Category: Director General

The second cohort of trainees from Mohammed Bin Salman Foundation (MiSK) concluded its 10-week training period spent at the various sectors, centers, and departments of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO). The training is part of the partnership between ICESCO and MiSK Foundation, in coordination with the Saudi National Commission.

During the closing ceremony, held on Thursday, 7 March 2024, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, in his speech via videoconferencing, lauded MiSK trainees for being role models for Saudi youth through their efforts and diligence during the training period, noting the programs and projects they proposed to develop the fields of education, science, and culture in the Islamic world.

Dr. AlMalik thanked MiSK Foundation and the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science for their continuous cooperation and coordination with the Organization to implement a set of training programs for youth of the Islamic world, and expressed his keenness to receive the third cohort of MiSK trainees.

For his part, Dr. Abdelillah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General, highlighted the Organization’s efforts through its programs, projects and activities to keep up with the global knowledge and technological development, and build future leaders through training opportunities for youth to build their capacities and enhance their knowledge.

Moreover, Dr. Benarafa commended MiSK trainees for their enthusiasm, seriousness, and perseverance during their internship as well as their endeavor to learn from the experience of the Organization’s staff and experts, nationals of different countries.

The ceremony was an opportunity for MiSK trainees to submit their proposals on innovative programs, projects, and initiatives developed during their training period at ICESCO. These proposals were pertinent to culture, heritage preservation and valorization, protection of cultural property, promoting civilizational dialogue values, supporting girls and women, and promoting the Arabic language globally.

At the end of the ceremony, Dr. Benarafa and Mr. Ahmed bin Baz, Representative of the Saudi National Commission, handed MiSK trainees certificates and honorary shields for successfully passing the intensive training period at ICESCO.

His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, received Dr. Salim. M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), at the Presidential Office in Munyonyo Hotel, which hosted the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement Last January. This is the first meeting between the President of Uganda and the ICESCO Director-General since the country’s accession to the Organization.

During the meeting, held on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, with the presence of a host of Ugandan ministers and officials and an ICESCO delegation, Dr. AlMalik commended the fruitful cooperation between ICESCO and Uganda, highlighting several programs and projects the Organization implemented in the Republic over the past four years, aimed at meeting the country’s needs in the fields of education, science and culture. These include supporting the creation of a production unit of hygiene products during the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging innovation, building women and youth’s entrepreneurial capacities, and the initiative to create a scientific research chair on mental health at Kampala’s International University.

The Director-General added that the Organization works toward building young people’s capacities and developing their leadership skills in the field of peacebuilding, noting the success of ICESCO’s Leadership Training for Peace and Security, first launched in 2021.

For his part, the Ugandan President commended ICESCO’s efforts to support its Member States and the waves of development and renewal the Organization enjoys to promote the fields of education, science and culture in the Islamic world, stressing the role of cooperation in achieving social cohesion and spreading peace and security.

Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of ICESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, attended the meeting.

Within the framework of its Year of Youth, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) announced the accreditation of 100 new young ambassadors for peace from 68 countries, on Tuesday (March 5, 2024), at Kampala University, in Kampala, Uganda, during the launch of the activities of the third cohort of its Leadership Training Programme for Peace and Security (LTIPS) for 2023, bringing the number of ICESCO Young Peace Ambassadors to 180 in total.

Young people will be qualified and mobilized to contribute to building peace, consolidating the values of coexistence and tolerance, and maintaining social cohesion in their countries through training sessions and workshops, facilitated by thinkers, specialized experts, and inspiring leaders from around the world.

During the accreditation ceremony of ICESCO’s Young Peace Ambassadors, which was attended by Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo, Ugandan Minister of State for Higher Education, and Dr. Abbas Agaba, Secretary-General of the African-Arab Youth Council, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, stressed that these young people will become peace ambassadors to serve as leaders of positive change in their societies amid the widespread conflicts and wars, indicating that the Organization aspires to reach 500 young peace ambassadors by 2025.

In his speech, Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo congratulated the young men and women on their appointment as ICESCO Peace Ambassadors, commending their key role in consolidating coexistence in the countries of the Islamic world and beyond.

For her part, Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of the Social and Human Sciences Sector at ICESCO, stressed that the Organization believes in the necessity of building inclusive societies, indicating that LTIPS has achieved great success since its launch in 2021, including its current edition, being held under the theme ‘Planting the seeds of peace by mobilizing women and young leaders’, which witnesses a wide participation of over two thousand candidates, from whom one hundred young men and women were selected.

Afterwards, Dr. AlMalik and Dr. Muyingo decorated the new ICESCO Peace Ambassadors.

It is noteworthy that ICESCO’s LTIPS aims to build the capacities of young people and develop their leadership skills, through 10 training modules, based on ICESCO 360° Peace Approach, focusing on the various dimensions of building and strengthening peace, and providing the opportunity for young people to exchange with inspiring leaders from different generations and countries, in addition to special workshops for the Youth Peace Incubator.

The program celebrating the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Afro-Arab Youth Council in the Ugandan capital Kampala kicked off today, Monday 4 March 2024. The Event, organized by the Council, in partnership with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), carries the theme: “Youth, Peace, Culture, and Wellbeing.” It includes a week-long series of workshops, training sessions, and roundtable discussions highlighting the relationship between culture, sports, and good health. The Celebration is attended by several officials, international figures, and a host of youth hailing from all around the world, all aimed at promoting a culture of peace and responsible leadership among youth.

Prior to the opening session, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, along with a delegation of representatives from Member States of the Afro-Arab Youth Council, visited the Innovation Laboratory at Makerere University. There, they were briefed on the modern technologies and equipment available at the lab, all aimed at encouraging students to engage in scientific research and innovation.

In his opening remarks, Dr. AlMalik highlighted ICESCO’s declaration of 2023 as its Youth Year to enhance their creative potential and motivate them to seek and achieve personal development. ICESCO Director-General also praised the partnership existing between the Organization and the Afro-Arab Youth Council, paving the way for fruitful cooperation at the service of youth in Africa, the Islamic world, and beyond.

Furthermore, His Excellency reaffirms that launching the training sessions for the third group of beneficiaries of ICESCO’s Leadership Training in Peace and Security Program, in parallel with the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the Council’s founding, is a major step in this direction. The 3rd group of the program will see the number of ICESCO’s youth ambassadors for peace climb to 180, hailing from over 68 countries.

Dr. AlMalik underlined that culture plays a vital role in bringing about positive change in societies, enhancing social cohesion, and driving economic transformation. His Excellency also highlighted the Organization’s efforts to raise awareness among young people about the rich cultural heritage of African and Islamic countries, with an aim to promote and preserve it.

In his address, Dr. Abbas Agaba, Secretary-General of the Afro-Arab Youth Council, highlighted the roles and efforts of the Council in promoting unity and cooperation between African and Arab countries, as well as accompanying youth on their educational journey and peace-building efforts.

Mr. Bakary Y. Badjie, Minister of Youth and Sports in the Republic of Gambia, emphasized the importance of integrating youth into various fields and the need to enhance quality education to build generations that are capable of contributing to peace, addressing global challenges, and resolving conflicts.

For her part, Ms. Rosie Agoi, Secretary-General of the Ugandan National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO, reviewed the Commission’s work, lauding the fruitful cooperation with ICESCO in several programs, including improving water and sanitation services in several schools and providing technological equipment to students.

Ms. Asmaa El Hilali, from the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco, reaffirmed Morocco’s keenness to empowering and enhancing the youth capacities, considering its importance in establishing security and peace. She reviewed Morocco’s experience in encouraging youth involvement and supporting them in entrepreneurship.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation of the Kingdom of Morocco signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a project on building the educational and digital capacities of the teaching faculty in universities and institutions of higher education.

The Project aims to train 600 professors in 12 Moroccan universities to utilize digital tools and open educational resources in teaching. During the signing ceremony, held on Thursday, 29 February 2024, at the Ministry’s headquarters, in the presence of several Moroccan university presidents and senior officials at the Ministry, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, stated that regular classes and old-fashioned, traditional training and curricula cannot bridge the gap between us and the future, adding that skills and creativity are the most effective and efficient means to bridge this gap.

Dr. AlMalik added that Morocco is the first to benefit from this Project, which will be implemented in a number of countries in the Islamic world in later stages. He further explained that it aims to enhance the digital and educational skills of new professors and researchers and provide them with innovative educational and digital tools at all levels with a view to improving the quality of learning and training in universities.

For his part, Dr. Abdellatif Miraoui, Moroccan Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, lauded the project for its expected outcomes and added value as it will use an educational and digital inclusive approach to develop the skills of newly appointed faculty staff to the most modern international standards.

According to the terms of the memorandum of understanding, the project, being implemented by the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), provides year-round four training courses on: “educational sciences and teaching methods at university”, “online teaching methods, e-learning tools and teaching on e-learning platforms”, “foundations of media coverage for studio production” and “open educational and digital resources, copyright and open licenses, and professional ethics and scientific integrity.”

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Government of the Republic of Gabon signed a partnership agreement to implement joint projects and programs in the fields of education, science and culture over the period between 2024 and 2028.

At the beginning of the signing ceremony today, Wednesday (February 28, 2024) at the Organization headquarters in Rabat, Dr. Salim Al-Malik, ICESCO Director-General, expressed satisfaction at the signing of the agreement, aimed at developing the existing partnership between the Organization and the Republic of Gabon, stressing that it will be a fresh start for cooperation between the two sides, and a model for cooperation with ICESCO Member States, and pledged to ensure the implementation of the terms of the agreement to the fullest extent.

For his part, Dr. Hervé Ndoume Essingone, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technological Innovation of the Republic of Gabon and Chairman of the Gabonese National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, pointed out that Gabon has a distinguished historical relationship with ICESCO, stating that this agreement is concluded following the instructions of the Transitional President of Gabon to value the partnership between Gabon and the Organization and to give new impetus to a fruitful cooperation in the fields of education, science and culture.

According to the terms of the agreement, a number of programs will be implemented, most notably the program to modernize the Gabonese educational institutions, the organization of the first ladies conference in the capital, Libreville, the hosting by Gabon of ICESCO’s next Executive Council meeting, the launch of the ICESCO-Gabon Prize for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the establishment of the ICESCO Science City, and the creation of ICESCO Chair of pharmacopoeia and traditional medicine at the University of Science and Health in Gabon, and the Chair for Women, Girls and Communities at Omar Bongo University, in addition to programs to build and upgrade the capacities of youth and women, consolidate the values of peace, promote learning the Arabic language, and train staff working in the field of heritage.