The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, today in Paris, met with the Minister of Education of the State of the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, on the sidelines of their participation the 40th UNESCO General Conference, which kicked off last Tuesday.
During this meeting, Dr. AlMalik presented ISESCO’s new vision through which the Organization strives to enter a new phase as a beacon in the fields of education, science, culture and communication, not only for the Islamic world but for the world at large. The Director General also talked about future ISESCO action plans and the measures taken to set up a waqf to help fund ISESCO’s projects and ensure that the Organization is adequately assuming its role.
Moreover, the two parties agreed to promote cooperation between ISESCO and the UAE in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.
For his part, the Minister reaffirmed his country’s interest in projects pertaining to promoting Arabic, and the future of education in both the Arab and Islamic world, conveying his country’s readiness to work with ISESCO in implementing programmes and activities aiming at developing curricula and upgrading Member States’ educational systems.
Mr. Al-Hammadi also hailed the idea of waqf as a way to fund ISESCO’s activities and action programmes, reaffirming the UAE’s support for this idea.
The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, explored ways to promote cooperation between the Organization and the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, Republic of Indonesia, and Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, during three meetings he held with officials from these three countries, on Wednesday, in Paris, on the sidelines of the 40th UNESCO General Conference.
During his meeting with Mr. Dato Hamzah Sulaiman, Minister of Education of Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed ISESCO’s keenness to develop cooperation with the Sultanate, lauding the Celebration of Bandar Seri Begawan as Capital of Islamic Culture for 2019 as well as the programmes and activities implemented and scheduled as part of the celebration.
The two parties also agreed to continue working towards promoting cooperation in the fields of education, science, technology and culture, and rendering Brunei Darussalam a regular destination for holding international symposia and hosting some ministerial conferences that fall within the realm of ISESCO’s competence, particularly in light of the positive outcomes scored during Dr. AlMalik’s visit to Brunei Darrussalam last October, his meeting with His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and his participation in the Majlis Ilmu Conference, which was opened by His Majesty.
Likewise, Dr. AlMalik met with Dr. Arief Rachman, Executive Chairman of the Indonesian National Commission to UNESCO, and together they reviewed the outcomes of the major activities ISESCO implemented in several Indonesian cities over the previous period. The two parties also explored ways to promote cooperation in ISESCO’s areas of competence, within the framework of ISESCO’s strategy and new vision, which strives to render the Organization a beacon for Islamic world as well as for other countries in the fields of science, culture and communication.
The Director General also met with Mr. Abdel-Ellah Sediqi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Afghanistan to France, Cyprus, Portugal and Monaco, Permanent Delegate of Afghanistan to UNESCO and ISESCO. During this meeting, the Director General explored the future of cooperation between the Organization and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which both parties agreed to promote.
It is worth noting that the 40th UNESCO General Conference kicked off yesterday and saw the participation of UNESCO Member States (193 Member States), in addition to ten Associate Members; and the attendance of world leaders, chief among them the UN Secretary General, Mr. António Guterres.
Today in Paris, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, met Mr. Ludger Schuknecht, Deputy Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and together they agreed to launch Joint workshops and Seminars between ISESCO and OECD over the period 2020-2021.
During the meeting, which is part of ISESCO Director General’s current visit to France to attend the 40th General Conference of UNESCO, the two parties agreed on signing a cooperation agreement next year, and they stressed the need to sustain joint action between ISESCO and the OECD, encourage investment in the various fields of education, ensure gender equality in educational opportunities, and facilitate the integration of migrants through specialized educational programmes.
The first workshop to be held at ISESCO headquarters in Rabat during the first quarter of 2020 to develop ISESCO’s future work programmes so as to promote its support to Member States in reforming the educational curricula. ISESCO aims through this workshop to develop high-quality work programmes based on good international research works and expertise while the OECD seeks to involve a larger number of countries in the OECD Education 2030 Project.
Another workshop to be held in one of ISESCO Member States during the third quarter of 2020, aims to improve the quality and use of national data in the field of education as the OECD has a considerable experience in this field through the development of indicators, data collection methodologies, policies and strategies likely to help transfer such expertise to ISESCO Member States.
The third activity focuses on reviewing the national educational policies of ISESCO Member States over the period 2020-2021. Many of ISESCO Member States participate in the data collection with the OECD, but their use of such data in developing their own national educational policies is very limited. Thus, this workshop is very important to benefit from the OECD 20-year long experience in drawing education policies.
Through the fourth activity, to be implemented over the period 2020-2021, the work programme aims to exchange knowledge. ISESCO will provide its Member States with a greater interaction and an ample knowledge of the research works, data and analyses of the OECD so as to boost the efforts of education reform through various practical means.
It is worth mentioning that the OECD is an international organization established in 1961 to replace the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC), established in 1948 to help managing Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II. It aims to achieve economic development and refresh trade exchange.
Today in Paris, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, met Mr. Michel Menga M’Essone, Minister of State and Minister of National Education of Gabon, and together they explored ways of strengthening cooperation between the Organization and Gabon in ISESCO’s areas of action.
This Meeting, which was attended by Mrs. Rachel Annick Ogoula Akiko, Permanent Delegate of Gabon to UNESCO, was part of a series of meetings that ISESCO Director General is holding with heads of States’ delegations and regional and international organizations concerned with education, culture, science and communication, during his current visit to France at the head of a high-level delegation of ISESCO to participate in the 40th UNESCO General Conference.
It is worth noting that the 40th UNESCO General Conference kicked off on Tuesday 12 November 2019 with the participation of the representatives of UNESCO’s 193 Member States, along with 10 Associate Members, and high-level international leaders, most notably the UN Secretary General, Mr. Antóno Guterres.
Today in Paris, the 40th UNESCO General Conference kicked off with the participation of a high-level delegation of the Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), headed by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ISESCO Director General.
Dr. AlMalik’s visit agenda features a number of important activities and events. In this regard, Dr. AlMalik will deliver an address reviewing ISESCO’s new vision and ways to develop cooperation between the two organizations in joint action fields.
In this vein, ISESCO Director General will also hold several bilateral meetings with UNESCO Member States’ heads of delegations, and chiefs of regional and international organizations involved in the fields of education, culture, science, and communication.
During a special celebration, ISESCO will reopen its Bureau at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris, and the two organizations will sign a cooperation agreement.
It is worth noting that the 40th UNESCO General Conference kicked off with the participation of representatives of UNESCO’s 193 Member States, along with 10 Associate Members, and high-level international leaders, headed by the UN Secretary General, Mr. António Guterres. According to UNESCO, this year’s conference will serve as a laboratory of ideas for new multilateral approaches to the gamut of pressing issues ranging from higher education to artificial intelligence.
ISESCO Director General: We have a chance to redress paths of education to achieve sustainable development
ISESCO new vision aims to build a civilizational system and empower young people, women and children
The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, warned that two thirds of world children do not have access to pre-school education. He added that illiteracy rate in the Arab world for the age range of fifteen years and above is still high (21%); around three million Arab children do not have access to schools; and female illiteracy rates are double the figures of males.
“We now have a chance to redress the situation, and forestall the shortcomings, a chance we must not miss for the sake of ourselves and our peoples”, Dr. AlMalik, stated in his address at the 11th Conference of Arab Minsters of Education, which concludes its proceedings today in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. He further explained that redressing the educational situation falls within efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 –Education 2030, whose Target 4.1 states that “by 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes”.
Likewise, the Director General maintained that if Target 4.7 stresses the importance of “ensuring that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development”, one wonders about the position of the Arab world on the world map of knowledge production, capacity building and creative industries, at a time of rising numbers of patents in the field of artificial intelligence at the world level, which increased by a 1000% rate over the period between 1991 and 2015, with 62% thereof dominated by three countries: Japan, South Korea and the USA.
Being aware of the scale, nature and direct repercussions of the current challenges on the development of our countries, ISESCO Director General stressed that ISESCO has moved during this year toward a new phase of development and rebuilding based on an innovative vision through which ISESCO aspires to become an international shining beacon in education, science, culture and communication.
Dr. AlMalik added: “we will, Allah willing, work in the coming period, supported by Member States, to implement two major general orientations: building a smart, innovative and civilizational system for the Islamic world, and empowering youth, women and children to enjoy their educational, scientific, cultural, technological and environmental rights. ISESCO will also develop adequate support mechanisms for Member States in its coming action plans.”
Moreover, ISESCO Director General made it clear that ISESCO’s new vision and strategic orientations to be proposed to ISESCO Executive Council, which is mandated by the Third Extraordinary General Conference to convene with the powers of the General Conference, in the State of United Arab Emirates on 29-30 January 2020, so as to advance the Organization to join the ranks of major international organizations.
At the close of his address, Dr. AlMalik highlighted that ISESCO, similarly to other regional and international organizations, depends in the budgets of its annual action plans and programmes on the financial contributions of Member States. “The decrease of contributions negatively and directly influences ISESCO’s performance, reduces its capacity to implement its plans, and curbs its aspiration to launch major projects to serve sustainable development plans in Member States”, the Director General asserted, while hoping that Their Excellencies Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the participating countries in the Conference will urge Member States to boost their support to ISESCO’s budget and pay their financial obligations to the Organization for both the current financial year and the arrears of the past years.
It is worth mentioning that the 11th Conference of Arab Ministers of Education, held under the theme “Role of educational policies in achieving SDG 4 – Education 2030”, is organized as part of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Celebration of its Education Centennial.
The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) extends its sincere congratulations to the Kingdom of Bahrain for the astounding success of the “Celebration of Education Centennial”, held today evening, in Manama, to mark 100th anniversary of formal education in the country, with the presence of His Majesty King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa of Bahrain. On this occasion, ISESCO extends its congratulations to His Majesty for this success and to Dr. Majid bin Ali Al-Nuaimi, Bahraini Minister of Education, for the good organization of the event.
The celebration was attended by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ISESCO Director General, who commended the approach adopted by the Ministry of Education of Bahrain, calling on Muslim countries to follow the Kingdom’s steps in designating a day to be overseen by the ministries of education, to honor students, teachers and educational professionals, in the presence of state leaders including presidents and kings in order to highlight the great value of education in all societies.
The Celebration of Education Centennial saw the special participation of the delegations of most Arab countries, as well as representatives of regional and international organizations interested in the field of education. The celebration was held only hours prior to the opening of the 11th Conference of Arab Ministers of Education, convened in Manama, under the theme “Role of educational policies in achieving SDG 4 – Education 2030”.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), explored with His Highness Prince Faisal Bin Farhan, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, the cooperation ties between the Organization and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dr. AlMalik also reviewed ISESCO’s activities and future programmes within the framework of the new strategic vision, which makes of ISESCO a source of civilizational influence in the Islamic world as well as the rest of the world.
This was part of today meeting of the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs with ISESCO Director General, who congratulated the Minister on the trust of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, and his new position.
The meeting further highlighted the great interest and considerable support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the efforts of ISESCO in the fields of education, science and culture.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), stated that the Organization has entered into a new phase of rebuilding based on an innovative vision, a developed methodology and modern foundations in its pursuit to achieve a genuine transformation to secure its proper international position and keep up with the rapid changes and modern technologies.
His statement was part of the press conference held today at ISESCO headquarters. Dr. AlMalik started this meeting with media professionals by saying that “ISESCO was founded to become the Islamic world’s version of UNESCO. Today, we seek to become an international organization rather than a local or regional one. Besides, this aspiration is legitimate as it hinges upon a new vision which constitutes the basis of a strategy having future dimensions.”
Moreover, ISESCO Director General stressed that the Islamic world deserves having a high-standing organization, with wide impact on Muslim communities inside and outside the Islamic world, which expresses the Muslim world’s enlightened vision on contemporary issues relevant to ISESOC’s areas of competence.
Dr. AlMalik further highlighted that modernizing ISESCO both in form and content is the major objective which includes the strategic objectives of the Organization. He also explained that ISESCO’s new vision is based on three foundations: a) innovation in planning and achievement, and modernization of performance while rationalizing costs through a developed financial management; b) openness to the prospects of this era so as to be enlightened with modern humanist ideas and international expertise in education, science, innovation, culture, communication and creativity by establishing “ISESCO International Consultative Body”; c) transformation of ISESCO from an organization with limited resources into an organization which produces resources through the establishment of the Waqf Fund on modern bases to ensure its security and continuity in times of crises likely to drain its resources.
ISESCO Director General also said “Our vision aims to turn ISESCO into an international beacon in the fields of civilizational building and knowledge progress, and make of its conferences, meetings and workshops occasions to present new initiatives and useful innovative ideas.”
Besides, Dr. AlMalik stated “we are working to make ISESCO an organization of competencies and a leadership and creativity center, which coordinates the efforts seeking to develop policies and educational systems in Member States, and improve the performance and outputs of these systems.”
He further added that ISESCO should have a purposeful and innovative information mission, an effective communication strategy to defend and promote the status of Arabic language at the Islamic and international levels through the programmes of teaching Arabic language to non-Arabic speakers, support the programmes of writing the languages of Muslim peoples in Arabic script, and become open to the Muslim peoples regardless of the geographical borders.
Dr. AlMalik also underscored that the mission of ISESCO is to develop key leaderships, set developmental policies in its areas of competence, develop knowledge and innovative systems, and provide technical expertise and advice and institutional support through openness to its environment and the world at large.
In conclusion, Dr. AlMalik tackled the nature of the relationship that should be established between ISESCO and media outlets as he commended the role of media professionals and asked to support and develop their role in a consistent way with ISESCO’s new vision.
Afterwards, ISESCO Director General received and responded to the remarks and questions of the various media outlets’ representatives. He also lauded the suggestions made in some remarks and promised to examine and adopt them in line with the new vision of ISESCO while calling for further communication between the organization and media professionals.
AlMalik: Investment in culture’s soft power a winning bet at all levels
Jirari: Islamic world open to influential sides in our modern world
Amid a high-level official, academic and media audience, the “ISESCO Cultural Forum” kicked off yesterday at ISESCO headquarters, with a lecture on the topic “Future Cultural Challenges in the Islamic World” by Dr. Abbès Jirari, Advisor to the King of Morocco, Member of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and other Arab scientific and linguistic academies.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ISESCO Director General, opened the forum with a welcoming address wherein he highlighted that the lecture’s topic touches on two issues: the future and culture as a soft power that can, through its impact and influence, be effective instead of being affected.
In this regard, he stated that elites in today’s world have the influence and impact which he described as being the constituent parts of culture, thought, sports and modern arts. “We should be able to invest this soft power in such a way as to serve high interests of the Islamic world, achieve sustainable development, happiness, and prosperity, and ensure security, serenity, stability, harmony, and peace”, Dr. AlMalik maintained.
He added that ISESCO aims, through its new vision that is open to this ever-changing new, to ensure the visibility of the Islamic world in terms of creativity, innovation, globalization and centralization and to the wide human worlds, pointing out that investment in culture’s soft power is a winning bet at all levels.
In addition, ISESCO Director General mentioned that among the persisting issues of the Islamic world there are the questions of identity and coexistence; dissemination of a culture of life, hope and creativity, the fight against the culture of hate, racism and exclusion; and interest in heritage and language issues. He also cited the assertion of the right of culture and access thereto by all citizens; the right of appropriation of modern technology to create new content; and the establishment of a corresponding digital culture that reflects our history, identity, civilization, and historic character, opens to achievements and gains of modern era, and anticipates the future with all determination, self-confidence, resolve and poise.
In the same vein, he said that the lecture of Dr. Abbès Jirari would touch on these issues and provide answers to our questions, given Dr. Jirari’s rich experience, profound knowledge, and long practice in university work, culture, and other disciplines of knowledge.
“The human mind is unique in its creation and the human soul is from one Divine breath. This compels us to share our unity of determination and values to ensure mutual understanding and preserve the dignity of humanity at large”, Dr. AlMalik concluded.
For his part, Dr. Jirari started his lecture by talking about the future cultural challenges in the Islamic world. He stated that the Islamic world boasts of a glorious past marked by excellence in science and arts, maintaining that the West draw on the Islamic civilization and culture to carry the torch of civilization in modern history and arguing that Muslims are required to keep up with today’s changes and carry again the torch of civilization.
“This is a complex equation whose solution lies in the conciliation of authenticity, the source of our pride, with modernity which we try to catch up with. We pride ourselves on our past and history-steeped heritage without bothering to analyze it and rid it of its stains. We need an accurate diagnosis of our heritage and past to separate the wheat from its chaff. We should handle Western modernity -the product of a different environment- from various angles instead of looking at it from the value perspective which constitutes only one side of the equation”, Dr. Jirari noted.
He continued: “We are a nation that values dialogue with the Other. Undoubtedly, education is key to the dissemination of this culture and awareness thereto. Another factor why Muslims value dialogue is the science on which the West founded its progress. Though the Islamic world abounds with universities, the nature of their impact on the society and contribution to solving social issues may be put into question”.
Despite the dominance of Western modernity, Dr. Jirari pointed out, the Islamic world opened up to other dimensions which have become influential today, adding that despite abundance with qualified competencies, the Islamic world does not benefit from such talents as they emigrate to contribute to the prosperity of the Other. He described this situation as a new challenge and asked about ways to get these wasted competencies back to their societies.
In conclusion, Dr. Jirari said that only through culture, consciousness and self-honesty that we can solve our dilemmas and achieve our objectives.
Shortly after the lecture had ended, Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Cultural Advisor to ISESCO Director General, the lecture’s moderator, opened the floor for discussion. The participants asked many questions relevant to the topic of the lecture which were all met with positive responses from the lecturer.
The forum was closed with a reception held by ISESCO Director General in honor of Dr. Abbès Jirari, amid the audience’s praises for the success of the Forum.
