The Science and Technology Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated today, Wednesday, October 27, 2021, in a symposium on “Smart Cities: Global Perspectives on Digital Transformation” organized by the ICT Standardization Observatory and Support Facility in Europe, to explore ways of using technological developments to build sustainable cities and achieve digital transformation.
In his videoconference intervention in the Webinar which gathered several specialized representatives from organizations working in the field of developing smart and sustainable cities and specialized experts, Dr. Foued El-Ayni, Expert at ICESCO science and technology Sector, reviewed the Organization’s efforts to spread awareness on the concept of smart cities. He reaffirmed ICESCO’s commitment to supporting its Member States’ efforts in building smart, resilient, and sustainable cities that attach importance to environmental issues in achieving comprehensive development. He also reviewed the Organization’s action plan and its implemented programs and projects, in addition to the scholarships and research grants it provides in this field.
The Webinar included a discussion session where the participants explored ways to develop cooperation between organizations and institutions, taking into account the special needs of different countries. They also discussed ways to strengthen South-South and North-South cooperation and partnerships and agreed to hold similar webinars.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) held a meeting at ICESCO headquarters, in Rabat, on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, to develop an action plan to enhance their areas of cooperation and explore the potential programs and projects for implementation in education, child development, building young people’s capacities and training on the skills and jobs of tomorrow and artificial intelligence technologies.
The meeting brought together experts from the Sectors of Education, Science and Technology, Culture, Social and Human Sciences, and the Center of Strategic Foresight at ICESCO, as well as several officials from UNICEF’s Office in Morocco. The two parties shared experiences and reviewed projects and programs in the fields of education, science and culture to identify the areas of cooperation.
ICESCO Science and Technology Sector and UNICEF agreed to implement ICESCO’s Program for Improvement of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services in one thousand rural schools in Muslim countries, which aims to provide safe and clean water and provide training to raise awareness about the importance of healthy practices among teachers and schoolchildren.
ICESCO Education Sector will cooperate with UNICEF to build teachers’ capacities to keep up with relevant technological developments and reduce girls’ school dropouts.
ICESCO Culture and Communication Sector will cooperate with UNICEF to promote cultural education at schools and second chance schools.
ICESCO Social and Human Sciences Sector and UNICEF will cooperate in the field of youth rehabilitation to enhance their role in peacebuilding.
ICESCO Center of Strategic Foresight also agreed with UNICEF on holding workshops on how young people envision the future to promote the culture of foresight and explore possibilities by launching the “Future from Youth Perspective” campaign, which is part of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties.
ICESCO Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector took part in a symposium on “Positioning Media and Information Literacy on the International Development Agenda in the Post-Pandemic World,” held via videoconference, on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, with the participation of representatives of the United Nations agencies and civil society institutions, as well as a host of experts. The Symposium is part of UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week, commemorated from 24 to 31 October 2021, in South Africa.
In her address, during the plenary session entitled “Leave no one behind in media and information literacy: Mobilizing resources for real impact,” Ms. Rime Jirari, Head of the Department of Organizations and Bodies at ICESCO Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, emphasized the importance ICESCO accords to developing media and information education in the Islamic World and reviewed the Organization’s efforts in promoting best practices and relevant studies.
Ms. Jirari also unveiled some of ICESCO’s draft programs to be launched and implemented in the Organization’s efforts to contribute to protecting personal data and reducing online hate speech. These initiatives seek to facilitate the integration of media and information education into school curricula, support digital platforms and libraries, organize local and regional workshops and training sessions on the subject, and launch several awards to encourage outstanding research studies in the field.
ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers held a meeting with the Minnesota Language Academy in Turkey and discussed cooperation prospects between ICESCO and the Academy in implementing several projects and programs in the field of Arabic for non-Arabic speakers.
During the meeting, held Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, the two parties discussed ways of cooperating in enriching scientific and academic research through writing books on Arabic for non-Arabic speakers, developing its curricula, holding training workshops for the benefit of teachers in the ICESCO Member States and abroad. The parties also discussed organizing international symposia and conferences on the culture of the Arabic language and sponsoring the immersive educational village project for teaching Arabic for non-Arabic speakers in Turkey.
The meeting brought together Dr. Majdi Haji Ibrahim, Head of ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers; Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Advisor to the Director-General for ICESCO’s External Centers and University Chairs in the Field of Arabic Language; Dr. Youssef Ismaili, an expert at the Center; and Ms. Rajae Al Hakkouni, Program Assistant at the Center. Attendees from the Academy included Dr. Muyassar Ahmed Mekki, President of Minnesota Language Academy in Turkey; Dr. Hassan Abu Assaf, Vice President and Dean of the College of Graduate Studies; Dr. Marwan Waheed Shaaban, Dean of the Holy Quran College; and Dr. Zakai Gul, Director of External Relations at the Academy.
At the end of the meeting, Dr. Muyassar Ahmed Mekki gave the Academy’s commemorative shield to ICESCO Center for the Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, in appreciation of its role in serving the Arabic language and its students and teachers.
In line with its interest in the international human dimensions of environmental development, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) hails the outcomes of the First Green Middle East Initiative Summit, which was held in Riyadh, amid high-caliber international participation including several state leaders and heads of governments. The Summit aims to promote cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the global community to address the challenges of climate change, form the first Middle East alliance to counter the phenomenon, and support global efforts in this area.
Against this backdrop, ICESCO highly commends the Summit’s resolutions, which are considered a solid step towards a global awareness of the magnitude of environmental threats, as part of Saudi Arabia’s unprecedented active commitment to attract capacities and allocate resources within the framework of “Saudi Green Initiative.” The Kingdom’s efforts follow an approach that champions reversing the ominous environmental situation and aspires to build humans’ capacities to face challenges and anticipate the future in a committed and proactive manner.
ICESCO expresses its appreciation of the ambitious vision of both the Green Middle East Initiative and Saudi Green Initiative, as outlined by HRH Prince Mohamed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, which target planting 50 billion trees in the region, as part of the largest reforestation program in the world. The initiatives also aim to reduce carbon emissions by more than 10% of global contributions, achieve net-zero emissions in Saudi Arabia by 2060, and the Kingdom’s allocation of more than 180 billion dollars in investments to implement the promising phase plans of the Saudi Green Initiative for the benefit of humanity as a whole.
Reiterating its appreciation of these initiatives, ICESCO notes that it is preparing for the organization of the 9th Conference of Environment Ministers in the Islamic World in 2022, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in Saudi Arabia, and is in the process of announcing the results of the current edition of Saudi Arabia Award for Environmental Management in the Islamic World. The Organization also expresses its readiness to cooperate with the competent parties in Saudi Arabia as well as other Member and non-Member States to achieve the desired goals of these leading initiatives, notably scoring a lasting global impact, addressing climate change, protecting Planet Earth and nature, and actively contributing to the achievement of international goals in such a way as to support the regional and international mechanisms related to addressing climate crises.
The Education Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched on Monday, October 25, a three-day workshop on “Developing Teaching Methods of Islamic Education” in Conakry, capital of the Republic of Guinea, in cooperation with the Guinean National Commission, for the benefit of a number of teachers, mentors and inspectors working in the field of Islamic education teaching.
The workshop, held under the auspices of the Ministry of Pre-University Education and Literacy in Guinea, aims to provide the staff working in the field of teaching Islamic education with the necessary advanced expertise and skills in the educational field and train them on modern methods of teaching Islamic education, in addition to identifying the obstacles they face. The workshop also aims at encouraging communication between persons of interest and specialists in this field, exchanging expertise and experiences among them and enhancing the role of Arab and Islamic educational institutions in education for peace, coexistence and social cohesion.
During the opening session, a number of Guinean officials commended ICESCO’s role in promoting the educational process and the support the organization provides for its Member States, including the Republic of Guinea. In his turn, ICESCO representative, Dr. Youssef Abou Daka, Programs Director at the Organization’s Education Sector, touched on the importance of organizing the workshop, hoping that it would achieve its objectives in developing methods and ways of teaching Islamic education in Arab and Islamic educational institutions in the Republic of Guinea and strengthening the roles of its teaching staff in the development of a culture of peace.
The workshop sessions dealt with the reality of teaching Islamic education in Guinea, the methodological, technical and general educational specifications and rules in the process of preparing textbooks for teaching Islamic education, the use of modern learning theories in preparing subject lessons and addressing the role of new scientific, educational and technical competencies for the teachers of Islamic education in developing teaching methods, the investment of modern teaching methods in presenting the content of Islamic education, information and communication technology and their use in teaching Islamic education and the role of religious institutions in developing a culture of peace in societies.
ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers took part in the launch of the annual training session for Arabic language teachers to non-Arabic speakers organized by Cordoba School in Berlin, Germany under the theme “Skills in Teaching Arabic to Non-Arabic Speaking Children Online and in a Classroom Setting.”
Dr. Youssef Ismaili, Expert at the Center, represented ICESCO in the opening session held on Saturday, October 23, 2021, via videoconference, during which he delivered the opening lecture entitled “Using Educational Linguistics in Arabic Language Teaching to Non-Native Speakers.” The Expert noted the importance of contemporary linguistic theories in Arabic language teaching, emphasizing how to convert theoretical and conceptual linguistic knowledge into educational and procedural linguistic knowledge, and use it in teaching Arabic in a simplified, scientific manner to speakers of other languages, particularly in Europe.
Dr. Ismaili pointed out that the ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers works intensively on providing expertise and technical advice to promote Arabic teaching and enhance the language’s status in the Organization’s Member States and non-member states speaking other languages.
The ICESCO representative called on the teachers participating in the training session to take part in ICESCO’s educational initiatives to benefit from scientific developments in the field of teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers as part of the Organization’s endeavors to advance scientific and educational research, leverage expertise, exchange successful experiences, and strengthen relationships with researchers in the field of Arabic teaching to non-native speakers in Europe.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), commended the quality and quantity of the remarkable books that the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS) published and reproduced in 2021, tackling key issues. Dr. AlMalik also noted the role and efforts of Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Assimi, ABEGS Director-General, in this great achievement and in strengthening the efforts of the Bureau Member States geared towards developing their educational systems.
The statement was part of Dr. Al-Malik’s address during his participation in the launch of ABEGS’ publications, on Thursday, October 21, 2021, at the Bureau’s headquarters, in Riyadh. DG’s participation was a response to a kind invitation from Dr. Al-Assimi, who indicated that ABEGS provides the new publications and others on its official website and platforms, where visitors can have access to the books’ summaries and buy them online as well.
ABEGS’s new publications include, among others, “Trends Shaping the World in 2019,” “Education in the Gulf Countries: Towards Sustainable Development,” “Bold Goals of Education: How Governments Define the Objectives of Educational Systems,” “Classroom Problems and Solutions: Dealing With the Roots of Academic and Behavioral Problems” “Create, Learn and Succeed: Building the Culture of Creativity in Your School,” “Project-Based Teaching: How to Build up Effective Participatory Learning Experiences,” “Hidden Powers of the Teenage Brain: Strategies for Teaching Middle and High School Students,” “Digital Citizenship: Empowering Students to Engage in Electronic Communities,” “Teachers Rapid Assessment,” and “Teaching Artificial Intelligence: Exploring New Prospects of Learning.”
In August 2021, ABEGS launched an initiative to provide all educators, stakeholders and educational bodies with access to all its educational publications, in either electronic or paper format, to achieve the objectives of the educational sector in supporting educational knowledge.
The 21st meeting of the secretaries-general of the Arab National Commissions for Education, Science and Culture with three International Organizations (the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), and the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS)) concluded its activities today, Thursday, October 21, 2021. The meeting reviewed projects and joint committee action between the three Organizations explored coordination priorities between the Organizations and the National Commissions before the 41st session of UNESCO’s General Conference and exchanged views on the importance of cooperation between the Organizations and the National Commissions to achieve maximum benefit from programs and activities.
The meeting is part of the 6th Forum of Partnership between the Organizations (ICESCO, ALECSO, and ABEGS), which was held yesterday under the title “Organizations’ Post-Covid 19 Vision and Plans to Confront Emergencies and Crises” with the participation of the directors of the three Organizations and the Secretaries-General of the Arab National Commissions.
Today’s meeting kicked off with a speech by Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General (DG) of ALECSO, in which he mentioned ALECSO’s initiatives to overcome the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic by developing remote communication mechanisms. He also stated that this meeting constitutes a new step to continue coordination between the Organizations and strengthen cooperation and partnerships to achieve sustainable development goals in the fields of education, science and culture.
In his speech, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, DG of ICESCO, commended the efforts made by the Secretaries-General of the National Commissions for Education, Science and Culture to implement more programs and projects despite the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic and the constraints of remote work and direct communication. He also commended the National Commissions’ spirit of sacrifice, commitment to achievement and ambition to excel.
ICESCO DG highlighted the importance of the meeting to build strategic visions for the future of the three Organizations’ fields of competence, especially the field of education. He also reaffirmed ICESCO’s openness to the National Commissions’ proposals and modern visions aimed to develop the Organization’s action plans, strategies and objectives, to help enhance its performance and achievements.
In his speech, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Assimi, ABEGS’ DG, underlined the great importance that the Bureau attaches to data, stressing the need to provide the Organizations with data and forms to support joint action, enhance communication and prepare accurate reports on the fields of education to highlight Member States’ efforts.
In addition, the Secretaries-General of the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture in the Arab countries reviewed the most prominent programs that were implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in the field of developing the educational process and ensuring its continuity through digitization and the integration of modern technology.
At the end of the meeting, the Arab National Commissions Secretaries received honorary certificates in appreciation of their efforts in implementing programs and activities in their countries.
The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) called for allocating resources to support Member States’ efforts to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with regard to education, science, culture and development. He also called for supporting their efforts to fight poverty, anchor the values of moderation and middle stance, support the youth and women, protect children, provide educational opportunities for refugees and displaced persons, safeguard heritage, develop cultural industries and keep up with the new AI roles, future education models and virtual applications of societal services in general.
The DG made this statement at the opening of the Sixth Partnership Forum of the Organizations ICESCO, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), and the Arab Bureau of Education in the Gulf States (ABEGS), held today, Wednesday, October 20, 2021, both face-to-face at ABEGS headquarters in Riyadh and via videoconference. The meeting was held under the theme, “Organizations’ post-COVID-19 vision and plans to address emergencies and crises” and saw the participation of Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Asmi, ABEGS DG, Dr. Mohamed Walad Amar, ALECSO DG, and the Secretaries-General of the National Commissions for Education, Science and Culture in the Arab countries.
Dr. AlMalik highlighted the major initiatives and programs that ICESCO launched and implemented during the pandemic, underscoring that the three international organizations should exert more efforts to sustain communications and promote partnerships to expedite the rate of achieving sustainable development in their respective Member States.
At the close of his address, the DG stated that the meeting should yield joint initiatives between the three organizations to support Member States’ efforts to recover from the pandemic, adding that the three parties should agree on funding mechanisms for implementing these initiatives. He also conveyed ICESCO’s invitation to host the next meeting at its headquarters in Rabat, reiterating the Organization’s strong support for educational, scientific and cultural systems in the Member States.
In his address, Dr. Asmi stated that although it has caused a myriad of challenges in various sectors, the pandemic encouraged innovation in developing alternative solutions to classroom education and highlighted the importance of having pre-existing plans to ensure the continuity of education. He added that this meeting is a step towards exploring future prospects, managing and finding solutions for crises, and an opportunity to benefit from the organizations’ experiences and work during the pandemic.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Walad Amar talked about the initiatives that ALECSO launched to contribute to the continuity of the educational process during the pandemic, which has an impact on the various aspects of life and imposed virtual communication. The ALECSO official also highlighted several training sessions implemented to ensure the continuity of education.
Ms. Mahra Hilal Mohd E. Almutaiwei, Director of the UNESCO Regional Center for Educational Planning, highlighted the importance of complementarity and coordination among international organizations to achieve sustainable development and allocate resources to develop education. For his part, the Director of UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education, Dr. Abdeulrahman Al-Diress, stated that it is imperative to anticipate the future of education and find innovative solutions to challenges.
Afterward, representatives from the three organizations presented the respective visions of ICESCO, ALECSO, and ABEGS, which all agree on anticipating the future and adopting technology in addressing crises and emergencies. Several Secretaries-General of Arab National Commissions also talked about the importance of promoting cooperation and partnership between the three organizations.
At the close of its proceedings, the meeting issued many recommendations, which represent a roadmap for promoting cooperation and set mechanisms for joint action to ensure the attainment of shared goals through this partnership.
