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     The participants in the International Webinar on international assessments and their role in improving the quality of education stressed the importance of these international assessments and tests for drawing lessons to improve education systems and support the relevant policies and initiatives in the Islamic world.

The webinar that the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC), in Saudi Arabia, held via videoconference, on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, under the title “How International Large-Scale Assessments from the Past 20 Years can Inform Policy and Practice: Global Lessons to Improve Education Quality,” witnessed the participation of high-profile education officials from many countries, as well as international experts in education and international assessments.

In his address at the opening session, Dr. Khalid Bin Abdullah Al-Sabti, Chairman of ETEC Board of Directors, indicated that education has become the key factor in the economy, adding that modern technology requires the positive interaction of individuals and further national projects to develop high-quality educational systems to prepare young people for the labor market.

Dr. Al-Sabti noted the importance of the “Human Capacity Development Program” that Saudi Arabia has launched for developing an educational base for all citizens, providing lifelong learning opportunities, and meeting the future labor requirements. He underlined that “cross-country comparisons are among the advantages of international assessment studies. They can serve as incentives to enhance education quality and achieve better results.”

In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), stressed that education plays a pivotal role in building the future and constitutes the driving force for progress and security in societies, and cohesion among individuals. He added that international assessments are essential tools for evaluating education systems and a key indicator for assessing students’ skills and performance in basic subjects. Dr. AlMalik also underscored that “ICESCO is keen on ensuring the participation of the largest number of countries in the Islamic world in international assessments taking into account that the Organization intends to conduct studies on the international assessment data of each Member State to ensure better education.”

ICESCO DG pointed out the need to reconsider educational systems from a forward-looking perspective to develop educational policies and programs in line with international standards of quality and excellence, and adopt technology and artificial intelligence in schools of the future to contribute to the sustainable development in Muslim countries.

The first session touched upon how international student assessments like PISA and TIMSS can inform policy and practice to improve education quality: key learning from international assessments over the last 20 years. The second session reviewed the international models from Portugal, Chile, Estonia, and Poland to present evidence from countries that have improved in terms of their performance in international assessments, to understand how they have utilized the data that they collect from international assessments for evidence-based policymaking.

In the third session, the participants explored the participation of ICESCO Member States in international assessments to determine the common factors that affect students’ achievement and performance scores, through examples from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, and Morocco. The closing session discussed the future roadmap for developing educational policy and improving the quality of education based on the results of international assessments.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture launched the free distribution of sanitizers and prevention materials produced within the framework of the project for countering the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic developing entrepreneurial spirit among women and youth. The project was implemented in partnership with Alwaleed Philanthropies for the benefit of 10 African countries, including the Kingdom of Morocco.

In his address at the launching ceremony, held on September 21, 2021, at the Commission’s headquarters in Rabat, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), stressed that empowering women and girls, who are the most affected by this pandemic, has significantly contributed to mitigating the ensuing repercussions, particularly through the production of necessary prevention materials and sanitizers. He also reaffirmed the need to ensure the sustainability of income and training of girls taking part in this project.

Dr. AlMalik indicated that ICESCO has proclaimed 2021 as the Year of Women under the theme “Women for the Future”, an initiative celebrated under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. He also expressed his thanks and appreciation to Alwaleed Philanthropies Foundation, a supporting partner in this promising project, and to the Moroccan National Commission for its interest and action to implement this project, as well as the cooperatives that ensured the participation of women and girls in the project.

Dr. Said Amzazi, Minister of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chairman of the Commission, in his speech delivered on his behalf by Mr. Jamal Eddine El Aloua, Secretary-General of the Commission, said that the project was a success. Mr. El Aloua stressed the importance of this project in supporting the productive units of the informal sector to empower them to improve their working methods and help them have access to the formal sector, and enable the vulnerable categories to benefit from masks, sanitizers, liquid soaps, and floor cleaners, made within the framework of the project.

He thanked ICESCO and its DG for all the initiatives that truly embody the strategic partnership between the Organization and the National Commission, considering that this ceremony is the culmination of the efforts made by each participant to make this promising project a success, since its launch in November 2020.

During this ceremony, the representatives of the cooperatives benefiting from the project in different regions of Morocco delivered their respective speeches, wherein they expressed their thanks to the project organizers.

In this regard, Ms. Jamila Idbourrous, from the Union of Women’s Cooperatives of Argan Tree “Tissaliwine”, reaffirmed that the pandemic has negatively affected many of the argan products. She noted that this project has been an opportunity to diversify production to include sanitizers, and added that it has offered many opportunities for rural women to work in the region of Agadir.

Mr. Yassine Al Hara, from the company “Fast Clean Missour,” said that this project has allowed small cooperatives to modernize the equipment used in production, which has allowed them to increase this production and offer more jobs for women. Ms. Hassbia Nouari, from the company “Hassbia Fashion,” said that this project has made a leap forward in the field of sewing for the company, which has produced masks and provided many job opportunities for women.

At the end of the ceremony, ICESCO DG, the Secretary-General of the Commission, and the participants of the Moroccan National Commission, as well as the officials of the Social and Human Sciences Sector at ICESCO took a look at the products produced by the cooperatives in the framework of the project.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stressed the need for the 21^st-century university to keep up with change and cater to the needs of the ever-changing labor market. He reaffirmed that such goals call for relying on critical thinking and open science, endeavoring to train new capacities and professors in both academia and scientific research; providing them with the skills to keep up with the change; and monitoring training and scientific research in their relation to the jobs of the future.

The DG made this statement in a pre-recorded address to the First Regional Forum for Open Science in the Arab Region, hosted by Galala University in Galala, Egypt. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the Arab Republic of Egypt organized the event, in cooperation with the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, UNESCO Regional Office for Arab Countries in Cairo, and Galala University. The opening session of the Forum, which kicked off today, Tuesday, September 21, 2021, saw the screening of the pre-recorded address of Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the Egyptian National Commission. 

In his address, Dr. AlMalik hailed the role assumed by Galala University, a new generation university that strives to ensure good education in line with the current major trends in the field of higher education. He noted that it is high time to bring about the desired change in higher education and scientific research as today’s youth possesses different sets of skills and aspirations regarding information, and have different approaches to dealing with the learning tools. He added that the traditional pre-set model of specialty and field of knowledge fades away before changes witnessed in the universities of the 21^st century.

In the course of his address, the DG posed two questions: How can we rethink the mission of research professors who face challenges that require re-setting their missions and roles? And how can we build students’ capacities in the universities of the 21^st century through open science and open-source resources? The answer to these two questions, he noted, leads us to keep up with the changes pertaining to the jobs of the future and the ever-changing roles of universities, scientific research and innovation.

At the close of his address, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed that ICESCO, in light of its forward-looking vision, has made serious strides towards highlighting this major trend through holding international conferences and symposia, most notably, the seminar on “Skills and Jobs of Tomorrow”, held in April 2021, in addition to numerous events on AI application mechanisms.

The Forum saw high-caliber participation including several presidents of Egyptian universities, international experts and academicians in the field of open science, in addition to Dr. Ghada Abdel Bari, Secretary-General of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture. ICESCO also participated in the face-to-face proceedings of the Forum with a delegation comprised of Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Sector of Science and Technology, and Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to the DG for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World.  

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, received the delegation of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ASAN), with whom he examined the ongoing successful cooperation between the State Agency and ICESCO in relevant areas.

During the meeting, held at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, the two parties discussed the acceleration of smart services in creative industries, which has become an interesting strategic sector to boost competitiveness, productivity, employment, and sustainable economic growth.

The meeting also touched upon creative industries, which are increasingly being utilized to promote social innovation, cultural diversity, as well as a main pillar of the 4th industrial revolution.

ASAN’s delegation gave a detailed presentation on the wide range of services and projects provided by the State Agency.

The headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) hosts the two-day meeting of ICESCO’s Financial Control Committee (FCC), which kicked off on Monday, September 20, 2021, to examine the Organization’s financial report and closing accounts for the year 2020, the FCC Draft Rules of Procedure and the report of the auditing company for the year 2020.

Mr. Yussuf Ali Al-Najar, representative of the State of Kuwait, FCC Chairman, chaired the meeting, which brought Mr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Alabdulkarim, representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, FCC Rapporteur, and Mr. El Hadji Habib Kébé, representative of the Republic of Senegal, member of the Committee. Mr. Araz Baghirli, representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan, joined the meeting via videoconference along with the representative of Malaysia, as they could not travel to the Kingdom of Morocco due to the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), delivered a speech wherein he welcomed the FCC members, stressing that the Organization’s General Directorate adopts transparency and credibility while reviewing the measures taken about the financial matters and the Organization’s accounting system.

He noted that ICESCO, despite the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic, has sustained its programs in many Member States, launched several initiatives, organized a series of competitions, held forums with high-level attendance of scientists and distinguished international figures, and signed agreements that contribute to the development of the Organization’s action.

ICESCO DG concluded his speech by wishing success to the members of the Committee, before leaving the floor to the Committee to continue its meeting with the officials concerned at ICESCO.

 For his part, the FCC Chairman highlighted that the Committee has been in constant contact with ICESCO officials, noting that the Committee will ascertain the integrity of the financial statements to enable the Organization to fully discharge its mission.

In his turn, the FCC Rapporteur noted the short duration of the meeting, calling for the automation of the financial and administrative services and the development of the internal control mechanisms of the Organization.

Afterward, the Committee reviewed the financial report for the year 2020 and follow-up to the implementation of FCC’s recommendations for the past year. The Committee also examined some points included in the financial report.

The Committee meeting included a presentation on ICESCO’s implemented projects and programs, and signed partnerships, which enabled the Organization to diversify the funding sources and carry out programs that generate positive feedback from the Member States. The meeting also addressed the means and steps that were adopted to collect the arrears of the Member States’ contributions.

The Committee concluded its first day by examining and approving the FCC’s draft rules of procedure, which defines the tasks, competencies and structure of the Committee, and submitting the proposed amendments. On the second day, the Committee will examine and discuss the report of the auditing company for the year 2020, in the presence of the company’s representative, and draft its final report.