Category: Director General

The 42nd Session of the Executive Council of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) kicked off today, December 6, 2021, in Egypt with the participation of forty-nine (49) out of fifty-one (51) countries. 

The opening session began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by an address by Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chairman of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture. In his address, the Minister welcomed the participating delegations and ICESCO’s delegation, stressing that the Organization represents the broadest and best-suited framework for constructive cooperation and fruitful dialogue on issues of common interest in the fields of education, science and culture, based on the aspirations of leaders and populations, noting that these fields are the key to the development of human societies.

Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar added that nations have become fully aware that they play an active role in scientific advancement and human development only through the establishment of a comprehensive education system equipped with comprehensive databases as strengthened by educational, scientific and practical expertise, and promoted by societal and behavioral values to adapt to contemporary developments and changes.

In his address, Dr. Nawwaf Al-Ajarmeh, Acting Chairman of the Executive Council, commended the effective framework that ICESCO adopts for promoting constructive cooperation and fruitful dialogue on issues pertinent to education, science and culture, following the aspirations of the Islamic world populations to face challenges, particularly those induced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He stressed his support for ICESCO’s action, which is a leading Organization in the areas of education, science, culture, Arabic language teaching to non-Arabic speakers, and heritage protection, commending its sustained efforts in serving these fields. 

Dr. Ali Zeidan Abu Zuhri, President of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, President of the 13th General Conference of ICESCO, noted that this meeting catalyzes countering the pandemic’s impact on the educational, cultural and scientific systems, paving the way towards the future, strengthening cooperation among Muslim countries and adopting plans and strategies that are in line with the rapid changes in modern societies. “ICESCO has been striving to achieve those objectives through empowerment, educational programs, training sessions, research and innovation.
The Organization’s General Directorate and staff have made great achievements and extensive efforts for supporting Member States to address the pandemic’s repercussions on education, science and culture,” added Dr. Abu Zuhri.

At the outset of his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG) expressed his gratitude and appreciation to His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and to the Egyptian government represented by Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, for hosting the Executive Council and the General Conference, stressing that renewal, transparency, leadership, solidarity, partnership, openness, and strategic vigilance have been the guiding principles of the Organization’s work throughout the current year. “ICESCO launched various major initiatives geared towards youth and women empowerment, as part of the proclamation of 2021 as the Year of Women, under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco. The Organization, through its Center of Strategic Foresight, is working towards spreading foresight culture,” noted ICESCO DG. 

ICESCO DG also underlined that the Organization strengthened its participatory approach with Member-States and made cooperation one of its strategic priorities by signing agreements with parallel organizations, leading regional and international institutions, as well as prestigious universities in the Member States to host ICESCO’s international chairs.

 Dr. AlMalik also stated that through the Draft Strategic Orientations by 2025 and the Draft Two-Year Action Plan and Budget for 2022-2023, ICESCO has paved the way towards achieving three strategic objectives. These include maintaining ICESCO’s guiding and advisory roles for the benefit of its Member States to develop their educational, scientific, cultural and communication plans and programmes, further accelerating the process of recovery from Covid-19’s repercussions. Among beneficial outcomes, it rebuilds the national capacities of Member States by reshaping leaderships for tomorrow’s jobs and providing training on the programs that are based on new technologies and artificial intelligence applications. It doubles down in sustaining the implementation of ICESCO’s major initiatives and programs launched in 2021 for the benefit of its Members States.

The participants in the Executive Council took a group photo at the close of the opening session. 

Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), reaffirmed the importance of cross-border partnerships and initiatives in building policies to achieve peace and strengthen civilizational dialogue, calling for cooperation in such noble initiatives to establish holistic security, social cohesion, and sustainable development.

This statement was part of ICESCO DG’s video speech addressed to the Peace4Culture Partners Forum 2021, hosted by ADA University, Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday, December 2, 2021, under the theme “Global Call”. The Forum is held, in partnership between the University, ICESCO, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, as part of the activities of Baku’s World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, which aims at promoting civilizational dialogue and intensifying efforts to achieve peace among societies.

In his speech, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the crucial role of culture in providing the necessary mechanisms for preventing conflict and violence by maintaining peace and strengthening the values ​of understanding and tolerance in societies, highlighting ICESCO’s efforts, its officials, partners, religious leaders, and their relentless quest for socialization, rehabilitation and training of youth and women in leadership for achieving peace and security.

ICESCO DG reviewed the Organization’s key initiatives and programs aimed at spreading and promoting a culture of peace, notably the training session on “Capacity-Building in Peace Education and the Socio-economic Empowerment of Women,” held in partnership with ICESCO Regional Center for Education on the Culture of Peace (CRECP), in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, ICESCO’s training program for Women and Youth in Leadership for Peace and Security for 2021, where 30 young leaders, including 17 women and 13 men from 24 countries, who have officially become ICESCO Peace Ambassadors to contribute to leading their societies towards peace in the future and ICESCO’s book on “Peace 360,” which includes policymakers, experts and leaders’ visions, perspective, experiences and ideas on a culture of peace.

ICESCO DG concluded his speech by confirming the Organization’s eagerness and commitment to working closely with all partners to achieve a sustainable climate of peace and security.

In recognition of the determined efforts of its General Directorate to achieve the highest level of quality and implement the requirements of international standards, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) received a certificate demonstrating the compliance of its sectors, departments and centers to ISO quality standards, in accordance with the ISO 9001:2015 international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system, as part of the Organization’s management modernization program aiming to achieve its new vision which rests upon three key elements: digital transformation, investment in people, and innovation in management processes.

ICESCO received this prestigious international certification upon a detailed, extensive and comprehensive external audit by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) of the management transformation and development undergone by ICESCO’s sectors, departments and centers, demonstrating the Organization’s compliance with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015.

On this occasion, Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, stressed that receiving the ISO certification is an important step in implementing plans for promoting institutional excellence and introducing a major shift in the Organization’s working mechanisms. He noted that this project represents one of the mechanisms for developing ICESCO’s internal oversight system and establishing governance principles, adding that, during the next phase, the Organization will work on adopting the highest international standards to promote innovation and ensure continuous improvement of its working mechanisms.

Dr. AlMalik explained that this international certification highlights the Organization’s keenness to provide distinguished and innovative services to its Member States in the fields of education, science and culture, and its commitment to establishing reliability at the highest level with partners and donors, as well as its leadership in setting up a risk anticipation and management system to ensure the continuity of its work under any exceptional circumstances.

To receive the ISO certification for the quality management system, which is valid for three years, ICESCO went through four phases. The first consisted of the preparation of an action plan, implementation mechanisms, and different training programmes to familiarize employees with ISO requirements and establish a culture of quality in the Organization. The second phase was the diagnostic phase, which aimed to analyze the current working system and determine its compliance to the requirements of the standard through the identification of gaps and areas for improving the management system. The third is aimed at documentation, the development of processes and procedures, and the issuance of several documents defining the pillars of the quality management system and its institutional context in terms of planning and developing policies for quality, excellence, and project management. The fourth and last phase consisted of internal audit, senior management review, and preparation for external audit. 

Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stressed the importance of building a culture of peace in African countries, stressing the essential role of youth and women as builders of peace and security in their societies.

This statement was part of the video address he delivered on Saturday, November 27, 2021, at the opening session of the six-day Biennale of Luanda 2021 “Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace” that UNESCO holds in partnership with the Government of Angola and the African Union, in Luanda, Republic of Angola. The event aims at strengthening mechanisms of the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the reduction of violence by encouraging cultural exchange in Africa, intergenerational dialogue and the promotion of equality.

In his address, ICESCO Director-General reviewed the salient initiatives and programs that the Organization launched with a view to spreading the values ​​of tolerance, coexistence and dialogue, most notably ICESCO’s Leadership Training in Peace and Security Program for women and young people, the first cohort of which comprises 30 young ambassadors of peace from 24 countries, who will spread the culture of peace and coexistence in their societies, calling on international organizations to join efforts to form generations of peacemakers likely to lead the world towards an era of peace in the near future.

Dr. Al-Malik also explained that the concepts of shared land and the united humanity have become closer to reality more than ever before, as modern technologies link peoples and contribute to promoting the close ties between cultures, stressing the need to unify efforts to achieve peace and security in Africa and share experiences and best practices to build thriving communities.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) met with Dr. Abdul Karim bin Abdulrahman Al-Zaid, Deputy General Supervisor at King Abdulaziz Public Library (KAPL) to explore prospects for partnership between the Organization and the Library in ensuring accessibility to knowledge sources and developing the Islamic world library vision to accommodate artificial intelligence advances and adopt virtual queue management systems.

 During the meeting, held on Thursday, November 25, 2021, the two parties agreed to foster their partnership through the adoption of more enriching approaches in the cultural and civilizational fields by organizing book fairs showcasing scientific books and manuscripts and holding seminars and fora on issues related to publishing, training and exchange of expertise.  

Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), called on the international community to place education at the heart of development efforts, stressing that ICESCO undertakes to address all forms of exclusion, marginalization and inequality in access to educational opportunities, and urges the civil society organizations to cooperate with the ministries of education to support of remedial education programs.

This statement was part of the address delivered on his behalf by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy DG, via videoconference, on Thursday, November 25, 2021, at the 12th Conference of Arab Ministers of Education, held by the Palestinian Ministry of Education, under the theme “Catch-up education: a second chance,” in partnership with ALECSO and the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.

In his address, ICESCO DG indicated that the Organization calls for a real revolution in the philosophy, types, curricula and methods of education to expand its scope to include digital, life and vocational skills, continuous learning skills, creativity and sound citizenship to achieve real development in lifelong education for all, stressing that ICESCO is preparing educational reference documents for catch-up education to contribute to its richness.

He added that ICESCO’s educational projects and activities hinge on the fact that education is a basic human right, rather a priority, even in times of crisis.

“ICESCO is keen to provide appropriate catch-up educational programs, which aims to integrate students into the educational process in a scientific and sound manner, especially after long periods of school dropout. This type of education represents an effective mechanism for improving learning outcomes, reducing school dropout and learning loss, and combating illiteracy and child labor. It is a flexible, fair and just school system that guarantees equality for all,” He underscored. 

ICESCO DG underlined that the Organization supports the efforts of its Member States in providing second-chance programs to secure catch-up education for children and youth who are out of school, and those whose circumstances prevent them from access to educational opportunities, thus helping to achieve the fourth SDG. ICESCO also supports its Member States in building their educational policies and strategies, strengthening their national capacities, and developing curricula, teaching methods and assessment mechanisms.

The Education Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the regional forum on enhancing and integrating the common Arab and human values in educational curricula in the Arab world, held by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), to strengthen the role of education in spreading positive values, guide learners’ behaviors, civic role, and intellectual belonging, exchanging good knowledge and experiences in education on social values and practices, and examining their impact on young people. The forum brought together many academics, researchers, educational policymakers from Arab countries, as well as the representatives of several specialized organizations and bodies.

In his address at the opening session, today, November 22, 2021, via videoconference, Dr. Ahmed Zanfali, Programs Manager at Education Sector, reviewed the Organization’s efforts to enhance the common Arab and human values in society to achieve sustainable development goals and spread peace, highlighting the salient projects, programs, educational activities, seminars, conferences, publications and reports that ICESCO implemented and published to support the efforts geared towards integrating the positive values into all educational curricula and support its Member States in keeping up with developments in the field of education.

He also pointed out that ICESCO, within the framework of its new vision, pays special attention to enshrining modern education and instilling the lofty values through the development of an educational model that responds to the current needs, contributes to building and promoting values, and developing scientific, critical and creative thinking skills of learners to help them build an integrated personality, and develop a culture of peace and coexistence, stressing ICESCO’s willingness to work with all parties to consolidate the common Arab and human values and to integrate them in the educational curricula.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stressed the dire need to accord due attention to developing and teaching the values and principles that instill noble ethics in young people, empower girls and women and support humanity’s quest for promoting the values of coexistence, dialogue and acceptance of the Other, attaining permanent peace and building prosperous societies.

The Director-General made this statement in a recorded address he gave today, Monday, November 22, 2021, during the opening session of the International Symposium on Ethics Education. The symposium is organized by Arigatou International in partnership with ICESCO, Guerrand-Hermes Foundation for Peace, the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), the Kenyan National Commission for UNESCO, the Kenyan Ministry of Education, Religions for Peace Organization, Scholas Occurrentes Foundation, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, UNICEF, with UNESCO’s support. The Symposium aims to exchange knowledge and promote cooperation to foster ethics education for the benefit of children across the globe.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik stated that ethics is a key tool for promoting nations’ cultures and civilizations, achieving peace and security, building mutual trust, accord, and harmony among people, and anchoring the value of coexistence among world nations. He also highlighted ICESCO’s efforts to promote ethics among younger generations starting from early childhood to higher education levels.

The DG talked about ICESCO’s various programs and initiatives that aim to promote knowledge, anchor values and noble ethics, eradicate all forms of devious behavior, and spread love among people to achieve social cohesion and support sustainable development efforts.

Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Farhan Nizami, Director of Oxford Center for Islamic Studies, signed a memorandum of understanding to promote and develop constructive cooperation in the fields related to education, science and culture.

The signing ceremony was held during the visit of Dr. Al-Malik, today, November 17, 2021, to the Center headquarters, in Oxford, England. Dr. Al-Malik explored with Dr. Nizami the developments in cooperation between ICESCO and Oxford Center, and the proposed partnership programs and activities between the two parties, which are outlined in the signed memorandum of understanding, most notably building the capacities of young people, developing scientific research, enhancing the use of modern technology, and providing scholarships for Muslim countries’ students at Oxford University.

The memorandum of understanding also stipulates cooperation in meeting the educational needs of young generations in Muslim societies, developing cooperation in the fields of health, and enhancing ICESCO’s contribution to the Center’s Young Muslim Leadership Programme.  The initiative is organized every year in partnership with Prince Charles’ Charitable Foundation, to enhance the proper understanding of the Islamic civilization among the peoples of the world.

The signing ceremony is also attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy DG of ICESCO, and Dr. Richard Makepeace, former ambassador and researcher in international relations at the Centre.

The Director of Oxford Center for Islamic Studies then took the DG of ICESCO on a tour of the Center’s facilities, including the Center’s gallery and library. Dr. AlMalik commended the outstanding role of the Center in publicizing the Islamic civilization through pioneering research works that depict the true image of Islam in the West.

Oxford Center for Islamic Studies is a research center affiliated with Oxford University, established, in 1985, to encourage studies on the Islamic culture and civilization and its development needs, under the auspices of Prince Charles of Wales. It is the first center of its kind to receive the patronage of a member of the British Royal Family.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Margaret Casely-Hayford, Chancellor of Coventry University in the United Kingdom, and explored avenues of cooperation between ICESCO and the University in areas of common interest, particularly in fields of science and research.

During the meeting, ICESCO DG reviewed the main axes of the Organization’s vision and strategic orientations as well as its roles in entrenching values of civilizational dialogue and coexistence between different cultures, building the capacities of women and youth, contributing to the promotion of a culture of foresight to build a more prosperous future for humanity, and supporting the use of new technology in all fields in different countries of the Islamic world to achieve sustainable development.

The meeting continued over a luncheon organized by Coventry University in celebration of Dr. AlMalik’s visit after awarding him an Honorary Doctorate in Arts on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, in appreciation of his significant contributions, at the international level, in areas of education, elimination of poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, extremism, and peacebuilding in the Middle East. The luncheon was attended by Dr. Ian Marshall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Coventry University, several faculty members, and Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, Deputy DG at ICESCO.

Following the luncheon, Dr. AlMalik held an open meeting with a large number of students at the University during which he reviewed ICESCO’s projects and programs, highlighting those aimed at young people, notably the Leadership Training Program for Peace and Security from which 30 young ambassadors of peace representing 22 countries graduated in 2021, and that will continue in the coming years.

Dr. AlMalik held a rich discussion with the students and answered their questions during an open meeting attended by Dr. Michael Hardy, Professor at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations (CTPSR) at Coventry University, and Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, Deputy DG at ICESCO.