The Center for Foresight and Artificial Intelligence at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) concluded, on Saturday, August 2, 2025, in Tunis, its training session, “Introduction to Strategic Foresight and Artificial Intelligence.” The session was organized in cooperation with the Tunisian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, and the Tunisian National Center for Educational Technologies. The event reflects the Organization’s commitment to promoting a culture of forward thinking in its Member States, anticipating future events, and fostering innovation in governance and educational systems.
The session targeted directors and officials from the Tunisian Ministry of Education, pursuant to a memorandum of understanding signed in February 2025 between ICESCO and the Tunisian National Center for Educational Technologies. The MoU provides for equipping specialists with a solid foundation in foresight concepts and methodologies and introducing them to the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in policy planning and educational reform.
The three-day session was supervised by Dr. Kais Hammami, Head of ICESCO’s Center for Strategic Foresight and Artificial Intelligence. Participants benefited from practical sessions and group exercises which focused on exploring the concepts of strategic foresight, highlighting its basic principles and tools, conducting scenario-building exercises, and designing flexible and adaptable strategies by using real data and analyzing emerging trends to envision the future. In addition, the session cast light on the intersections between foresight and AI by exploring the nature of their relationship and how to rely on AI tools to draw accurate and realistic future scenarios.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO and the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education, has concluded its program to improve water and sanitation systems in rural schools and raise awareness to promote behavior change (WASH), which was implemented in several underserved areas of Lebanon between May and July 2025.
This program represents the Lebanese edition of a broader initiative implemented by ICESCO through its Science and Environment Sector, titled “Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in 1,000 Rural Schools”, which aims to enhance water, sanitation, and hygiene services in educational institutions throughout the Islamic world. The Lebanese edition focused on building sustainable infrastructure for water and sanitation systems, and on promoting healthy behaviors among students and teachers.
The program included capacity-building workshops and community awareness activities, targeting 10 rural and semi-urban schools in the Bekaa and South Lebanon regions. Activities involved the construction and rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities, training sessions for students, teachers, and local community members, and the distribution of a hygiene awareness guide designed to achieve long-term behavioral impact. The program directly benefited more than 3,000 Lebanese students, teachers, and community activists.
In his speech during the closing ceremony, Dr. Wissam Chehade Expert in the Science and Environment Sector at ICESCO, stated that this initiative embodies the Organization’s core values of dignity, inclusion, and health for all children in schools, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
Dr. Chehade praised the strong cooperation with local and national partners, and the active engagement of students and teachers, affirming that the conclusion of this phase marks the beginning of broader efforts to expand the program to other areas in Lebanon, and to replicate its successful model in other ICESCO Member States.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) announces the launch of the second edition of the annual poetry award “Cities of Poems,” dedicated this year to the city of Samarkand, Republic of Uzbekistan, in celebration of its designation as a 2025 Culture Capital in the Islamic World.
The annual contest, which coincides with ICESCO’s announcement of the Culture Capital in the Islamic World, aims to revive and strengthen the age-old connection between poetry and place: an enduring relationship that has inspired many immortal works in Arabic and global poetry. It also seeks to document, through poetic and aesthetic expression, the history and geography of cities, and to honor the figures and civilizations celebrated by the Capitals of Culture in the Islamic World through poetry.
Poetic submissions, in either Arabic or Uzbek, will be accepted starting Friday, 1st August 2025, and ending on Wednesday, 31st December 2025. A panel of experts from ICESCO, together with a host of distinguished poets, will evaluate the submitted poems to select three winners. The first-place winner will receive a USD 3,000 cash prize; the second-place winner will receive USD 2,000; and the third-place winner will receive USD 1,000. In addition, all winners will be awarded certificates of appreciation. ICESCO will also publish an anthology featuring the winning poems as well as other honorable mentions from the competition.
Eligibility criteria:
Poems written in Arabic must adhere to classical Arabic poetic meters (either vertical or free verse), while Uzbek poems must comply with the metrical and aesthetic standards of Uzbek poetry.
The poem must be inspired by the values, aesthetics, history, geography, genius loci (spirit of place), and narrative of the city that is the subject of the poem (Samarkand).
The poem must not exceed thirty lines or poetic verses.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Ambassador Haider Shiaa Al-Barrak, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the Kingdom of Morocco, on Thursday, 31 July 2025, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, following the Ambassador’s assumption of his diplomatic duties in Morocco.
At the outset of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik welcomed the Iraqi Ambassador, congratulated him on his appointment, and wished him success in his mission. He also reviewed ICESCO’s mission, strategic objectives, and the qualitative developments witnessed in recent years. He emphasized ICESCO’s keenness to strengthen cooperation with Iraq and develop joint programs in the fields of education, science, and culture, lauding the solid partnership between the two parties.
Dr. AlMalik reviewed the major milestones in ICESCO’s transformation, including its new organizational structure and name, program development, and the recruitment of distinguished competencies from various Member States to work within the Organization. He underscored that women represent nearly 50% of ICESCO’s leadership while youth constitute the majority of its staff, which has positively reflected on its performance and dynamism. He also commended the contributions of Iraqi staff working at ICESCO, praising their expertise and excellence.
Furthermore, Dr. AlMalik touched upon ICESCO’s efforts to integrate technological advancements and artificial intelligence into its programs, as well as the establishment of new specialized centers, including the Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts, the Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, the Center of Foresight and Artificial Intelligence, the Center of Poetry and Literature, the Center for Civilizational Dialogue, and the Heritage Center, which plays a key role in inscribing Member States’ historical sites on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage Lists, which now include over 724 historical sites and cultural elements.
Moreover, Dr. AlMalik shed light on his recent visit to Iraq, conducted in December 2022, during which he participated in the sixth edition of the Ancient Civilizations Forum and met with several high-ranking officials, including the President and the Prime Minister. He described the visit as fruitful and constructive, expressing his keenness to revisit Iraq, especially with the proclamation of Baghdad as the Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2026 under ICESCO’s Culture Capitals Program.
For his part, Ambassador Al-Barrak expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and praised the qualitative leap achieved by ICESCO, as well as its civilizational role in serving the Islamic world and enhancing its positive image on the international stage.
The Iraqi Ambassador affirmed his country’s keenness to further strengthen cooperation with ICESCO and develop bilateral projects in areas of mutual interest. He expressed pride in the presence of active Iraqi staff within the Organization and Iraq’s readiness to provide ICESCO with more national expertise in its areas of competence.
Ambassador Al-Barrak also highlighted Iraq’s interest in having several of its archaeological sites included on ICESCO’s Heritage List. He praised the Organization’s response to the Iraqi government’s request in this regard, submitted last February, as well as its efforts in this area.
At the end of the meeting, the Director-General of ICESCO accompanied his guest on a guided tour of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization at the Organization’s headquarters. The Iraqi Ambassador had the opportunity to tour the exhibition, which uses modern interactive techniques to highlight the Seerah of the Prophet.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a symposium titled “Digitization of Cultural Heritage: Empowering Heritage through Artificial Intelligence and Immersive Technologies”, in partnership with the Moroccan School of Engineering Sciences (EMSI), Cadi Ayyad University, and the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Culture in Marrakech. The Event marked the conclusion of the “Digital Twinning” project, launched by ICESCO as part of the celebration of Marrakech as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2024. The aim of the project is to harness smart technologies to protect and promote cultural heritage.
The Symposium, held on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at Cadi Ayyad University, featured interactive extended reality (XR) experiences and live demonstrations of 3D virtual replicas. These showcased the outcomes of the “Digital Twinning” project, particularly in three prominent heritage sites in Marrakech: El Badi Palace, Jemaa el-Fna Square, and the Koutoubia Minaret. The Event offered participants a hands-on experience of the future of cultural heritage preservation.
In a pre-recorded speech presented during the opening of the symposium, Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Science and Environment Sector at ICESCO, emphasized the transformational potential of artificial intelligence, extended reality (XR), and digital twin technology for the future of cultural heritage protection. He stated that the project will be implemented in future celebrations of cultural capitals in the Islamic world.
Dr. Adel Smeda, an expert in the Science and Environment Sector at ICESCO, presented the opportunities and challenges related to the use of digital technology in the preservation and enhancement of heritage. He explained that digital twin tools and immersive technologies provide unprecedented means to protect both tangible and intangible heritage. He also noted that ICESCO is working to generalize the use of technology for heritage protection by providing technical support and implementing capacity-building programs for its Member States.
The “Digital Twin” is a virtual reality technology that creates accurate digital replicas of real-world entities, whether tangible or intangible—such as visual or musical arts—using artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Li Changlin, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Morocco, upon the conclusion of his mission in Rabat.
During the meeting held on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at ICESCO headquarters, Dr. AlMalik praised the remarkable development in relations between the Organization and China during Ambassador Li’s mission to Morocco and his fruitful role in consolidating these relations.
Dr. AlMalik noted that the distinguished cooperation between the two parties resulted in several joint initiatives and conferences. The most recent of these was ICESCO delegation’s official visit to China last June.
During this visit, the delegation participated in the International Forum for the Dialogue of Civilizations in Beijing and held talks with several senior officials and ministers.
Dr. AlMalik affirmed that ICESCO has developed a rich program in support of the “Global Civilization” initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
ICESCO also intends to organize an international conference on the Chinese Initiative for International Development.
He also expressed ICESCO’s intention to recruit Chinese experts.
For his part, the Chinese Ambassador affirmed his country’s commitment to continuing its distinguished partnership with ICESCO and promoting it in various fields of common interest, noting the warm welcome the Organization’s delegation received during its visit to Beijing, from both officials and the media.
At the end of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik and Ambassador Li exchanged memorable gifts and shields to acknowledge the two parties’ efforts in bilateral cooperation.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) concluded the “Green and Clean School Campus” contest, held in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, in cooperation with the Bangladeshi National Commission for UNESCO, aiming to promote environmental awareness and sustainable practices among students, faculty, and staff.
The closing ceremony, held on Monday, 28 July 2025, at the International Mother Language Institute in the capital city, Dhaka, was attended by a number of officials, environmental experts, faculty members, and representatives from the 10 participating schools, who expressed their commitment to promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility through the implementation of eco-friendly projects focused on waste reduction and the conservation of natural resources.
Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Science and Environment Sector, represented ICESCO during the event. He reaffirmed the Organization’s dedication to supporting youth efforts in sustainability and environmental protection. Dr. Raheel further noted that the contest encouraged students and faculty to take action in safeguarding the ecosystem within and beyond the school campus and emphasized the importance of adopting long-term solutions to protect the environment and address climate change.
It is worth noting that ICESCO launched the competition in February of this year in Dhaka, with the goal of integrating sustainable environmental practices into students’ daily lives through efforts such as maintaining school cleanliness, efficient waste management, water conservation, and promoting these practices across classrooms and communities.
As part of the activities of the International Forum “Culture for Rethinking the World,” the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held the tenth session of its workshop on cultural communication for development, entitled “How do the arts and storytelling drive social change?” on Thursday, 24 July 2025.
During the workshop, moderated by Ms. Souhaila El Jinani, Heritage and Museums Expert at the Culture Sector, Ms. Khadija Maalej, Media Expert and Project Manager at BBC Media Action, presented a number of inspiring examples that highlight the power of art and storytelling and their impact in various contexts, including a musician initiative from the State of Bengaluru, India, who used music to alleviate the difficult conditions of waste collectors and have a positive impact on their daily lives.
Another example was shared from the Gaza Strip, in which animated cartoons were used to tell a symbolic story affirming the fundamental right of children to play and enjoy their childhood despite wars and conflicts.
The workshop concluded with a presentation by Dr. Mohammed Zinelabidine, Head of the Culture Sector at ICESCO, who emphasized the role of media as catalysts for social change through the power of storytelling and artistic expression, and stressed their importance in concrete future projects in partnership with young creators and cultural actors.
In light of the escalating crisis in the Gaza Strip, fueled by the systematic war of starvation imposed by the Zionist occupation authorities, no one has been spared: neither the elderly nor the young, neither mothers nor infants. The scale of suffering has reached unimaginable heights, surpassing even the darkest chapters of human conflict throughout history.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in accordance with its mission and mandate, calls upon all forces of good from around the world, including decision-makers, leaders of international organizations, diplomats, civil society groups, scientists, writers, artists, and all those with a living conscience, to unite in solidarity and raise a collective voice that boldly proclaims the truth.
We must uphold the dignity of humanity, safeguard its conscience, and spare it the condemnation of history as it bears witness, with its own eyes, to the greatest tragedy in human memory. This disaster shows how far the world has fallen by staying silent, while the machinery of starvation continues to claim the lives of innocents who perish under relentless assault—on the brink of a meal that never comes, a sip that never quenches their thirst.
In accordance with its steadfast commitment to safeguarding human rights and humanitarian principles, and in response to international reports denouncing the war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocidal warfare perpetrated in the Gaza Strip, ICESCO categorically condemns the systematic brutality being visited upon Gaza. The Organization calls upon all parties concerned to oppose, through every available means, Israel’s policy of starvation and systematic slaughter—a policy that recognizes no boundaries of morality and operates with utter impunity.
May Allah Almighty protect our brothers and sisters in Gaza and deliver them from their suffering.
His Excellency Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, received Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), on the afternoon of Wednesday, 23 July 2025, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Rabat.
The meeting touched upon the fruitful cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco and ICESCO, and the distinguished patronage and continuous attention the Organization enjoys from His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, which has been translated into tangible support from the Moroccan government for the Organization’s initiatives and programs. The Director-General praised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its strong support and great interest in ICESCO, clearly demonstrated by the Headquarters Agreement, which has become a model for relations between international organizations and host countries.
During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik presented a brief overview of the key achievements realized since assuming leadership of the Organization. He highlighted ICESCO’s new strategic vision, which has positioned it as a leading institution at both regional and international levels. He also reviewed major activities carried out in the Kingdom of Morocco and outlined future areas of focus, chief among them: heritage preservation, exploration of artificial intelligence prospects, and capacity building in future-oriented professions.
The Director-General affirmed that ICESCO is confidently advancing toward global leadership under the high patronage of His Majesty, noting that the Organization has earned numerous international certifications and accreditations reflecting its commitment to transparency, good governance, and institutional excellence.
Dr. AlMalik further emphasized ICESCO’s dedication to attracting outstanding talent from across the Islamic world and empowering youth through training and employment in fields aligned with the future transformations of the job market.
For his part, Minister Bourita commended ICESCO’s efforts and its growing role in enhancing the presence of the Islamic world in the fields of education, science, and culture.
At the close of the meeting, the Director-General expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation to the Kingdom of Morocco for its gracious hosting of the Organization and the continued support it provides to ensure the success of its work and initiatives.
