Category: Director General

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan signed an agreement to create an ICESCO Chair in the field of data science and business analytics at the University. The agreement is part of efforts to promote and support the partnership between the two parties to contribute to the development of programs and projects in the fields of data analysis, remote sensing and modern sciences, and facilitate cooperation and experience exchange among researchers and university professors in universities and higher education institutions in the ICESCO Member States.

The agreement was signed on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at the University’s headquarters in Islamabad, Pakistan, by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Mr. Javed Mahmood Bukhari, NUST Rector. The signing ceremony was attended by the ICESCO delegation accompanying the Director-General, and several deans and faculty members from the University.

The agreement provides for the promotion of scientific research to find practical solutions to challenges that face local business projects through capitalizing on data science and marketing technology and developing cooperation relations through partnering with specialized academics, government sectors and industrial entrepreneurs. It also aims to build the capacities of professionals working in the fields of AI and data science through organizing training sessions and applied work in the field, and mobilizing the necessary resources to develop scientific research and practical applications in business and data science.

In his address at the signing ceremony, Dr. AlMalik stressed that ICESCO’s new vision seeks to keep pace with the latest developments by establishing and supporting specialized scientific university chairs, especially in the fields of science, remote sensing, information systems and artificial intelligence, stressing the need for universities to keep up with developments in the labor market and tomorrow’s professions, and invest in the fields of knowledge to serve their Member States.

Afterward, the University Rector accompanied Dr. AlMalik on a tour of the University’s science and innovation incubators, which receives support from international partners, who sponsor entrepreneurs’ and innovators’ projects in the field of science and entrepreneurship.
At the end of the tour, the Director-General commended the work and efforts of the University, which is one of the top-ranked Pakistani universities, and praised the role of its research and innovation centers in developing the research system in Pakistan.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the award ceremony of Pakistan’s 2023 Imagine Cup competition, organized by Microsoft, in partnership with the Higher Education Commission in Pakistan. The competition aims to provide young people with training opportunities in entrepreneurship and to enhance their capabilities and technical skills, thereby preparing them for future professions.

During the closing ceremony of the competition held in Islamabad, Pakistan on March 21, 2023, Dr. AlMalik emphasized the importance of initiatives, training programs and competitions that encourage youth to explore their innovation potential in technology and harness it to drive positive change in their communities.

ICESCO DG also announced that the Organization offers a financial grant to the four winners of the Imagine Cup competition to encourage them to further their efforts in devising effective solutions to various issues in the technological field.

The Imagine Cup is a renowned competition seeking to discover young talents in technology, programming, and information technology. It is open to students who are sixteen (16) years and older and brings together teams from high schools, vocational institutes, and colleges to develop innovative software solutions to meet major challenges in the software industry.

Participants in the Forum “Women, Development and Peace,” held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, in Nouakchott, unanimously agreed on the importance of women’s participation in the economic process, the exchange of ideas and good practices to strengthen the role of Mauritanian women in entrepreneurship, as well as the preservation of cultural heritage and peacebuilding.

The Forum, held on Monday, March 20, 2023, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports and Relations with Parliament and the Regional Council of Nouakchott, as part of the celebration of Nouakchott as Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2023, began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an, followed by a video address by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of ICESCO, wherein he stressed that the rehabilitation of women at the socio-economic level and investment in health and education contribute concretely to fighting poverty and building prosperous and advanced societies for future generations.

He stressed that this Forum as well as the programs and initiatives organized by ICESCO represent an important cornerstone, commending the efforts of Member States to improve the status of women, including the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, which has adopted a strategic orientation that has resulted in pioneering initiatives in this field.

The Director-General of ICESCO concluded his address by reaffirming the Organization’s willingness to move forward in the implementation of the strategy for the rehabilitation of women, through programmes and projects with tangible impact.
In his address, Mr. Mohamed Ould Sidi Abdallah, Secretary General of the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, stressed that the Forum celebrates Mauritanian women, who have proven their presence in the fields of science, heritage and peace.

Ms. Fatimetou Abdel Malick, Head of the Nouakchott Region, delivered an address in which she stressed that the Mauritanian government has launched several programs and initiatives to rehabilitate women and strengthen their presence in various fields. Ms. Al-Zeina Mohamed Al-Amine, advisor to the Mauritanian Ministry of Social Affairs, Childhood and Family, said that the achievement of development requires the complementarity of roles between all components of society.

In her address, Ms. Aminatou Mint Zeidan, member of the 2022 cohort of ICESCO’s Leadership Training for Peace and Security Programme, shared her experience in the program, stressing that it has enabled her to acquire a number of important skills.

In the session on “Women, Actors of Development and Peace,” Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of ICESCO Social and Human Sciences Sector, reviewed the main indicators and statistics related to the status of women in Africa, as well as ICESCO’s main programmes and initiatives aimed at strengthening the role of women.

At the close of the Forum, the participants watched a video produced by ICESCO on Women and Youth Leadership Training for Peace and Security Programme.

Participants in the activities of the 5th Vice Chancellor’s (VC) Forum of Universities of the Islamic World, organized by the Higher Education Commission in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, in partnership with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), COMSATS University and the British Council in Pakistan recommended that universities should keep pace with the technological revolution and transform from traditional universities into modern universities, by adopting modern curricula that keep pace with changes, promote online education and support creativity through building students’ capacities in the field of information and communication technology, as well as providing opportunities for sharing experiences in academic circles.

The Forum concluded its activities on March 20, 2023, with the attendance of Dr. Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of Planning and Development of Pakistan, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General (DG) of ICESCO, and several vice-chancellors and higher education officials from the Islamic world and beyond.

In his concluding address at the Forum, ICESCO DG stressed the importance of cooperation between universities and the need for according special attention to developing youth’s creative capacities, training them in the skills necessary for the professions and jobs of tomorrow and other fields related to the challenges and changes that they may face in the future.

He referred to the role that universities play in contributing to the achievement of social, economic and educational development, by disseminating knowledge among young generations and training them in leadership to become future leaders and bring about the desired change in their societies.

In conclusion, Dr. AlMalik presented the ICESCO shield to Dr. Ahsan Iqbal and Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of the Pakistani Higher Education Commission, in recognition of their efforts in the field of education, research and science.

The two-day Forum’s sessions and workshops, under the theme “Towards Disruptive Technology in a Globalized World,” discussed several issues about the future of education in the countries of the Islamic world, mainly the use of modern technologies in universities to keep pace with the technical revolution and new student trends, as well as the consequent development of curricula.

ICESCO Director-General: We support universities to become centers of innovation and production of outstanding workforce

The Fifth Forum of the Vice-Chancellors of the Islamic World Universities, organized by the Higher Education Commission of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, in partnership with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), COMSATS University, and the British Council in Pakistan kicked off, on Sunday (March 19, 2023), under the theme “Towards Disruptive Technology in a Globalized World.”

In his address at the opening session, which witnessed a large presence of officials and university vice-chancellors from inside and outside the Islamic world, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, stressed the importance of the forum in light of the rapid change and transformations imposed by the technological boom and the continuous flow of data and the use of modern technologies, which necessitate the promotion of innovation and creativity to keep pace with these transformations.

Dr. AlMalik pointed out that ICESCO believes in the pivotal role that modern-day universities constitute hubs of change and innovation and centers for forming outstanding manpower in the field of technology through the Organization’s commitment to cooperating with universities to achieve a prosperous society for future generations.

Furthermore, ICESCO Director-General highlighted the power of youth in restoring the glorious past and scientific prosperity of the Islamic civilization through the universities and new learning patterns using artificial intelligence and open education, noting that the initiatives and programs of ICESCO and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) aim at promoting technological progress in the Member States.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of the Pakistani Higher Education Commission, pointed out that strengthening cooperation and partnership between Islamic world universities provides great opportunities to benefit from modern and emerging technologies. Dr. Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister of Education and Vocational Training in Pakistan, stressed the need to improve girls’ education and develop climate change research centers in the Islamic world.

Dr. Muhammad Tabassum Afzal, Chancellor of COMSATS University, Islamabad, noted the importance of strengthening the scientific research budget, cooperation between the Islamic world universities, and support by governments and organizations for multilateral cooperation. For his part, the representative of the British Council in Pakistan reviewed the projects and programs implemented by the Council in the fields of education and scientific research in the country.

At the end of the opening session, His Excellency Dr. Arif Rahman Alvi, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, urged, in a video speech, the Islamic world universities to invest in modern and advanced technologies, as relevant to the future of education in Muslim countries, most notably the use of modern technologies in universities to keep up with the technical revolution and the subsequent development of curricula.

During the forum, Dr. AlMalik handed over the implementation agreement of ICESCO’s Programme for the Improvement of Water and Sanitation Services in several rural schools in Pakistan to the Minister of Higher Education and Vocational Training, in the presence of Mr. Syed Junaid Akhlaq, Secretary General of the Pakistan National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Salim Omar Salim, Director of the Organization’s Regional Office in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and discussed ways and means of developing the Office’s work in line with ICESCO’s strategic vision in the fields of education, science and culture.

At the beginning of the meeting, held on Friday 17 March 2023, at ICESCO’s Headquarters, in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik congratulated Mr. Salim on his appointment as Director of ICESCO’s Regional Office in Sharjah, wishing him every success in his new mission and praising his competence and local and international experience in the field of culture.

ICESCO Director-General expressed his thanks and gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the State of the United Arab Emirates, and Governor of Sharjah, for his continuing support to ICESCO.

For his part, Dr. Salim said that the Sharjah Regional Office embodies the important role played by the Organization in its fields of competence and expressed his aspiration to implement several programmes in several areas.

The meeting focused on the importance of the Office’s support for ICESCO’s initiatives and programmes, participation in the Organization’s activities to promote education, science and culture, and contribution to the implementation of its vision and strategy of action.

Afterward, Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General, and several heads of sectors and directors of departments of ICESCO received the Director of the Organization’s Regional Office in Sharjah and introduced him closer to the mechanisms of the Organization’s activities and the main projects and programmes implemented by its sectors, departments and centers for the benefit of its Member States.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Ezz El Din Maamish, Director of the ICESCO Chair for Civilizational Dialogue and faculty member at the Qatar University, and together explored means for promoting the Chair’s projects by supporting researchers and publishing their work and encouraging student exchange programs.

During the meeting, which was held on March 15, 2023, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik commended the Chair’s role in promoting scientific research on tolerance and peace-building and anchoring the values of coexistence and civilizational dialogue, praising its valuable achievements and publications.

ICESCO DG underlined the importance of cooperation between the Organization and universities, particularly through the establishment of scientific chairs to exchange expertise and benefit from the creativity and innovations of university institutions, expressing his keenness to sustain the effective cooperation between ICESCO and Qatar University.

Dr. Maamish provided an overview of a report on the Chair’s major achievements and research studies, namely the Encyclopedia of Occidentalism, which is the first encyclopedia in the Islamic world that is dedicated to Western studies. It is worth noting that four volumes have been published thus far and that the encyclopedia’s fifth, sixth and seventh volumes, along with its foundational book should be published during the year.

At the close of the meeting, Dr. Maamish, on behalf of Dr. Hassan Rashid Al-Derham, President of Qatar University, presented Dr. AlMalik with a shield and a certificate of appreciation for his unwavering support to the ICESCO Chair for Civilizational Dialogue at the University.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat a number of young people from the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation “Misk” in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who are receiving vocational training in ICESCO Departments, Sectors and Centers, as part of cooperation and partnership between the Organization and the Foundation, in coordination with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.

During the meeting, on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, Dr. AlMalik welcomed the trainees, highlighting that the Organization seeks, as part of its vision and action strategy, to contribute to youths’ capacity building through providing new professional skills in keeping pace with the technological development and opportunities for young talents from countries of the Islamic world to spend training in ICESCO.

ICESCO DG gave several tips to the young trainees to be successful in their practical lives, including the necessity of taking work seriously and presenting innovative ideas and proposals, expressing his conviction that they will represent an added value to the Organization.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General, and several Organization’s Heads of Sectors, Departments and Centers, received the trainees and the representative of the Saudi National Commission and provided explanations about the Organization’s action fields, programmes and projects to promote education, culture and science in its Member States.

The training programme, in which five trainees from the Misk Foundation participate, aims to provide the participants with new experiences and knowledge that contribute to developing their skills, knowledge and professional capabilities, and train them for leadership. The participants will receive intensive training for 10 weeks in the fields of education, science, culture and communication, through working in ICESCO’s various Sectors, Departments and Centers to get acquainted closely with the Organization’s activities, programmes and initiatives in its Member States.

The Grand Theater of the Egyptian Opera House in Cairo witnessed the closing ceremony of the Cairo Celebration as Culture Capital of the Islamic World, under the patronage of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, which included various activities implemented throughout the year, in cooperation with the Organization of the Islamic World. Education, Science and Culture (ICESCO) and the Ministry of Culture of the Arab Republic of Egypt, as well as the support and coordination of the various Egyptian ministries.

The grand ceremony, which was held on Saturday evening, March 11, 2023, at the Cairo Opera House, saw the attendance of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), and Dr. Nevin Al-Kilani, Egyptian Minister of Culture, and the participation of several ministers in the Egyptian government, many accredited ambassadors to Cairo, as well as a group of public figures, artists and the general audience, filling the Grand Theater of the Opera House to its capacity, which exceeds 1500 seats.

The ceremony was preceded by artistic and heritage performances in the courtyard of the Egyptian Opera House, with the participation of the General Authority for Culture Palaces teams, followed by an outstanding artistic concert in the Grand Theatre, which included “Cairo Symphony”, directed by the artist Khaled Galal, mixing in his performance a documentary presentation on the history and heritage of Cairo, which took the audience on a tour to the landmarks, symbols, treasures, and figures of culture and art of the city of Cairo, highlighting its cultural and artistic history as Culture Capital of the Islamic world.

In the second part of the concert, the great singer Medhat Saleh, with the participation of the pianist Amr Selim, and the orchestra led by Maestro Ahmed Amer, performed a group of songs that the audience enjoyed until midnight.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Reda Hegazy, Minister of Education and Technical Education of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and discussed strengthening cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry in developing teachers’ capacities to keep up with the developments in modern technologies.

During the meeting, held on Saturday (March 11, 2023), in Cairo, Dr. AlMalik expressed his happiness with such cooperation, reviewing the mainlines of the Organization’s vision and strategic orientations in the field of education, and the projects and activities it implements in coordination and cooperation with the competent parties in Egypt.

He pointed out the importance of ICESCO international professional teaching certification project, which will benefit 2,000 male and female teachers in several Egyptian governorates, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry in the field of teacher training, stressing the Organization’s keenness to ensure that the project is in line with the needs of teachers in Egypt, advance the educational process, and promote creativity and innovation in the field of education.

For his part, Dr. Hegazy commended ICESCO’s roles in the fields of education, science and culture, and appreciated the fruitful cooperation and partnership between the Organization and the Ministry. He also reaffirmed the Ministry’s willingness to provide support for ICESCO’s activities and programs implemented.

He reviewed the Ministry’s efforts to develop the capacities of teachers aligned with the global revolution in digital transformation and technology, which requires improving the performance of teachers to keep up with global developments, stressing the importance of working on sustainability in the field of professional development of teachers.

At the end of the meeting, the Director-General of ICESCO and the Egyptian Minister of Education exchanged honorary shields.