Category: Director General

Dr. Salim M. Al Malik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Mr. Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, discussed ways and mechanisms to enhance cooperation and partnership between ICESCO and the Ministry in the fields of science, technology, entrepreneurship and civilizational dialogue among other areas of common interest.

The meeting, held on Tuesday (September 13, 2022), at the Ministry’s headquarters, is part of the visit of the ICESCO Director-General to the Republic of Kazakhstan to participate in the 7th Congress on World and Traditional Religions, due to be held in Nur-Sultan, on 13-16 September 2022.

During the meeting, the two parties reviewed the cooperation developments between ICESCO and Kazakhstan in the fields of science, technology and scientific research, as well as the Organization’s key programmes and activities implemented in cooperation with several parties in Kazakhstan, most notably ICESCO’s youth training programme on small businesses in the field of technology and innovation, which aimed to support more than 150 start-ups in the field of innovation and technology in ICESCO Member States until 2025.

Besides, ICESCO and the Ministry agreed on strengthening this distinguished partnership and discussed a number of proposed cooperation programmes and activities, including an international conference, at ICESCO Headquarters, on al-Farabi, who is one of the major figures of the Islamic world, organizing an international symposium on al-Byruni at one of the universities in Kazakhstan, and enhancing experience-sharing and developing the skills of researchers in the fields of science and technology, strategic foresight and civilizational dialogue.

ICESCO Director-General invited the Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan to participate in one of the Organization’s scientific conferences; an invitation which was welcomed by the Minister.

At the close of the meeting, Mr. Nurbek presented Dr. Al-Malik with a commemorative gift in appreciation of his efforts in modernizing ICESCO and supporting the development of scientific research.

Dr. Salim Al-Malik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), visited the Eurasia National University (ENU) in Nur-Sultan, capital of Kazakhstan, during which he held a meeting with Dr. Yerlan Sydykov, President of the University, to discuss joint cooperation between ICESCO and the University, and addressed the faculty and a large number of students of the University.

During the meeting with the President of ENU, which is one of the largest universities in Kazakhstan, held today, Tuesday (September 13, 2022), Dr. Al-Malik affirmed that ICESCO attaches great importance to cooperation with universities to assist them in discharging their vital missions. He praised the great role Eurasia National University plays given that it was officially accredited as a research university by the Government of Kazakhstan, and ranked among the top 300 universities in the world, according to the QS ranking.

He reviewed the main thrusts of ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, and the most important programs and activities it is implementing, in cooperation with the competent authorities of its Member States, to achieve the common goals and promote cooperation between the countries of the Islamic world and others in the fields of education, science and culture.

The meeting discussed the establishment of a research chair for ICESCO at the Eurasia National University, cooperation in providing scholarships for students from the Islamic world, and organizing international conferences and symposia in areas of common interest.

For his part, Dr. Yerlan Sydykov, President of Eurasia National University, expressed his happiness about the ICESCO Director General’s visit to the University, and revealed that the University’s Higher Academic Council has decided to grant the highest academic degree to Dr. Salim Al-Malik, in appreciation of his distinguished efforts in the fields of education, science and culture, since he assumed the position of ICESCO’s Director General and for his support for scientific research and academic chairs.

After the meeting, the President of Eurasia National University accompanied ICESCO Director General on a tour of the University premises and thereafter joined the faculty members and a large number of university students. Dr. Al-Malik, then, delivered a speech in which he talked about the university of tomorrow and what universities should look like in the present. He pointed out that universities should adopt foresight thought to train generations capable of keeping pace with technological developments and Artificial Intelligence transformations, and of building a society of self-sufficiency and social justice.

ICESCO’s Director General stated that this would only become a reality through adopting urgent responses to change modes of thinking and ways of building international relations and drawing strategic plans, noting that the Islamic world abounds in scientific competencies that are capable of making a difference and enabling it to catch up with development.

The Muslim World League (MWL), the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Mohammadia League of Scholars held a meeting, on Thursday (August 8, 2022), to ensure full readiness and finalize the preparations for the inauguration of the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, which is the first international branch of the Museum, headquartered in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, that is hosted by ICESCO at its headquarters, in Rabat, under the royal patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, may Allah assist him.

At the beginning of the meeting, the representatives of the three institutions expressed their sincere thanks and deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI for his generous patronage of this civilizational landmark, the lights of which come from Makkah, the qibla of Muslims, and al-Madinah, the city of the Last Messenger (PBUH), in Saudi Arabia, under the blessed government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may Allah assist him, and the Crown Prince, HRH Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may Allah protect him.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, Dr. Ahmed Abbadi, Secretary-General of the Mohammadia League of Scholars, and Dr. Abdurrahman Bin Abdullah Al-Zaid, MWL Deputy Secretary-General, commissioned by Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, MWL Secretary-General, Chair of the Board of the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography, toured the various pavilions of the exhibition and commended the exerted efforts to ensure full readiness for the inauguration of the exhibition.

The exhibition, which will be inaugurated soon at ICESCO headquarters, includes two main components; namely the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, and the exhibition of Moroccans’ Connection to the Noble Prophet, the Beauty of Love and Loyalty, which is supervised by Mohammadia League of Scholars.

The International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, which is under the supervision of MWL, includes several sections, most notably the section of “Prophet (PBUH) as if you could see him”, and the Prophet’s food and drink, clothing and furniture, as well as the Prophet’s Sacred Chamber, which shows collectibles and utensils that are displayed using advanced virtual reality technologies. The museum also exhibits masterpieces of the Prophet’s Sunnah, Arabic Calligraphy Arts, and “the Prophet (PBUH) as if you were with him”, which focuses on dialogue and coexistence, forgiveness, mercy and tolerance in the Prophet’s biography, as well as a special section on the virtues and status of the Ahl al-Bayt. Other sections feature the publications, antiques and souvenirs, as well as sophisticated cinema hall for displaying creative films about the Prophet’s biography, and the efforts of Moroccan scholars to serve the Prophet’s biography.

The exhibition relies on modern technologies and interactive screens, most notably holographic imaging, 3D display screens, and educational panorama. The contents will be presented in a number of languages to the general public following its official inauguration.

The Sector of Partnerships and International Cooperation of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a virtual meeting with the United Nations Development Programme’s Regional Bureau for Africa, in Addis Ababa, intending to strengthen cooperation between the Organization and the Bureau in areas of common interest to contribute to sustainable development in Africa.

During this meeting, the representatives of the Sector reviewed ICESCO’s major programmes and projects implemented in the Member States, especially in African countries, and highlighted the great attention that the Organization attaches to building partnerships and cooperation with regional and international institutions to face the current global challenges. UNDP-Africa highlighted the areas of their activities and the programmes in Africa.

Besides, the two parties agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of education, science and technology, peace and security training, climate change, youth development, rehabilitation of women and girls, and the development of health and sanitation programmes, within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063.

Dr. Salim M AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Ahmed Issa, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt, to explore the latest developments in joint cooperation between ICESCO and Egypt in the field of heritage.

Dr. AlMalik began the meeting, which was held on Thursday, September 1, 2022, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Cairo, by congratulating Mr. Issa on his appointment as Minister of Tourism and Antiquities in the Arab Republic of Egypt, wishing him success in his new mission.

ICESCO DG reviewed the components of the Organization’s vision and strategic orientation in relation to heritage, and ICESCO’s efforts in the field of valorizing and safeguarding heritage, through the establishment of the Islamic World Heritage Center and the Islamic World Heritage Fund.

For his part, the Egyptian minister commended ICESCO’s roles in preserving heritage and fostering culture, stressing the ministry’s eagerness to strengthen and develop cooperation with the Organization, as a strategic partner.

The two parties examined the latest developments in preparation for holding the international conference on countering the illicit trafficking in cultural property and its restitution, which is scheduled to be held in the Arab Republic of Egypt, where the Minister expressed his keenness to cooperate closely with ICESCO to ensure the participation of the largest number of countries affected by this phenomenon around the world.

The meeting, which was attended by several leaders of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in the Arab Republic of Egypt, touched upon ICESCO’s financing of an initiative aimed at promoting the transformation toward green and renewable energies in some Egyptian historical sites. The two parties agreed to inscribe more Egyptian historical sites and cultural elements on ICESCO heritage lists of the Islamic world.

At the close of the meeting, ICESCO DG presented a shield bearing the ICESCO logo to the Minister, who presented a souvenir, in return, to ICESCO DG.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa, Minister of Awqaf of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and together they explored prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry in areas of common interest.

During the meeting, held on Thursday, September 1, 2022, at the Ministry headquarters in Cairo, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the key elements in ICESCO’s vision and the programs and activities the Organization implements in its areas of competence. The Director-General stated that ICESCO focuses on encouraging the Member States to capitalize on the great potential of modern technology to develop their systems of education, scientific research and culture, noting that the Organization also accords great attention to promoting the presence of the Arabic language and supporting the efforts to increase the Arabic digital content on the internet.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik stated that ICESCO is implementing several programs that aim at incorporating the values of peace and tolerance in educational curricula to reflect the true image of the culture and civilization of the Islamic world and encourage the youth to uphold dialogue and accept differences to enrich human civilization.

The Director-General also invited the Egyptian Minister to visit ICESCO Headquarters and give a lecture during the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, which will open on September 8.

For his part, Dr. Gomaa congratulated Dr. AlMalik on the signing of the MoU with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Saleh A. Kamel Humanitarian Foundation (SAKHF) on the Professional International Certification in Teaching in Egypt. He also reviewed the expertise of the Ministry in training preachers, stressing the importance of selecting trainees who must have a real desire to develop their skills and build their capacities.

The Minister also highlighted the expertise of the Ministry and its activities in promoting scientific research, and publishing, stating that Egyptian Waqfs generate large revenues that are then used in many social and humanitarian initiatives.
The two parties agreed to build cooperation between the two institutions, especially on preserving identity, increasing Arabic content online and publishing a number of the Ministry’s publications on ICESCO’s Digital Home.

At the close of the meeting, the DG presented the Minister with an ICESCO Shield, while Dr. Gomaa presented the Director-General and the ICESCO library with some of the Ministry’s publications.

AlMalik Calls for Supporting Young People to Create Digital Content to Enhance Status of Arabic in Cyberspace

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stressed the importance of producing purposeful digital Arabic content, which raises awareness and stimulates moderation and openness given their significant impact on a large number of young people, pointing out to the need to encourage them to create digital content that enhances the status of Arabic in the cyberspace and disseminate Arab culture to save it from extinction.

This statement was part of the address that Dr. AlMalik gave at the closing ceremony of the three-day Attaa Digital Hackathon in the Arab Republic of Egypt, on Wednesday evening (August 31, 2022), held in partnership between ICESCO, the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) and RiseUp Summit. Thousands of content makers competed to win one of the Hackathon’s three prizes.

Dr. AlMalik also highlighted the key role of young influencers in shaping media and socio-economic trends, which necessitates paying further attention to the purposeful digital content, explaining that holding this Hackathon in Egypt is a milestone to enrich the Arabic digital content with various cultures, sciences and arts.

“It is necessary to promote and enhance the status of Arabic online given its rich vocabulary. In this regard, ICESCO seeks to achieve this objective through its new modernization approach and vision to increase the outreach of Arabic,” he added.

ICESCO DG concluded his address by thanking the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Saudi Crown Prince, which strives to give new impetus to the digital Arabic content through activities such as Atta Digital Initiative based on the ambitious 2030 Vision.

In the award ceremony, the prize money amounting to 100,000 Egyptian pounds was shared among the three best teams. The hackathon organizers then exchanged memorial shields.

Atta Digital Hackathon in Egypt aimed to spread the culture of creativity, innovation and teamwork to enhance Arabic educational technical content by motivating Egyptian young people to share their ideas and compete to provide relevant solutions and proposals. Such an objective is in line with the strategy of ICESCO, which seeks to promote the use of modern technologies for the development of education, science and culture.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with His Eminence Dr. Ahmed At-Tayeb, Grand Imam of al-Azhar al-Sharif, and together they explored the prospects of cooperation between ICESCO and Al-Azhar in areas of common interest.

During the meeting, held on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, at the headquarters of Mashiakhet Al Azhar in Cairo, the two parties reaffirmed their keenness to build a fruitful partnership between the two institutions and sign a cooperation agreement on the implementation of joint programs and projects, especially with regard to promoting the international presence of the Arabic language and preserving and publicizing the Islamic identity culture and civilization to address its growing challenges.

The two parties also discussed the major challenges facing the youth in the Islamic world and the need to join efforts to support them and build their capacities to keep up with the jobs of the future.

Moreover, the two officials discussed cooperation between ICESCO and Al-Azhar to provide several scholarships for the students of the Islamic world to study at Al-Azhar, especially in scientific specialties. Likewise, the two parties reviewed prospects of cooperation in enriching the Arabic online digital content, as part of the Attaa Digital Initiative, launched in partnership between the Organization and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

At the close of the meeting, the Director-General invited the Grand Imam to visit the Headquarters of ICESCO and give a lecture during his first visit to the Kingdom of Morocco. His Eminence Dr. At-Tayyib thanked the Director-General for the invitation and promised to visit in the future.

Dr. AlMalik then presented the Grand Imam with an ICESCO Shield, while Dr. At-Tayyib presented Dr. AlMalik with a copy of Mukhtarat min Dhakirat Al-Azhar Al-Sharif.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of the Arab Republic of Egypt, explored ways to develop cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry in the field of promoting Arabic digital content and supporting youth in innovation and entrepreneurship with modern technology.

During the meeting, which was held on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in the Smart Village, 6th October City, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the key part of ICESCO’s strategic orientations and its new vision, which encourages the countries of the Islamic world to invest in modern technology and artificial intelligence to develop the fields of education, science and culture, noting that ICESCO implements several pioneering programmes and projects in this field.

He pointed out that the Organization has witnessed a process of modernization and development in its various sectors and departments and it has become dependent on digitization and technology, and that ICESCO adopts an open-door policy to all, and cooperates with international organizations and bodies, civil society institutions and universities, to contribute to the development of the fields of education, science and culture. It has also signed several agreements with major institutions in the fields of artificial intelligence and space science.

Dr. AlMalik added that ICESCO accords high priority to supporting youth and building their capacities, especially in the fields of technology and innovation, and it holds training sessions for their benefit to acquire the skills for future professions.

He noted that ICESCO is ready to cooperate with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in several programs, after the success of the cooperation in the Digital Hackathon initiative in Egypt, which provided an opportunity for digital content makers to create Arab educational content in the field of technology through holding workshops and training sessions.

For his part, Dr. Amr Talaat commended ICESCO’s role in its fields of competence and its modern and upgraded vision, noting that the ministry is working to include technology in the field of heritage and its desire to digitize it.

He expressed his eagerness to cooperate with ICESCO in areas of common interest, especially sponsoring innovators, supporting entrepreneurs in the field of information technology and enhancing the presence of the Arabic language in digital content.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), reaffirmed that young people are essential partners in development, calling for having confidence in their capabilities, responding to their aspirations at all levels, and promoting education and training to build a productive economy.

This statement was part of the video speech that Dr. AlMalik addressed to the 1st World Youth Summit, held on 27-30 August 2022, in Kazan, capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, with the participation of His Excellency Rustam Mnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Chairman of the Strategic Vision Group ‘Russia – Islamic World’; and Mr. Taha Ayhan, President of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum, in addition to 300 participants from 67 countries.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik stressed that ICESCO is a youth Organization, which has increased the number of its young staff and launched the Young Professionals Programme for 2022 and the Leadership Training in Peace and Security Programme, as part of its new modernization vision.
“The Organization seeks to build capacities and improve the performance quality of research centers in the Islamic world through workshops for young people on measurement devices, reverse engineering, space technology and entrepreneurship in the field of technology and innovation,” stated ICESCO DG.

Dr. AlMalik stated that the Organization is implementing a number of programmes and activities to connect young people to artificial intelligence and publicize the professions of tomorrow to enshrine the concept of smart career choices among young people.
In conclusion, Dr. AlMalik pointed out that ICESCO pays special attention to university education through the establishment of new academic chairs on youth issues in some universities, in addition to the provision of scholarships for young people from the Islamic world.

During their participation in the Summit, Dr. Sidra Tariq Jamil, Expert at ICESCO Center for Civilization Dialogue, and Ms. Fahemida Faiza, Programmes Manager at ICESCO Human and Social Sciences Sector, gave presentations wherein they reviewed the key aspects of the Organization’s vision and action strategy in the field of youth rehabilitation and leadership skills, as well as the initiatives and programmes launched in this context.