The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, received Abdelmajid Ghait Seif Ennasr, Chargé d’Affaires of the Libyan Embassy in Rabat, today at the Organization’s headquarters and together they explored ways to further cooperation between ISESCO and the State of Libya in the fields of education, science and culture under ISESCO’s new vision and future action strategy.
Talks during this meeting centered on the obstacles to education process in Libya and possible measures to overcome them and ways to allocate some programmes for Libya, namely in safe areas which are most in need for some educational services, as part of ISESCO’s new vision that focuses on sustainable development issues, elimination of poverty, counter-terrorism and eradication of extremism, youth and women empowerment, support of civil society, child protection and teaching of refugees and displaced people.
Moreover, the two parties considered inviting a delegation from the World Islamic Call Society, a Libyan philanthropy, to discuss cooperation prospects in the common action areas.
For his part, ISESCO Director General reaffirmed the need to attract some qualified Libyan competencies to work at the Organization and invite a Libyan intellectual to lecture at one of ISESCO’s Cultural Forum gatherings.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Ahmed Said Ould Bah, Director of External Relations and Cooperation; Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of Strategic Anticipation; and Dr. Abdelilah Ben Arafa, Cultural Advisor to ISESCO Director General.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), explored with Mr. Azzedine Saeed Al-Asbahi, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the Kingdom of Morocco, ways to develop cooperation between ISESCO and Yemen in the coming period, take practical steps towards overcoming the difficulties which face the educational process, and preserve heritage and natural reserves in Yemen.
During this meeting, held today at ISESCO headquarters, the two parties explored the support that ISESCO may grant to the sector of education in Yemen to digitalize the Yemeni educational curricula as part of ISESCO’s new vision aiming to empower youth, women and children to exercise their educational, scientific and cultural rights. Besides, ISESCO Director General reaffirmed the Organization’s willingness to host and train a number of Yemeni young people on the latest techniques in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.
The meeting also exchanged views on the threats facing the Yemeni heritage and archeological sites. In this regard, Dr. AlMalik stressed the need to inscribe the Yemeni heritage sites on the Islamic World Heritage List and restore the damaged sites. He also invited the Yemeni Ambassador to attend the Extraordinary Meeting of the Islamic World Heritage Committee, to be held on 2-3 December 2019 at ISESCO headquarters in Rabat, to present this issue to the participants in the meeting.
Furthermore, Dr. AlMalik stressed the need for concrete action to solve the problems facing natural reserves in Yemen through visits of experts to assess the current situation, develop a strategy therefor and put practical solutions to preserve these reserves.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Director of External Relations and Cooperation,p Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of the Strategic Anticipation Centre, and Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Cultural Advisor to the Director General.
Dr. Salim M.
AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (ISESCO) discussed with Mr. Dah Ould Sidi Ould Amar Taleb,
Minister of Islamic Affairs and Traditional Education of Mauritania, the
promotion of cooperation between the two parties in education, science and
culture.
During this
meeting held at ISESCO headquarters, Dr. AlMalik and Mr. Taleb agreed to boost
support for ISESCO Regional Educational Center for the Promotion of Traditional
Education in Nouakchott, cooperate in establishing the Institute of Training
Imams and Preachers, conduct studies on the development of ‘Mahdras’
(traditional Quranic schools) and publicize their objectives, working
mechanisms and impact at the educational, scientific and cultural levels.
For the record,
ISESCO Educational Center in Nouakchott was established under an agreement
signed on 22 October 2014 between ISESCO and the Mauritanian Ministry of
Islamic Affairs and Traditional Education. The Centre started operating in July
2017 with the first 9 month-long educational training session for traditional
education teachers in Mauritania.
The Centre’s
continuous training programmes aim to provide trainees with the necessary
educational and methodological skills to plan, schedule, implement and assess
the educational activities, and strengthen ties between trainees and the
Islamic values and Arabic culture, and ensure openness to contemporary culture
through the adopted educational curriculum.
Today at
ISESCO’s headquarters, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), received Mr. Valerian Vladimirovitch
Shuvaev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian
Federation to the Kingdom of Morocco. The two parties discussed ways to develop
cooperation between the Organization and the Russian Federation, as an observer
state of ISESCO, in the fields of common interest.
The two
parties agreed to open up new prospects of cooperation between ISESCO and
Russian institutions operating in educational, cultural, and social fields and strategic
studies; promote partnership in development initiatives and relations between
Russia and ISESCO Member States under ISESCO’s new strategy and vision.
Moreover,
Dr. AlMalik and Mr. Shuvaev agreed to arrange a
coordination meeting between the representatives of both ISESCO and the specialized
Institutions in Russia, and prepare a joint executive programme.
The
meeting was attended from ISESCO by Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Director of External
Relations and Cooperation, Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Director of Human and
Social Sciences, and Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of the Strategic Prospective
Centre.
It is
worth mentioning that the Russian Federation became an observer member of
ISESCO as of 10 January 2007, by virtue of its status as an observer in the
Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and in accordance with Article 7
(a) of ISESCO’s Charter.
Today in Paris, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, discussed with Minister of Arts, Culture, and Heritage of the Republic of Maldives, Ms. Yumna Maumoon, ways to promote cooperation and joint action between ISESCO and the Republic of Maldives during the forthcoming phase.
During this meeting, held on the sidelines of the 40th UNESCO General Conference, Dr. AlMalik presented ISESCO’s new vision and its future action strategy, which focus on sustainable development issues; combating poverty; countering extremism and hate speech; empowering youth and women; supporting civil society; protecting childhood; educating refugees and the displaced people; and conserving heritage. The new vision also targets the new roles of artificial intelligence and the future models of education
ISESCO Director General requested the Minister that the Republic of Maldives suggests a number of programmes and activities in the field of education, which serve youth, women, and children so as to allow ISESCO to support their implementation.
Dr. AlMalik stated that ISESCO will adopt this approach in the forthcoming phase to enable programmes and activities implemented to have more impact and a positive outcome.
For her part, Maldives’ Minister of Arts, Culture, and Heritage expressed the appreciation of her country for ISESCO’s role in protecting the Islamic World Heritage while reaffirming her country’s readiness to promote cooperation with the Organization in this field in light of ISESCO’s new vision.
Today in Paris, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, met with Ms. Kandia Camara, Minister of National Education, Technical Education and Vocational Training of Côte d’Ivoire, on the sidelines of the 40th UNESCO General Conference.
During this meeting, Dr. AlMalik reviewed ISESCO’s new vision, through which it aspires to become a beacon of global outreach, while focusing on issues of sustainable development, combating poverty, countering extremism and hate speech, empowering youth and women, supporting civil society, protecting children, educating refugees and displaced persons, and conserving heritage. The new vision also targets the new roles of artificial intelligence and the future models of education.
In this regard, ISESCO Director General revealed that, in the forthcoming period, the Organization would launch a number of special activities and programs, which will have a major positive impact, while stressing that this new strategy responds to Member States’ requests relevant to the implementation of programmes according to their respective needs.
This meeting further discussed ways to develop ISESCO’s Regional Center for Education on the Culture of Peace (CRECP), in Yamoussoukro, which was established in 2016 to become a source of civilizational impact and reflect the spirit of cooperation between the Organization and Côte d’Ivoire. ISESCO will also support the establishment of a Master’s degree programme on Education for Peace and Culture.
Ms. Camara praised ISESCO’s new vision and reaffirmed her country’s commitment to develop cooperation with the Organization in the coming period, especially in the fields of education and culture through programs and projects to be coordinated for implementation in Côte d’Ivoire.
The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, explored with Mr. K. M. Khalid, State Minister of Cultural Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, ways to develop joint cooperation and the programmes and activities that ISESCO may implement for the benefit of Bangladesh in the fields of education, science and culture.
During this meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the 40th UNESCO General Conference, being held in Paris, ISESCO Director General reviewed the Organization’s new vision and the forthcoming period’s action strategy, which advocate openness to the international organizations working the same fields of action and adopt an implementation methodology of the programmes and activities requested by Member States according to their needs and the importance of the various areas of their action.
In this regard, the Director General requested the Minister to present some of Bangladesh’s suggestions on the programmes and activities of its interest relevant to children, youth, women and communication so that ISESCO can support and implement these programmes.
The Director General further requested to have representatives of Bangladesh at ISESCO as part of the diversity of staff’s nationalities.
On his part, the Minister hailed ISESCO’s new vision, its interest in empowering youth and women, and supporting children to have good education, and its role in protecting heritage in the Muslim world. The Minister also reaffirmed that his country’s cooperation with ISESCO will witness an immense development in coming period.
The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, and Mr. Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the Organization for Economic, Cooperation and Development (OECD), explored ways to promote cooperation and joint action between ISESCO and the OECD.
During a working lunch in Paris, Dr. AlMalik and Mr. Schleicher explored ways of bolstering ties between the two organizations, through mutually agreed action programmes provided for in the cooperation agreement, which will be signed between ISESCO and the OECD by mid next year.
Moreover, the two parties agreed on the participation of the OECD in the Islamic Conference of Ministers of Education, due to be held in 2020, to present a forward-looking vision on education in Islamic countries.
It is worth mentioning that ISESCO and the OECD have finally agreed to organize a number of joint workshops and symposia in 2020 and 2021, in the field of the reform of school curricula; improvement of national educational data quality in ISESCO Member States and their optimization; and provision for assistance in educational policy development.
By the same token, ISESCO and OECD agreed to knowledge sharing, whereby ISESCO will allow Member States a larger interaction and wider access to the OECD’s research, data, and analyses likely to boost the endeavors of education reform, through various practical means.
Today in Paris, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Chingiz Aidarbekov, on the sidelines of their participation in the 40th UNESCO General Conference.
During this meeting, which was attended by Mr. Zhamankulov Azamat Kaparovich, Minister of Culture, Information, and Tourism of the Kyrgyz Republic, Dr. AlMalik presented ISESCO’s new vision, which prioritizes enabling youth, women, and children of their educational, scientific, cultural, technological, and environmental rights; and commits to open up to and cooperate with other international organizations operating in the same fields of action.
ISESCO Director General also affirmed the Organization’s aim to develop cooperation with Kyrgyzstan in light of the new action strategy, which is based on providing programmes and activities, upon the request of Member States, in a way that goes in line with their respective needs.
For his part, Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Minister reaffirmed his country’s keenness to develop joint action with ISESCO, stating that the Organization’s approach towards empowering the youth will be met with considerable attention from his country, especially that 60% of the population of Kyrgyzstan is under 40 years of age, and they need projects to develop their competences.
In the same vein, the Kyrgyz Minister of Culture stated that there is a need to develop cooperation between ISESCO and Central Asian countries in the field of culture, pointing out to a number of programmes that his country wishes the Organization to be a partner in.
The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, stressed that ISESCO is committed to enable its Member States to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and help them develop their own relevant policies to this effect.
This was part of Dr. AlMalik’s participation as a keynote speaker in the symposium held yesterday evening in Paris on the theme “Youth Voices and the Future of Artificial Intelligence: Towards a Human-Centered Approach” on the sidelines of the 40th UNESCO General Conference.
The symposium brought together Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary General of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy of the African Union, Mr. Marc-Antoine Dilhac, Director and Coordinator of the Montreal Declaration for the Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence, Ms. Clara Neppel, Senior Director of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), in addition to Dr. AlMalik. The session was moderated by Delfina Bello, student at Sciences Po, Paris (Institute of Political Studies).
In reply to the question: “In your point of view, why it is important to develop principles and set standards in artificial intelligence?”, Dr. AlMalik clarified that ISESCO is currently working on the promotion of cooperation with UNESCO in the fields of common interest, particularly AI. “AI is among the fast-growing phenomenon and can strngly help countries achieve Sustainable Development Goals” Dr. AlMalik added “but AI, if it is left uncensored, might be a real threat to human rights. Therefore, it is very important to develop principles for setting standards to preserve and protect human rights in the short, medium and long terms”.
Another participant asked: “At ISESCO, you work in various sectors, and AI is a technology which intersects with, causes disturbance to and interacts with science, education, culture, media and communication. How, from ISESCO’s viewpoint, can you ensure the comprehensive development of standards in light of the areas of action of the various organizations such as ISESCO”.
With regard to this question, Dr. AlMalik answered “most Islamic world countries are consumers of AI, without which they would lag behind the rest of the world. Under ISESCO’s new vision, promoting AI in Member States is an utmost priority for”.
“Our major objective is to build a vital and active biological system so as to develop society and help needy people as AI can address social and economic issues if it is properly used to solve the real global problems and supported by adequate policies and regulations,” ISESCO Director General highlighted “Thus, ISESCO focuses on raising awareness of and guiding countries to reduce the current digital gap, and supporting Member States in this field for global and effective adoption of AI by establishing a better cooperation between stakeholders at all levels.”
Dr. AlMalik received a third question on the role of ISESCO in supporting the dissemination of AI in the future and answered that ISESCO established the Centre of Strategic Foresight to meet future needs, including AI. He added that this Centre will launch the Strategy of the Development of Artificial Intelligence as a guiding initiative in the Islamic world which add to other existing initiatives in few countries.
Dr. AlMalik stressed that ISESCO is committed to empower countries with these new technologies by providing the necessary support and assistance to develop their own AI national policies, and concurrently holding a large forum on AI while expressing his hope that UNESCO, OECD, IEEE and all countries will be part thereof.
