Category: Director General

In a huge conferment ceremony with high-level participation, held at the headquarters of Coventry University, on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, the British University awarded the Honorary Doctorate in Arts to Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in appreciation of his efforts in the fields of education, culture, peacebuilding and the consolidation of the values of coexistence.

Dr. Michael Hardy, Professor at the Center for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University, began the ceremony with a speech wherein he underscored that the Academic Board of Coventry University had decided to award the Honorary Doctorate to Dr. AlMalik in recognition of his great contributions in the fields of education, eradication of poverty, illiteracy and extremism, and building relations of peace in the Middle East.

After receiving the degree, ICESCO DG delivered an address wherein he expressed his gratitude and pride for such a degree from a prestigious and age-old university in arts and science given its leading role in developing societies and contributing to sustainable development goals by qualifying students and promoting education, research and innovation in the cultural, social, scientific and economic fields.

Dr. AlMalik also expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince, and Saudi Arabia for the unlimited support he has received throughout his educational and vocational career and their constant support for the development of the various levels of the educational process in Saudi Arabia.

ICESCO DG stressed the urgent need for excellence and accuracy in the academic field through the promotion of constructive criticism, independence of thought, and the development of innovative educational methods and new research skills aimed at building capacities. He also called for adopting foresight to counter the current challenges and crises and turn them into opportunities to achieve development and prosperity.

Dr. AlMalik also explained that ICESCO and Coventry University share the same vision and approach aimed at developing the educational process and ensuring the right to education for all to achieve peace, coexistence and harmony among societies and cultures, and build a better world for future generations. He also elucidated on ICESCO’s initiatives, which provide support for the efforts of Member States in the fields of education, science and culture.

Coventry University is one of the long-standing British universities, established in 1843 AD, and offers various disciplines such as arts and humanities, engineering, environment and computing, health and life sciences, business and law, and art and design. The University also has many international branches in China, Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan, as well as numerous research and scientific partnerships worldwide.

Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Mokhtar Ould Dahi, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports and Relations with Parliament, Government Spokesperson of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, to explore ways to develop cooperation between ICESCO and Mauritania in the Organization’s areas of action.

The meeting, held in Paris, today, November 13, 2021, on the sidelines of their participation in the 41st Session of UNESCO General Conference, touched upon the major cooperation programs between the Organization and Mauritania, and proposals of new programs and activities between ICESCO and the competent authorities in Mauritania, including the inscription of the Mauritanian Mahdara on the Islamic World Heritage List as a cultural intangible heritage, organizing the Old Towns Festival, which celebrates the Mauritanian culture to preserve historical cities, and considering the proposal of the establishment of ICESCO Regional Educational Center for the Development of Traditional Education in Nouakchott and ICESCO training programs for imams and religious preachers.

For his part, the Mauritanian Minister stressed his country’s willingness to continue the constructive cooperation with ICESCO and support its initiatives and new vision, commending the Organization’s outstanding efforts to support Muslim countries.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy DG, and Ambassador Cheikhna Moulaye Zeine, Permanent Delegate of Mauritania to UNESCO, also took part in the meeting.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), called for promoting the culture of peace and building constructive civilizational dialogue to achieve justice between human communities in the fields of education, health, culture, energy, and environment protection. He also called for overcoming the shortcomings that the crises revealed on managing world affairs, curbing certain impulses that some states exhibited during these crises such as self-indulgence and medicine and vaccine monopoly, stressing that we all share the same fate and are destined to live and work together.

Dr. AlMalik made the statement in the address he gave today, Saturday, November 13, 2021, at the 41st UNESCO General Conference, during which he congratulated Ms. Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, on her election for a second term and expressed his best wishes to UNESCO on its 75th anniversary. 

Dr. AlMalik stated that there is a need for renewing visions, working mechanisms, and mindsets and reaffirmed that international organizations are key stakeholders in this new human approach to managing world affairs as they are expected to anticipate the future and conduct studies that present effective solutions suitable for states’ contexts and situations, noting that ICESCO managed to develop its working mechanisms in service of its Member States. He added that the Organization proclaimed 2021 as the Year of Women, a year-long event full of major activities and programs, as part of ICESCO’s efforts to empower women as key agents in addressing Member States’ challenges, a role women proved capable of assuming during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DG stressed the need to focus on novel fields, noting that ICESCO addressed new and future-oriented topics such as space science and AI and held ICESCO Global Space Science Forum. He stated that these new interests reflect the Organization’s firm belief in the premise that not investing in these fields will deprive many countries of benefitting from practical applications in agriculture, environment, climate change, energy, medicine, border control, etc. 

At the close of his address, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed ICESCO’s willingness to partner with international organizations, reiterating the pride the Organization takes in its cooperation relations with UNESCO in areas of common interest.

Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met Ms. Madiha Bint Ahmed Al Shaibaniyah, Omani Minister of Education and President of the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. The two parties explored the latest developments in cooperation between ICESCO and the Sultanate of Oman in the Organization’s fields of action and ways to strengthen this relation.

The meeting, which took place on Friday, November 12, 2021, in Paris, on the sidelines of the 41st Session of the UNESCO General Conference, touched upon the arrangements for the 42nd Session of the Executive Council and of the 14th Session of the General Conference of ICESCO, due to be held in the Arab Republic of Egypt, on December 6-9, as well as the sideline activities during these two major events.

The two parties also discussed the outlines of the forthcoming visit of ICESCO DG to the Sultanate of Oman to strengthen their cooperation in education, science and culture.
Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy DG, also took part in this meeting.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met on Friday, November 12, 2021, with Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chairman of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, to discuss the preparations for the hosting by Egypt of the 42nd session of the Executive Council and the 14th session of the General Conference of ICESCO, from 6 to 9 December 2021.

At the beginning of the meeting, which took place in Paris on the sidelines of the 41st session of UNESCO’s General Conference, Dr. AlMalik expressed his thanks and gratitude to the Arab Republic of Egypt for hosting the Executive Council and the General Conference of ICESCO. He also praised the approval of H.E. President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi to grant his patronage to the General Conference.

The two officials also reviewed the programs of the Executive Council and the General Conference, the lists of participants, and the preparations underway to ensure the success of these two events and the activities that will take place in parallel with them.

For his part, Dr. Abdel Ghaffar stressed the need to intensify efforts to ensure the success of the upcoming sessions of the Executive Council and the General Conference in Cairo, and to ensure every comfort to the participants, adding that this is an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Egypt and the Organization in its fields of competence. The meeting was attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, Deputy DG of ICESCO.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met Mr. Mohamed Yacoubi, Wali of Rabat-Salé-Kenitra Region, to explore cooperation between ICESCO and the Wilaya as part of the Celebration of Rabat as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2022 to ensure the optimum conditions for the success of this great celebration.

At the beginning of this meeting, held on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, at the Wilaya headquarters, in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik expressed ICESCO’s appreciation and gratitude to the Kingdom of Morocco and its Capital, Rabat, for hosting the Organization headquarters since 1982, commending the great cooperation with all Moroccan government institutions, civil society organizations, cooperatives and bodies.

For his part, Mr. Yacoubi lauded ICESCO’s initiative to proclaim Rabat as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2022 and the royal approval of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, for this initiative. He also stressed that Wilaya will cooperate closely with ICESCO to implement the program of this year-round celebration.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy DG, and Mr. Najib Rhiati, Advisor to the General Directorate, also attended the meeting.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Keeyong Chung, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Kingdom of Morocco, to explore prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and Korea in the fields of education, science and culture.

During this meeting, held on Monday, November 8, 2021, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main outlines of the Organization’s vision and action strategy, which adopts an open-door policy with all countries, including non-Member States, to promote cooperation and hold partnerships for the benefit of the Member States and Muslim communities around the world, pointing out that ICESCO has amended its Charter to allow non-Member States to join the Organization as observers.

ICESCO DG also explained that the Organization seeks to become a leading international institution in civilizational dialogue and a center of excellence on strategic foresight and artificial intelligence for the benefit of its Member States. Besides, he noted that the Organization supports girls, women and youth through training sessions on leadership for peace and security, highlighting ICESCO’s action in safeguarding and preserving heritage through the inscription of historical sites and cultural elements on the Islamic World Heritage List.

The meeting discussed proposals for cooperation between ICESCO and Korea, particularly in education given the great successes and outstanding expertise of the educational system in the Republic of Korea, which can be shared with Muslim countries through specialized conferences and seminars. The meeting also touched upon cooperation in the field of teaching Arabic, research and studies centers, and the provision of scholarships to young people from the Member States to study in Korea.

For his part, the Korean Ambassador to Morocco commended the ongoing development and modernization within ICESCO, as attested by all his fellow ambassadors in Rabat, noting that the presence of a Korean expert at ICESCO reaffirms the Organization’s openness approach although Korea is not one of its Member States.

The Korean Ambassador inquired about the necessary procedures for any country to join ICESCO as an observer, stressing that he will strive to ensure the accession of Korea to ICESCO based on his conviction of the importance of membership at a well-established Organization that represents 54 countries with which Korea has special relations.

Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Mr. Mohamed Al-Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco, explored the arrangements for the proclamation of Rabat as the 2022 Islamic World Capital of Culture for the Arab Region, as part of ICESCO’s Islamic World Capitals of Culture Program. 

At the beginning of the meeting, held today, Friday 05 November 2021, at the Ministry Headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik congratulated Mr. Bensaid on the trust placed in him by His Majesty, King Mohamed VI, may Allah preserve him, upon his appointment as Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, expressing his warm wishes to Mr. Bensaid in assuming this major responsibility.

  The meeting also discussed the executive measures relating to agreeing upon the details of the programs and activities to be implemented throughout 2022, as part of the celebration of Rabat as the Islamic World Capital of Culture for 2022. The two parties also talked about the consultative meeting to be held on 22 November 2021, to present the blueprint of the celebration programme, which will bring together representatives from all ministries in the new Moroccan Government and an ICESCO team.

In addition, the two parties discussed the proposal of the Moroccan Ministry of Culture to organize the upcoming edition of the International Book and Publishing Fair in Rabat. The Fair is one of the major cultural events in Morocco and features a variety of activities relating to books, publishing and culture. 

Moreover, the two parties also discussed the latest developments regarding several cultures and heritage projects, to be implemented by ICESCO in cooperation with the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, reaffirming their keenness to sustain the fruitful cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry in the fields of youth training and capacity building, culture, heritage and the co-organization of a number of cultural events.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy DG, and Mr. Najib Riati, Advisor to the General Directorate, also attended the meeting.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Khalifa Al-Suwaidi, Member of the Board of Trustees of Hamdan bin Rashed Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance, and together they discussed ways to promote cooperation between the Organization and the Foundation in the field of education.

During the meeting held today, Wednesday 4 November 2021, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, the two parties reviewed the arrangements for the award ceremony of the two editions of ICESCO—Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Prize for Voluntary Development of Education Facilities in the Islamic World, to be held during the 14 Session of the General Conference and the 42nd Session of the Executive Council, which will be both hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt, on December 6-9, 2021.

The two parties also discussed the preparations for launching the Prize’s third edition, a prize launched by the two institutions to encourage outstanding, sustainable and comprehensive education projects, and pay tribute to the people and institutions in charge of voluntary initiatives and charity works in the field of education.

The meeting discussed the Foundation’s participation in the international conference which ICESCO will hold in December, in celebration of the World Arabic Language Day, under the theme, “Women and the Arabic Language: Reality and Prospects”. This conference will pay tribute to the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashed Al Maktoum, in recognition of his efforts to promote Arabic.

At the close of the meeting, Dr. Al-Suwaidi presented the Director-General with a copy of “Al-Qalbu An-Naqiy”, a book issued by the Foundation, which documents the journey of the late Sheikh Hamdan, who was a prominent patron of educational and health initiatives and a devoted supporter of Arab and Islamic culture.

Dr. Ahmad Said Bah, Advisor to the DG for Partnerships and International Cooperation, also attended the meeting.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Ambassador Mohamed El Nokaly, Senior International Relations Advisor at the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSa), discussed means to strengthen cooperation between the Organization and the Agency on promoting space science and technology and developing scientific research and innovation in this field in the countries of the Islamic world.

During the meeting, held on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, on the sidelines of Mr. Al Qubaisi’s participation in ICESCO’s Global Space Science Forum, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed the great interest that the Organization attaches to supporting the efforts of its Member States in developing space science programs and related industries, and leveraging the potential of space applications to overcome challenges and achieve sustainable development.

ICESCO DG noted that the Organization, as part of its new vision and action strategy, endeavors to build close cooperation with all space science actors to work jointly on raising awareness of the importance of investing in space science and technology, integrating them into school curricula, benefiting from space applications, and providing opportunities for researchers and scientists to exchange ideas and experiences in these fields. He added that the Organization has signed several cooperation and partnership agreements with several international organizations, institutions, and bodies, and that joint programs and activities are being implemented with these partners along with various donors.

For his part, Ambassador El Nokaly commended ICESCO’s efforts to organize a global forum on the promising field of space science that has gained international momentum, affirming the Egyptian Space Agency’s willingness to cooperate with ICESCO on organizing activities and implementing initiatives and programmes relating to space science and applications.