Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Coursera, Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help learners across the countries of the Islamic World develop high-demand digital skills at scale. ICESCO and Coursera plan to launch the Future Pioneers Project, in January 2022, to provide selected access to world-class online learning and the Future Skills Learning Programme to upskill ICESCO’s leadership team.
Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), and Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO at Coursera, signed the MoU on the sidelines of the 14th Session of the ICESCO General Conference held on December 8 and 9, 2021 in Cairo, Egypt under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
“Working with Coursera will support youth and our staff in acquiring the contemporary skills they need to succeed in their future careers,” said Dr. AlMalik, noting that “this partnership will provide invaluable support as ICESCO enters a new pivotal period in its history, and serves as an international beacon in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.”
From his part, Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO at Coursera stated that “the accelerated adoption of online learning during the pandemic has created new opportunities to develop digital skills at unprecedented speed and scale.” He also added, “We are honored to partner with ICESCO to help youth across the Islamic states develop the skills and credentials needed to advance their education and careers in the new economy.”
The provisions of the MoU aim to further ICESCO’s mission to assist countries of the Islamic World by nurturing tomorrow’s decision-makers, sharing expertise, optimizing development policies, and building systems of innovation and knowledge. The ICESCO-Coursera initiative will equip learners from the countries of the Islamic world and ICESCO’s staff with the entrepreneurial, digital, and technological skills required to drive innovation and leadership across the Islamic world and unlock the next generation of talent. Through the Coursera for Campus platform, learners will have access to more than 5,000 high-quality online courses from over 250 leading university and industry partners worldwide. Course content will also be available in English, Arabic, and French, and the pilot will run until the end of March 2022.
Proceedings of the second day of the 14th General Conference of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt, under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, kicked off today, December 9, 2021, with the participation of forty-nine (49) out of ICESCO’s fifty-one (51) Member States.
The agenda of the second and last day of the Conference includes several working sessions on issues relating to education, science, technology and culture, and features addresses by the heads of the participating delegations. It also includes the approval of the members of the ICESCO Executive Council and the decisions adopted by the Executive Council’s 40th, 41st and 42nd sessions, as well as the determination of the time and venue of the 15th Session of the ICESCO General Conference.
The Conference kicked off on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, with an opening session, during which Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, delivered an address wherein he welcomed the participating delegations, wishing for a successful Conference that would hopefully yield outcomes leading to further development in the Islamic world and the promotion of its role in leading the educational, scientific, cultural and technological fields.
The Egyptian Minister expressed his great confidence in ICESCO’s wise decisions and ability to expand its impact and multiply its achievements. He also praised the Organization’s approach of modernization and development towards its Member States, noting that the Conference is a good opportunity to strengthen bonds of cordiality and fraternity between the leaders and peoples of the Islamic world.
In his address, Dr. Ali Zeidan Abu Zuhri, President of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, President of the 13th General Conference of ICESCO, commended the Organization’s pivotal role and diligent efforts in meeting its Member States’ needs in the educational, scientific and cultural fields. “ICESCO was able to harmonize and coordinate the efforts of Muslim countries. It succeeded in reinforcing cooperation among them on the development of innovation and the exchange of knowledge and expertise in the fields of artificial intelligence applications and modern science,” added Dr. Abu Zuhri.
He also hailed the Organization’s programmes and projects for the benefit of the State of Palestine and Al-Quds, and the inscription of Palestinian monuments and landmarks on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List.
In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, reiterated his gratitude and appreciation to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, for hosting ICESCO’s 42nd Executive Council and 14th General Conference. He extended his heartfelt thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and the Crown Prince, for nominating him for the post of the Director-General of ICESCO, thanking all Member States for their trust.
Dr. AlMalik reviewed the initiatives through which the Organization has made a difference by supporting Member States’ efforts in the fields of education, science and culture, instituting profound structural reforms, and crafting a strategic vision that enabled ICESCO to become a leading Organization at the international arena. “ICESCO has undertaken several developmental measures, most notably the amendment of its Charter, Internal Regulations and Organizational Structure, and the elaboration of the task descriptions of its sectors, departments and centers as well as the job descriptions of its staff members. ICESCO has also attracted highly qualified competencies, creating a legal department in charge of controlling the Organization’s working procedures using an institutional and rights-based approach, digitizing the working system, modernizing its mechanisms in accordance with transparency and quality standards, developing the Organization’s media department, in addition to establishing specialized centers for capacity building in ICESCO’s fields of competence,” noted ICESCO DG.
In conclusion, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the international certifications and prizes that ICESCO has recently received, noting that they represent powerful incentives to intensify improvement and development efforts to serve the Member States and contribute to the fulfillment of their peoples’ aspirations for sustainable development and prosperity.
ICESCO signed a set of partnership and cooperation agreements with different partners and awarded the ICESCO-Hamdan Prize for the Development of Education Facilities in the Islamic World to the winners.
H.E. Mr. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, opened today, Wednesday 8 December 2021, the General Conference of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Global Forum for Higher Education and Scientific Research, both hosted by Egypt under his high patronage.
The opening ceremony brought together high caliber personalities including ministers of education, culture and scientific research as well as the delegations of ICESCO Member States.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, stated that Egypt’s hosting of these two major events reflects the Republic’s keenness and commitment to share expertise and knowledge, in the spirit of honoring the principle of joint action and promoting cooperation and coordination among international and regional institutions and organizations sharing the same competences. The Minister added that Egypt is dedicated to investing in education, science and culture and keeping up with economic change, building competitive capacities in the labor market, and promoting the skills of the jobs of the future, in light of the continuous digital changes the world is undergoing.
In addition, Dr. Abdel Ghaffar highlighted the technological revolutions the world is witnessing, particularly the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which capitalizes on digital knowledge, AI applications, robotics, and the Fifth Revolution, which invests in autonomous intelligence and use of modern technology to address pressing issues such as pollution, global warming, desertification, in total harmony between the human and the machine and in service of development goals.
In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), thanked the Arab Republic of Egypt for hosting the 42nd Session of the Executive Council, expressing his gratitude to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for his high patronage of these two major events. The DG also commended the progress scored by the field of higher education in Egypt and the modernization efforts to upgrade its institutions in quest to achieve Vision 2030 Goals and keep up with global digital transformations.
The DG noted that universities play a pivotal role as they are innovation incubators, contemporary knowledge, creativity, and production platforms, stressing the need to anticipate the future by focusing on its requirements and scenarios, investing in the sciences of the future, according due attention to AI applications and investing in space sciences given their roles in shaping sustainable development paths.
Dr. AlMalik stated that there are a number of key elements every 21st-century university should possess to keep up with current development and changes. These include, he further explained, the ability to have sufficient freedom and autonomy, sustain funding resources, build young people’s capacities in the fields of the jobs of the future, and build local and international sustainable partnerships with economic, industrial and technological institutions. He also underlined the need to upgrade the working mechanisms of the universities of the Islamic world and invest in human capital as a key development indicator.
At the close of his address, the DG reiterated the commitment of ICESCO and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) to support the efforts of the universities of the Islamic world to achieve sustainable development goals and develop cooperation and complementary mechanisms between Member Universities. He also conveyed ICESCO and the FUIW’s readiness to build smart partnerships, expressing his hope that the Member States’ universities can join the ranks of prominent and world-renowned universities by 2030.
Following the address, ICESCO DG present ICESCO Shield, “Long Live Egypt, the New Republic” to President El-Sisi, before proceeding to the first scientific session of the Global Forum for Higher Education and Scientific Research, which the President attended. The session focused on the prospects of technological advancements, jobs of the future, and the importance of foresight. It was moderated by Dr. Abdel Ghaffar and featured the participation of Dr. AlMalik.
Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Ines Abdel-Dayem, Minister of Culture of the Arab Republic of Egypt, proclaimed Cairo as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2022 during a press conference held at the Cairo Opera House on Tuesday, December 7, 2021.
In her address, Dr. Ines Abdel-Dayem expressed her delight at the choice of Cairo as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2022, emphasizing that this proclamation affirms the symbolic value held by the city. “Cairo is a long-standing crossroads of cultures and a hub for creativity, thought and arts. The city’s landmarks and monuments reflect different aspects of the human civilization in general and the Islamic heritage in particular,” noted the Egyptian minister.
Dr. Ines Abdel-Dayem commended ICESCO’s implementation of its distinguished Celebration of Islamic World Culture Capitals Program (CIWCC) and its efforts to harness all effective mechanisms for the promotion of relationships among these capitals.
The Egyptian minister noted that communication will be established, through ICESCO, with those in charge of the celebration program of Rabat as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2022 to ensure synergy and coordination among the programmes held in Egypt and Morocco as part of the celebrations and share the activities between the two countries.
She also underlined the importance of these celebrations in providing a true portrayal of the Islamic civilization and promoting coexistence, tolerance, and communication between populations.
She pointed out that the celebration program of Cairo as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World, to be launched in mid-February 2022, will last throughout the year and will include a rich programme prepared by the various sectors of the Ministry of Culture in coordination with ICESCO.
In his address, Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, emphasized the importance of intensifying coordinated efforts and harnessing all capacities for according due consideration to the celebration of Cairo as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2020 and raising it to the level befitting the status of this ancient historical and cultural capital.
He noted that the celebration of Cairo as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic world was scheduled for 2020, but was postponed due to the exceptional circumstances imposed by the COVID- 19 pandemic. “This forced postponement gave us additional time to review, develop and enrich the initial celebration program with more cultural and artistic activities and programmes. We were able to widen our circle of local and regional partners and benefit from the new developmental amendments introduced to the Celebration of Islamic World Culture Capitals Program (CIWCC) by the Organization’s General Directorate,” explained ICESCO DG.
Dr. AlMalik praised the cultural and civilizational assets that make Cairo a capital of culture in the Islamic world, notably its abundant tangible, intangible and natural heritage, noting that the city represents a major meeting point of various civilizations and an open world heritage museum displaying several ancient and modern monuments from different eras.“ In addition to being home to numerous cultural institutions and hosting some of the most important cultural festivals and events, book fairs, and theatrical performances, Cairo also has several cultural facilities where intellectuals, artists, and creators meet,” he added.
Celebrations of Cairo and Rabat as Capitals of Culture in the Islamic World are part of ICESCO’s Celebration of Islamic World Culture Capitals Program (CIWCC) which seeks the promotion of the cultural heritage of several Member States’ capitals, and the regeneration of cultural activity in the celebrated capitals by highlighting the role of their new cultural facilities and monuments as spaces for cultural and creative gatherings and promoting cooperation among the celebrated capitals in other regions of the Islamic world.
Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met Dr. Aibek Artykbaev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, and discussed aspects of joint cooperation between ICESCO and Kyrgyzstan in the fields of education, through participation in the preparation of religious curricula and its inclusion in all educational levels in Kyrgyz public schools.
The meeting, which took place today, Tuesday, December 7, 2021, is held on the sidelines of the 14th General Conference of ICESCO due to be held on December 8 and 9, in Cairo, the Arab Republic of Egypt, under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
During the meeting, Dr. Al-Malik affirmed ICESCO’s readiness to cooperate with the Kyrgyz government in training and qualifying teachers on how to develop religious curricula for government schools and participate in preparing them to suit all educational levels. He also suggested that the President of the Kyrgyz Republic be a guest of honor in one of ICESCO’s upcoming international conferences.
For his part, Dr. Aibek Artykbaev expressed the Kyrgyz government’s keenness to cooperate with ICESCO in preparing religious curricula and including them for the first time in schools, and to employ several Kyrgyz competencies at the Organization, to allow them to strengthen their capacities and develop their expertise.
Dr. Aibek Artykbaev pointed out that the Kyrgyz Republic is fully prepared to pay the arrears of its contribution to ICESCO’s budget and to benefit from the initiative offered by the Organization to allocate a large proportion of these sums for the implementation of programs and projects for the benefit of Kyrgyzstan. He also invited the Director-General of ICESCO to visit Kyrgyzstan.
Mr. Omarbek Gabarov, Advisor to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Aydin Kalmatov, Attaché of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also attended the meeting.
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.
