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The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Euromed University of Fez in the Kingdom of Morocco held a meeting to review the key achievements of the ICESCO Chair, “Women in Science: Artificial Intelligence and the Future” and the major activities and research works which were implemented and supported by the Chair during its first year at the University, in line with ICESCO’s approach to open up to universities and promote girls’ presence in scientific fields.

The meeting was held on Monday, June 13, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat between Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Dr. Mostapha Bousmina, President of Euromed University. The two parties expressed their keenness to sustain the fruitful cooperation between ICESCO and the University regarding this special chair, which strives to promote AI research works, and encourages girls and women’s participation in this field, among others.

For her part, Dr. Maha Kamira, Chair Coordinator, presented a report on the key achievements scored by the Chair in its first year, in addition to the projects, training sessions, workshops and seminars that the Chair held or took part in, noting that several innovations have been invented, which the Chair is currently working on patenting.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Sector of Science and Technology; Dr. Kais Hammami, Head of the Center for Strategic Foresight; Ms. Sally Mabrouk, Head of the Director-General’s Office; Dr. Adel Smeda, Expert at the Sector of Science and Technology. The ICESCO officials all commended the Chair’s achievements, highlighting the importance of cooperation and coordination between the Chair and several ICESCO programs in many of ICESCO’s Member States relating to its field of competence.

The Headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat hosted today, Saturday, June 11, 2022, the activities of the Annual Scientific and Educational Fair that the Scientific Junior High School in Agdal organized in cooperation with ICESCO. The Fair aims at nurturing students’ talents, creativity and scientific thinking, achieving educational and scientific excellence, and shifting from theoretical knowledge to scientific and technological applications.
This Fair reflects ICESCO’s keenness to support talents and scientific and innovative thinking, and develop students’ creativity and sense of initiative, as part of the Organization’s new vision which aims to achieve excellence and creativity in schools by building capacities and developing future skills that are necessary for an ever-developing world that relies on technology and AI.

Moreover, this Fair highlights an educational necessity aimed at addressing students’ needs, honing their readiness, building their capacities and skills and helping them actively interact with the learning material. It also aims to develop their talents, achievements and creations, achieve complementarity between theory and practice in school curricula, and consolidate understanding of scientific facts.

In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, congratulated the students and teaching staff of the Scientific Junior High School of Agdal for the success of this Fair, expressing the Organization’s keenness to develop cooperation prospects in similar fairs.

The Fair was opened by Dr. Kombou Boly Barry, Head of ICESCO Education Sector, and Dr. Majid Khannas School Principal of the Scientific Junior High School of Agdal. The Fair was attended by more than 200 students and a large number of parents, in addition to the jury members tasked with assessing the projects and innovations and experts from the Education Sector.

Following the opening ceremony, the Scientific Commission, which consisted of prominent inventors and professors and experts specializing in scientific research, took stock of the projects and inventions and held its deliberations. The Fair concluded its proceedings with the announcement of winners who received incentive prizes.

The pavilion of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) at the International Book and Publishing Fair in Rabat held a dialogue session on Saturday, June 11, 2022, to introduce ICESCO’s Cultural Capitals Program in the Islamic world and the reasons for declaring Rabat as Culture Capital in the Islamic world for 2022, under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, with the participation of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, Mr. Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication in the Kingdom of Morocco, and Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General.

During the session, which was moderated by Mr. Najib Riati, Cultural Adviser to ICESCO Director-General, Dr. AlMalik stated that the selection of Rabat as Culture Capital in the Islamic world for 2022 is due to its literary and cultural richness and historical monuments, as it has all the components that ICESCO is looking for in Culture Capitals Program.

He pointed out that ICESCO’s Cultural Capitals Program has recently witnessed transformation and renewal since its establishment. It has become more focused on including the fields of tourism and education, and the involvement of many stakeholders to promote cultural and scientific fields.

He added that ICESCO Headquarters will witness the opening of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Biography of the Prophet and Islamic Civilization on July 25, 2022, which will be held within the framework of the celebration of Rabat as the Culture Capital in the Islamic world 2022, in partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League, and the Mohammadia League of Scholars in Morocco. The exhibition includes modern display technologies to narrate and document in detail the biography of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The first exhibition outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be in the Kingdom of Morocco, which indicates the distinguished relations between the two countries.

For his part, Mr. Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid highlighted the cultural radiance of Rabat and its global civilization dimension, noting that the Chellah archaeological site has hosted multiple civilizations over history.

He stressed that during this year, various cultural, artistic and musical activities will be organized with the participation of various stakeholders and that celebrating Rabat as Culture Capital in the Islamic world will contribute to strengthening the cultural industry, reviewing the Ministry’s programs, activities and initiatives to be implemented within the framework of this celebration.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa highlighted the cultural dimension of the city of Rabat, and that its declaration as Culture Capital in the Islamic world for 2022 restores its cultural importance, pointing out that ICESCO’s Cultural Capitals Program is one of the mechanisms for valorizing, documenting and safeguarding heritage as it builds the memory that links us to the past and the future.

At the close of the session, the floor was given to the attendees to ask Dr. AlMalik, Mr. Mehdi Bensaid and Dr. Benarfa, questions about ICESCO’s Cultural Capitals Program in the Islamic world.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stressed the importance of civil society institutions as they provide societal experience to help government developmental programs become more equitable and just, and seize training opportunities to develop the workforce of society, in addition to their ability to positively contributing to the development of strategic and periodic plans as they include various societal forces.

This statement was part of the address that Dr. AlMalik delivered, on Thursday (June 9, 2022), in Tétouan, at the launch of the Celebration of “Tétouan, Capital of Moroccan Civil Society for 2022,” under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him, held by the International Civil Society Organization for the Values of Citizenship, Development and Dialogue, in cooperation with Tétouan Asmir Association for Cultural, Socio-economic and Sports Development, in the presence of a group of ministers and officials of the Moroccan government, representatives of regional and international organizations, and civil society figures.

ICESCO DG explained that the civil society’s potential stems from a real extrapolation of the societal needs, commending the selection of Tétouan as the Capital of Moroccan Civil Society for 2022 similarly to the Celebration of Rabat as Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022, both under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him.

He also praised the features of Tétouan, including its ancient wall, whose full construction took over three hundred years, and its seven historical gates. Tétouan is the memory of Andalusia. It deserved the compliment saying “This is Tétouan… this is its generosity to the civilization of all time.”

Dr. AlMalik concluded his address by reciting the poem he dedicated to Tétouan, under the title: “Princess of Doves.”
The International Civil Society Organization for the Values of Citizenship, Development and Dialogue in the Kingdom of Morocco launched the “Capital of Moroccan Civil Society” Initiative in 2018 to celebrate the leading Moroccan cities in civil society action.

The programme of Tétouan, Capital of Moroccan Civil Society for 2022, includes several activities throughout the whole year, particularly symposia on the intellectual and tangible heritage of Tétouan, an exhibition of civil society works and honoring civil society actors and bodies, as well as media professionals, icons of thought, art and innovation, and distinguished and creative youth of Tétouan. It also features artistic and musical performances that highlight the city’s distinguished creativity.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stressed that the Organization accords great attention to African heritage through the programs and initiatives it launches and implements, notably the annual proclamation of an African city to be the Culture Capital in the Islamic World, which this year celebrates Yaoundé in Cameroon as the Culture Capital, a suitable occasion to cast light on the African tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Dr. AlMalik made this statement today, Thursday, June 9, 2022, in an address he gave during his participation in the International Colloquium on “Archives in Africa: Reality and Prospects”, held in observance of the International Archives Day. The Archives of Morocco organized the Colloquium in partnership with the National School of Charters in Paris and the School of Information Science in Rabat.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik thanked Dr. Jamaâ Bida, Director of the Archives of Morocco, for extending the invitation to attend this event, held as part of the celebration of Rabat as the Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022. He noted that the general public thinks that archives only give glimpses into the past, while in reality, archives focus on documenting the past and building the future, commending the efforts of the Archives of Morocco to preserve documents and safeguard the historical and civilizational memory of nations and peoples.
Dr. AlMalik stated that in addition to its key role in fostering understanding of the past in various fields, archival documents are a solid tool for anticipating the future and setting out strategies and plans to achieve development.

At the close of his address, the DG stated that the organization of this academic event reaffirms the significance and role of archives in raising awareness of the importance of the beginning of ideas and phenomena. “This only highlights the need to find effective ways to preserve archival heritage through exchanging experiences and expertise and capitalizing on digitization and AI applications to preserve documents and address this age’s civilizational changes,” the DG noted.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mrs. Suzi Carla Barbosa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Communities of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, and together they explored avenues for enhancing cooperation between ICESCO and Guinea-Bissau in the Organization’s areas of competence.
During the meeting, held on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, in the presence of Mrs. Filomena Mendes Mascarehas Tipote, Ambassador of Guinea-Bissau to Morocco, Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s vision and action strategy, which rests upon greater communication and coordination with National Commissions and competent authorities in the Member States to identify their needs and priorities and devise programmes and activities accordingly.

He also reviewed the key programmes that are currently implemented by ICESCO, mainly those geared towards building the capacities of youth and women, promoting technology entrepreneurship, teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers, harnessing the potential of space science and artificial intelligence and their applications for the advancement of education, science and culture, and anchoring harmonious coexistence, peace and civilizational dialogue.

For her part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs commended ICESCO’s support for the efforts of Member States in its areas of competence, emphasizing her country’s keenness to cooperate with the Organization as an important partner in the promotion of peace and security, and the achievement of social development and quality education.

She added that cooperation between the Organization and the Republic is critical to the implementation of programmes that will engage youth and women, the two most prevalent categories in Guinea-Bissau, in the development of their country.
The meeting saw the attendance of Dr. Barry Koumbou, Head of ICESCO’s Education Sector, Mrs. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of the Social and Human Sciences Sector, Ms. Amira Fadel, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Mrs. Sally Mabrouk, Director of ICESCO DG’s Cabinet.

At the close of the visit, Dr. AlMalik took Mrs. Barbosa on a tour of ICESCO’s Contemporary Art Gallery, during which she expressed admiration for the exhibited artworks.