technological, and environmental rights. This goes in line with Dubai Cares’ fields of action in providing basic education. The two parties also agreed on promoting cooperation in the field of scholarships, and supporting, supervising, and expanding the scope of academic chairs to serve education and scientific research.

It is worth mentioning that Dubai Cares, founded in 2007, is a philanthropic organization, which endeavors to provide children in developing countries with quality basic education through integral programmes aimed at eliminating obstacles hindering children from enrolling in schools and learning.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), reviewed ways to strengthen cooperation between the Organization and Morocco, with Mr. Said Amzazi, Minister of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Kingdom of Morocco, in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.

Dr. AlMalik lauded the permanent support of His Majesty Mohammed VI of Morocco to ISESCO and the care the Organization receives from the late King Hassan II since its inception.

Moreover, the two parties examined ISESCO’s future programmes of cooperation between ISESCO and Morocco under the Organization’s new vision which is based on two orientations: building an innovative and smart civilizational system and empowering youth, women and children to enjoy their educational, scientific, cultural, technological and environmental rights. All these issues receive special attention from the Moroccan Government.

Mr. Amzazi reaffirmed his country’s appreciation of the role played by ISESCO to support Islamic world countries in the fields of education, science and culture, wishing more success to the Organization in light of its new vision.

The meeting which was attended by Mr. Samir Addahre, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Morocco to UNESCO, was held on the sidelines of the 40^th UNESCO General Conference.

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, today in Paris, met with the Minister of Education of the State of the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, on the sidelines of their participation the 40^th UNESCO General Conference, which kicked off last Tuesday.

During this meeting, Dr. AlMalik presented ISESCO’s new vision through which the Organization strives to enter a new phase as a beacon in the fields of education, science, culture and communication, not only for the Islamic world but for the world at large. The Director General also talked about future ISESCO action plans and the measures taken to set up a waqf to help fund ISESCO’s projects and ensure that the Organization is adequately assuming its role.

Moreover, the two parties agreed to promote cooperation between ISESCO and the UAE in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.

For his part, the Minister reaffirmed his country’s interest in projects pertaining to promoting Arabic, and the future of education in both the Arab and Islamic world, conveying his country’s readiness to work with ISESCO in implementing programmes and activities aiming at developing curricula and upgrading Member States’ educational systems.

Mr. Al-Hammadi also hailed the idea of waqf as a way to fund ISESCO’s activities and action programmes, reaffirming the UAE’s support for this idea.