Category: Front Page

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held the Third Session of the Research Group on “Women’s Thought and Creativity in the Islamic World,” under the theme “Arab Resonances: Women’s Voices, Arts and Knowledge.” Bringing together 24 women from 11 countries across the Islamic world, the session explored women’s contributions to intellectual and artistic production and their role in driving social transformations.

Held via videoconference on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, the session was organized as part of the International Forum “Culture to Rethink the World” and within the framework of the cooperation program entitled “ICESCO–Arab World Institute: Shared Culture,”. Its activities focused on movement expression, philosophy and poetry.

The session opened with remarks by Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture Sector, who highlighted the importance of providing spaces for dialogue and research that advance the status of women and enable discussion of their experiences through an approach that respects diversity and cultural specificities. He also affirmed ICESCO’s commitment to supporting intellectual exchange on issues concerning women in the Islamic world.

The session was moderated by Dr. Zoubeida Boukhari, an international consultant in culture, education, and environmental communication. Presentations under the first theme addressed the performing arts as an expression of identity and a living memory passed down through generations, highlighting their role in preserving cultural practices and protecting them from disappearance. They also examined the ability of movement expression to transcend social barriers, convey experiences of suffering and provide space to express what is difficult to articulate in words.

Under the philosophy theme, discussions focused on the role of women’s creativity in transforming women’s realities and strengthening Arab cultural rapprochement, while dismantling inaccurate stereotypes of Middle Eastern women. The presentations emphasized that creativity extends beyond aesthetics to the production of ideas, dialogue across fields of knowledge and the building of bridges between cultures.

The session concluded with poetry recitations addressing women’s issues, experiences and aspirations. The recitations showcased examples of women’s writing that make poetry a space for self-expression and for listening to the experiences of others.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has won the Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage in its sixth edition, in the Arab category on “Best Practices in Safeguarding Cultural Heritage Elements,” for its study entitled “Member States Strategy to Enhance the Role of Culture and Heritage in Countering Climate Change.”

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, presented the award to Mr. Salim Omar Salim, Director of the Organization’s Regional Office in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates who received it on behalf of the Organization, in the presence of Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage. The ceremony was held on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, at the Institute’s Grand Theatre in the United Arab Emirates.

The ceremony opened with remarks by Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Musallam, who reviewed the efforts of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah to safeguard cultural heritage and protect historical landmarks through projects and initiatives aimed at preserving the memory of places and oral traditions in Sharjah and various regions worldwide. For her part, Ms. Aisha Rashid Al-Hossan Al-Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Sharjah International Award for Cultural Heritage, affirmed that the Award continues to fulfill its mission by celebrating those who carry, recount and practice heritage, researchers who document and study it, and institutions and projects working to safeguard and sustain it.

ICESCO issued the study in May 2026, under the supervision of its Islamic World Heritage Center, with coordination by Dr. Bilel Chebbi, Programs Director at the Center. The study aimed to consolidate the place of culture and heritage in national and international climate and sustainable development policies and strengthen their presence in global discussions on environmental challenges, thereby supporting the use of heritage knowledge and practices in responding to the impacts of climate change.

ICESCO provides access to the entire study and its executive summary via the following links:
https://icesco.org/rjcs
https://icesco.org/sol4

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held an international cultural meeting to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the launch of its international forum, “Culture to Rethink the World.” The meeting reviewed five years of reflection, research, and cultural action, bringing together researchers, academics, experts, and cultural practitioners who are members of the Forum. They presented their key contributions and exchanged views on the new challenges facing the cultural sector and the Forum’s future work.

Opening the meeting, held via videoconference on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture Sector, recalled the conviction on which the Forum was founded: culture has moved beyond being heritage that must be safeguarded to become a force for thought, creativity, and innovation, capable of keeping pace with societal transformations. He also outlined the Forum’s structure, comprising the ICESCO Center for Holistic Policies for the Promotion of Cultural Reality, the ICESCO International Chairs Network for Thought, Heritage, Literature, and Arts, research groups, the “Youth Elite” Program, and the ICESCO International Network of Civil Society Communities for Culture and Development.

The Head of the Culture Sector presented figures highlighting the scale of the Forum’s achievements. Its network now comprises more than 200 members representing over 30 nationalities, 10 ICESCO Chairs across eight countries, and 13 research groups. It also includes an international civil society network bringing together more than 60 organizations from over 28 countries, active in more than 50 fields.

In terms of intellectual output, the Forum mobilized more than 90 authors and researchers to prepare over 15 strategic studies, including studies on cultural GDP and employability in the cultural sector. It organized more than 85 virtual seminars and over eight international exhibitions, and published 17 books and collective works, as well as more than 200 articles on the “ICESCO Creative” platform. In terms of impact, more than nine programs and six international projects were implemented, directly benefiting over 7,000 people.

The meeting was moderated by Zineb Bougrine and Sidi Ahmed Jawad from the Culture Sector. It featured contributions from representatives of the Chairs Network, most notably Dr. Fawzi Mahfoudh, Supervisor of the ICESCO “Ibn Khaldun Chair for Culture and Heritage” in Tunisia; Dr. Sana Ghouati, Supervisor of the ICESCO “Chair for Comparative Literature and Arts” in Morocco; and Brazilian artist and researcher Dr. Sandra Rey, Supervisor of the ICESCO “Art and Nature: Hybrid Processes” Chair in Brazil.

The discussion also featured Dr. Rim Jallouli, Expert in Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development; Dr. Mohamed Amine Hammami, artist and international expert in digital creativity and digital culture; artist and composer Rafik Gharbi; and Dr. Bouazza Benachir. They all highlighted the importance of developing new approaches to cultural policies based on indicators that measure cultural development. They also addressed the relationship between technology and innovation, alongside the contemporary challenges facing culture.

Saint Petersburg: 25 September 2026

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the First International Conference on African Manuscript Heritage, held on 23 and 24 September 2026 at the National Library of Russia in Saint Petersburg, under the theme “The Comprehensive Study of African Manuscript Heritage: Codicology, Paleography, Textology, History of Collections, Cataloguing, and Conservation.” The Conference was jointly organized by Libya’s Al-Shaikh Al-Tahir Al-Zawi Center for Research and Manuscript Studies (TCRMS) and the Faculty of Asian and African Studies at Saint Petersburg State University (FAAS).

In an address delivered on his behalf during the opening session by Dr. Idham Hanash, Director of ICESCO’s Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts, Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, underscored the major civilizational and historical significance of African manuscripts. He noted that these manuscripts provide compelling evidence of the intellectual advancement achieved across Africa’s diverse peoples and languages, as well as the centuries-long flourishing of writing traditions and manuscript production. Dr. AlMalik also reviewed ICESCO’s ongoing efforts in this field, including the organization of scientific events, training workshops, and activities aimed at preserving this cultural heritage.

He further noted that ICESCO is currently developing a joint program with the African Cultural Institute (ACI) to restore Timbuktu’s historic manuscripts, as part of the Organization’s continuing international efforts to protect Africa’s cultural and human heritage.

During the first scientific session, titled “Toward Codicological Cataloguing of African Arabic Manuscripts,” Dr. Ahmed Abdelbaset, expert at the Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts at ICESCO, discussed the concept of Codicological Cataloguing, comparing it with the three recognized levels of traditional descriptive cataloguing. He also outlined the extensive knowledge required of manuscript cataloguers and the need for a thorough understanding of the physical dimensions of African manuscripts.

Over the course of two days, the Conference featured a range of substantive scientific presentations, as well as visits to the halls of the National Library of Russia, where they viewed its rare works and collections.

Kampala: 24 September 2026

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated on Thursday, 24 September 2026, in the 30th Annual International Management Conference, organized by Makerere University Business School in Uganda in a hybrid format under the theme “Knowledge Revolution: Driving Innovation and Sustainable Development in Africa.” The conference brought together academics, researchers, officials, entrepreneurs, experts, and specialists to discuss the role of knowledge, innovation, and scientific research in advancing sustainable development across the continent.

ICESCO was represented at a conference panel on “Knowledge for Development” by Dr. Sally Mabrouk, Head of the Director-General’s Office, Supervisor of the Strategy and Institutional Excellence Sector. The panel also brought together representatives of international organizations and institutions, notably the African Union, the United Nations Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Bank of Uganda, North-West University in South Africa, RenuMesh Technologies, and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa.

Dr. Mabrouk delivered a presentation titled “Advancing Knowledge Societies in Africa: From Knowledge Production to Sustainable Development Impact,” highlighting the role of knowledge societies in developing infrastructure for development. She stressed the importance of strengthening African countries’ capacity to produce and harness knowledge and reviewed the key challenges facing the continent’s knowledge ecosystems, including the gap between scientific research and policymaking, unequal access to opportunities, limited institutional capacity, and insufficient exchange of expertise.

Moreover, Dr. Mabrouk highlighted ICESCO’s efforts as a platform for knowledge cooperation among its 53 Member States, including 17 African countries, to advance education, science, technology, foresight, artificial intelligence, culture, and international partnerships. These efforts are pursued through a range of activities and initiatives, notably the Youth Knowledge Forum and the “10,000 AI Leaders” Program.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Amandeep Singh Gill, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, to discuss avenues and mechanisms for cooperation between ICESCO and the United Nations in artificial intelligence and capacity-building in science.

During the meeting, held on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, in New York City, the two sides explored opportunities for cooperation to support artificial intelligence initiatives, raise awareness of its applications, and promote the responsible use of modern technologies across various fields. They also discussed supporting countries in developing national strategies to integrate artificial intelligence, given technology’s pivotal role in achieving sustainable development and meeting the aspirations of communities across the Islamic world.

Dr. AlMalik stressed that ICESCO seeks to foster a culture of innovation among young people in its Member States, highlighting the Organization’s efforts in modern technology through several pioneering initiatives and programs, most notably the “Riyadh Charter on Artificial Intelligence for the Islamic World,” the “10K AI Leaders” Program, and the “ICESCO Network of Experts in Quantum Sciences.”

Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s role in expanding researchers’ access to advanced scientific infrastructure through an agreement signed with Al-Farabi Kazakh National University to develop the “Inclusive Access to Artificial Intelligence and High-Performance Computing Infrastructure” initiative. The initiative aims to broaden researchers’ access, particularly in the Global South, to computing resources by leveraging the University’s facilities, while also developing their capacities through training and joint research projects.

For his part, Dr. Gill presented the United Nations Secretary-General’s proposal to establish a global fund for artificial intelligence capacity-building by mobilizing an initial investment of US$3 billion to facilitate knowledge exchange and support countries in developing these modern technologies and harnessing their potential.

The meeting also addressed the widening artificial intelligence divide among countries and the need for Global South countries to develop expertise and build capacity in computing and data infrastructure. It was also attended by by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector; Dr. Yergaliyev Kuanysh, Head of Science and Environment Sector; and Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Advisor at the Sector.