Category: Front Page

The Social and Human Sciences Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Gabonese Ministry of Social Affairs and Women’s Rights held a meeting to discuss the mechanisms for developing cooperation in the areas of social development, building the capacities of girls and women, training young people on leadership and combating school drop-out among girls.

During the meeting, held on Thursday, 11 November 2021, via videoconference, Ms. Prisca Nlend Koho, Minister of Social Affairs and Women’s Rights, expressed her happiness with the close cooperation relations between Gabon and ICESCO. She also commended the outcomes of the official visit of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), to Gabon last October, and his meetings with senior Gabonese officials while stressing her country’s willingness to develop cooperation with the Organization in its fields of action.

Ms. Sally Mabrouk, Director of the Office of ICESCO DG, conveyed the greetings of the DG to the Minister, praising her efforts to develop social and human development and promote women’s rights in Gabon.

Ms. Ramata Almami Mbaye, Head of the Social and Human Sciences Sector, reviewed some of the Sector’s current programs and activities, which the two parties can cooperate in their implementation, particularly on the protection and capacity-building of girls and women, and promoting the culture of peace and citizenship.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to continue the implementation of various activities and programs, and hold periodic follow-up meetings.

The Education Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the Global Forum on “Quality of Education and the Future of Sustainability: A Common Vision for a Better World”, held by UNESCO Regional Center of Quality and Excellence in Education Saudi Arabia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to draw lessons and explore options for achieving quality and excellence in education in Arab countries, in accordance with sustainable development goals, with the participation of several experts, thinkers, representatives of organizations, ministries and specialized institutions from several local, regional and international bodies.

The forum, launched on Thursday, November 11, 2021, via videoconference, under the theme of Sustainability: Improving our Products, our Society and our Planet, within the framework of celebrating the International Quality Day. At the beginning of the Forum, Eng. Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education in the UAE delivered the opening remark. The Forum sessions included a number of interventions from different speakers which focused on the quality of education, innovative solutions to support sustainable development and proactive options to ensure the quality of education and the continuation of sustainable growth, including the intervention of Dr. Nuno Crato, an expert and former Minister of Education and Science in Portugal and member of the Advisory Committee of UNESCO Regional Center of Quality and Excellence in Education.

During her participation in the Forum, Dr. Barry Koumbou, Director of ICESCO Education Sector, highlighted the conditions that must be met to ensure education quality. She included in the list the political will to build resilient societies of peace and coexistence, respect for human rights, implementation of constructive critical thinking, educating future generations on human values, investing in artificial intelligence in a way that does not contradict these values and involving all specialists in improving the educational process.

Dr. Koumbou also touched upon the urgent need to upgrade the capacities and competencies of educational staff and to adopt a decentralized approach in the management of educational affairs.

Dr. Youssef Abou Daka and Mr. Aziz Al-Hajir, program managers at ICESCO’s Education Sector, and Dr. Sang Bong Kim, an expert in the same sector, also participated in the forum.

The Committee of Scholarships at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization  (ICESCO) held its annual meeting, which was chaired by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General (DG). The Committee consists of Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Advisor to the DG for Partnerships and International Cooperation,  Supervisor of the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences; Mr. Aziz El-Hajir, Program Director at the Sector of Education; Mr. Mohamed Chikhi, from the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW); Ms. Aziza Afkir, from the Secretariat of the Scholarships Committee; and Mr. Mehdi Sebbar, from the Secretariat of the Sector of Partnerships and International Cooperation.

The meeting reviewed the submitted scholarship applications for the academic year 2021-2022, which the Organization annually allocates for the benefit of students from Member States and Muslim communities. ICESCO received this year 125 applications from 18 countries, from which it selected 90 students to benefit from this year’s scholarships.   

The scholarships are divided into internal scholarships granted to students pursuing their studies in their countries and external ones for students following their studies abroad. The scholarships are granted in fields relevant to ICESCO’s areas of competence (education, science and culture),  which serve the Member States and Muslim communities’ development projects. The Organization takes into consideration the fair geographic distribution of these scholarships.

In a bid to promote girls education, ICESCO  endeavors to provide larger numbers of girls with opportunities to benefit from these scholarships, enabling them to pursue their higher education in areas falling under ICESCO’s realm of competence, especially in the fields of science and technology, given their key roles in addressing Member States’ needs.

The Education Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the 31st joint meeting between the Educational Affairs Council of the Palestinian Children and education officials of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), held by the Sector of Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories at the headquarters of the General Secretariat to the League of Arab States in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, with the aim of exploring the educational process in the educational institutions of the Agency and discussing prospects for cooperation between the Educational Affairs Council and UNRWA in the field of education.

During the meeting, which started on November 9, 2021, Dr. Ahmed El-Zonfoli, Program Manager at ICESCO Education Sector, reviewed the Organization’s efforts to support education in Palestine and the various ICESCO educational projects, programs and activities for the benefit of the State of Palestine, noting that the Organization’s vision pays special attention to address all forms of deprivation of education for all children and youth and intensifies efforts and support for Palestinian educational institutions.

The meeting also touched upon ways to upgrade all components of the educational process in UNRWA educational institutions, including buildings, school equipment, textbooks, conditions of teachers and workers, vocational training, educational guidance and scholarships. It also discussed the need to unify efforts and cooperation to strengthen UNRWA’s educational special programs to overcome the challenges related to the development and advancement of Palestinian educational institutions, as well as the need to formulate a strategy to ensure the continuity of the Agency’s action in providing education to more than half a million Palestinians in the Arab lands.

The Science and Technology Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), on Friday (November 5, 2021), participated in the Symposium that the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) held, in partnership with the Moroccan Climate Change Competence Center, on cooperation for the promotion of capacity-building in local climate action in Africa. The event aimed at exchanging experiences, sharing environment-related research works and studies, and strengthening partnerships to raise awareness of climate issues at the local and regional levels in Africa.

In his statement at the symposium, held as part of “COP26” that the United Kingdom hosts in Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of ICESCO Science and Technology Sector, reviewed the various initiatives, programs and activities of the Organization, which aim to improve ecosystems of Muslim countries, build capacities in the preservation of biodiversity and environment protection, and address the effects of climate change.

The symposium also brought together Dr. Foued El-Aini and Dr. Ismail Dialo, Experts at ICESCO Science and Technology Sector, and a host of representatives of organizations working in the field of environmental protection, experts and specialists.

The Sector of Culture and Communication at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the 24th conference of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists in Cairo that kicked off today, Saturday, November 6, 2021, at the Union’s headquarters in Sheikh Zayed, Cairo, and concludes its proceedings tomorrow. 

In his address, Dr. Osama Elnahas, Heritage Expert at the Sector, reviewed the Organization’s efforts in conserving the Islamic world’s cultural heritage in all its diverse forms and specificities, as well as its vision that is in line with considerable technological advances in the world. He noted that this vision generated an action strategy that is constantly adapted to rapid global changes in all fields, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, and that ICESCO uses these technologies in its newly established Heritage Center.

The ICESCO representative added that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Organization held multiple specialized sessions in distinct fields of tangible, intangible and underwater cultural heritage, and a training session on combating illicit trafficking of cultural property in Libya, explaining that ICESCO Culture and Communication Sector is planning to hold a series of training sessions on the use of underwater archaeological excavation techniques, and the protection and management of underwater cultural heritage.

Dr. Elnahas added that the ICESCO established an action plan to prepare and publish scientific encyclopedias, atlases and specialized studies in the field of cultural heritage, the launch of which was marked by the initiation of work on the Encyclopedia of the Tangible Heritage of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Atlas of Marine and Underwater Cultural Heritage in the Islamic World, as well as a study on the role of cultural heritage in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Expert commended the role of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists in protecting cultural heritage in the Arab world and called for enhanced cooperation between the Union and ICESCO through the cooperation agreement signed between the two sides to bring impetus to cultural heritage protection efforts in the Islamic world.

The Science and Technology Sector at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated, via videoconferencing, in a workshop on food loss and waste reduction in the Mediterranean countries, held on Thursday, November 4, 2021, and organized by the German Thünen Institute, to discuss effective means of reducing food waste and preventing food surplus, as well as promoting knowledge-sharing among experts and specialists in this field.

During the workshop, Dr. Mohammad Sharif, Advisor at ICESCO Science and Technology Sector, moderated a session under the theme “Addressing Food Waste through Educational Campaigns” that brought together representatives of different specialized organizations to discuss means of curtailing food waste at manufacturing and consumption levels through enhanced cooperation between private sector actors in the Mediterranean countries.

ICESCO’s representative emphasized the importance of concerted efforts to mitigate the impact of food waste, strengthen the capacities of states and communities for food security, raise awareness of the importance of environmental and water preservation, and harness renewable resources to build a sustainable world for future generations.

The workshop featured a discussion session during which the participants answered several questions relating to food loss reduction in primary production and tourism activities and discussed ways of overcoming this challenge through educational campaigns.