Dr. Salim M.
AlMalik, Director General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egyptian Minister
of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chairman of the Egyptian National
Commission for Education, Science and Culture, signed the agreement for hosting
the 14th General Conference and 42nd Executive Council of
ICESCO at the Arab Republic of Egypt, on December 6-9, 2021.
Prior to the
signing ceremony, held at the Ministry’s Headquarters, in Cairo, in the
presence of Dr. Ghada Abdelbary, Secretary-General of the Egyptian National
Commission, Dr. AlMalik and Dr. Abdel Ghaffar explored the latest preparations
and the main activities planned in parallel with the General Conference and the
Executive Council of ICESCO.
The two parties reaffirmed
their commitment to ensuring the success of these two events that Egypt will
host for the first time, stressing that all means of comfort will be provided for
the participants.
After the signing
ceremony, the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
presented ICESCO Director-General with the Ministry’s shield.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Khaled El-Anany, Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, and together they explored ways to promote cooperation between ICESCO and Egypt in the field of preserving and safeguarding heritage.
During the meeting, held on Sunday, September
26, 2021, in Cairo, the two parties reviewed the latest developments regarding
the preparations for holding the International Conference on Combating Illicit Trafficking
of Cultural Property and its Restitution, scheduled to be held in Egypt. Both parties
reaffirmed the importance of setting a date for such a major event that would ensure
the wider participation of countries most affected by this phenomenon. Both Dr.
El-Anany and Dr. AlMalik highlighted the significance of the conference in
countering the illicit trafficking of cultural property and ensuring its
restitution to their original countries.
The meeting also underscored the
importance of cultural tourism, which would likely contribute to creating job
opportunities and provide revenues that could in turn be used in preserving and
safeguarding heritage. The meeting also discussed the inscription of more
Egyptian heritage sites on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List.
At the close of the meeting, ICESCO DG
presented Dr. El-Anany with the Certificate of Inscription of the Nilometer on
the Islamic World Heritage List, as part of some of Egypt’s historic sites and
cultural elements on the List.
Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic
World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr.Hala
Helmy El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development of the Arab
Republic of Egypt, discussed the prospects of joint cooperation between ICESCO
and the Ministry in the field of entrepreneurship, through the Rowad 2030
project, and programs of training and capacity-building for women and youth
with future skills.
During the meeting, held on Sunday, September 26, 2021,
Dr. AlMalik commended the efforts made by the Ministry of Planning in the field
of training and capacity-building of youth and the initiatives the Ministry
launched, stating that their success is not limited to Egypt only, but positively
affects several African countries. He expressed ICESCO’s readiness to cooperate
with the Ministry in the field of entrepreneurship and dissemination of its
culture in the Member States.
ICESCO DG stressed that the Organization’s vision and
work strategy attach great importance to the capacity-building of youth and women
and encourage them to become entrepreneurs. He added that “the Organization, in
cooperation with several donor institutions, has achieved great success in
supporting this field in many African countries and in spreading a culture of
innovation in the countries of the Islamic world.”
Dr. Hala Helmy El-Said reaffirmed the Ministry of
Planning’s keenness to build fruitful cooperation with ICESCO in several
fields, particularly entrepreneurship. She also noted that the Rowad 2030 project
revolves around stimulating and enriching the culture of innovation and
entrepreneurship as it offers specialized qualification programs in cooperation
with local and global major universities.
Dr. Helmy El-Said, equally, expressed her desire to transfer
the project’s experiences to the countries of the Islamic world, to implement
and launch the “One Million Entrepreneurs” campaign for the benefit
of the Organization’s Member States and to make it available in four languages:
Arabic, English, French, and sign language.
At the end of the meeting, the Egyptian Minister of
Planning presented the Ministry’s shield to ICESCO DG.
The remote training course on teaching and learning Arabic using
websites and electronic applications of ICESCO Educational Center in Malaysia
kicked off, on September 25, 2021. The training is held under the supervision
of the ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, in cooperation with the
Malaysian Ministry of Education, the International Islamic University College
Selangor, and the International Islamic University in Malaysia.
Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General (DG) for External
Centers and Academic Chairs on Arabic Language, represented ICESCO at the
opening ceremony, which saw the participation of Prof. Muhammad Fawzi Abdul,
representative of the Malaysian Ministry of Education, and Dr. Yakoub bin
Hassan, Director of ICESCO Educational Center in Malaysia.
In his address, Mr. Bouraoui reviewed the main educational aspects of ICESCO’s
new vision, the future prospects for ICESCO’s activities in the field of the
Arabic language, and its orientation to accelerate the transition of
educational institutions to artificial intelligence, including Arabic
educational institutions in Member States. He also commended the rich topics of
the training, which include three workshops, and highlights many teaching and
learning websites and applications.
135 Malaysian Arabic language female and male teachers from the States of
Sabah, Sembilan, Kelantan, and Johor, are participating in the training. Three
Malaysian experts specialized in educational technology, namely Prof. Dr.
Muhammad Sabri bin Shahrir, Mr. Muhammad Ferdaous bin Yahya and Mr. Muhammad
Naqib bin Ismail, will supervise the training. Dr. Yakoub bin Hassan will
ensure the organizational aspects of the training, in coordination with the ICESCO
Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the
Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and
Dr. Ghada Abdel Bari, Secretary-General of the Egyptian National Commission for
Education, Science and Culture, paid a visit to the new administrative capital
of the Arab Republic of Egypt on Saturday, September 25, 2021, to examine the
facilities prepared to host ICESCO’s General Conference and the Executive
Council in December 2021.
ICESCO DG also inspected the halls and facilities of
the Conference venue and took stock of the arrangements made to host Member
States’ delegations and the Organization’s General Directorate.
In this connection, Dr. AlMalik commended the
preparations and high-level arrangements made to host the proceedings of the
Organization’s Executive Council, as well as the General Conference which Egypt
is hosting for the first time in the Organization’s history.
Dr. Salim AlMalik,
Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (ICESCO), visited the National Museum of the Egyptian Civilization
in the Fustat area in Cairo, where he listened to a presentation from museum officials about the collection
of Egyptian civilization from all ages, notably the Royal Mummies’ Hall, which
includes the mummies of twenty kings and queens from ancient Egypt.
During the visit to the museum,
which is part of the activities of his visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr.
AlMalik was accompanied by Dr. Ghada Abdelbary, Secretary-General of the
Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.
During the visit, ICESCO DG
expressed his admiration for the museum’s large collection of Egyptian Civilization
treasures from different ages. The
museum is the first of its kind in Egypt and the Arab world as it contains
fifty thousand artifacts that reflect the stages of the development of Egyptian
civilization, in addition to a presentation of the achievements of Egyptians in
various fields of life.
At the kind invitation of Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chairman of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), attended the meeting of the Supreme Council of Egyptian Universities, hosted at the University of Helwan, on Saturday, September 25, 2021.
Dr. Abdel Ghaffar started the meeting with an address, wherein he welcomed ICESCO DG and highlighted the potential areas of cooperation between the Egyptian universities, ICESCO and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), explaining that Dr. AlMalik, FUIW Secretary-General, has a vision that will ensure a fresh start for the Federation. Afterward, Dr. Maged Negm, President of Helwan University, welcomed ICESCO DG and the heads of the participating Egyptian universities. Dr. Ghada Abdelbary, Secretary-General of the Egyptian National Commission, gave a presentation on ICESCO and the cooperation programs with Egypt, including the organization General Conference and Executive Council of ICESCO next December.
At the beginning of his address, Dr. AlMalik expressed his happiness to attend the meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities in the Arab Republic of Egypt, which is the hub of knowledge and scientific and cultural heritage, stressing that it is ripe time to modernize higher education and its structures. He underscored that “the 21st Century University must be in line with various changes to overcome the current challenges as digitization has brought about a profound transformation in learning and working methods, the mentalities of young people and students, and the environment and professions of today and tomorrow.”
Besides, Dr. Al-Malik called on the Egyptian universities that are not members of the FUIW to join the Federation to expand the scope of cooperation between universities in the Islamic World, especially on matters relevant to artificial intelligence, open science, remote education, and review of curricula to keep up with current changes.
In appreciation of his efforts to develop ICESCO and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World, Dr. Abdel Ghaffar presented Dr. Al Malik with the shield of the Supreme Council of Universities. Dr. Negm also handed Dr. Al Malik the shield of Helwan University respectively in appreciation of his visit to the University and his participation in the meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities.
After the meeting, ICESCO DG toured the Arts and Culture Complex at Helwan University, which includes more than 2,000 various pieces of art. Dr. Ashraf Reda, CEO of the Complex, reviewed the history, establishment and collection of the Complex.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), held a working session with Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and together explored the latest developments on promoting cooperation and the ongoing preparation for Egypt’s hosting of the Organization’s General Conference and Executive Council in December 2021.
During the meeting held, today, Saturday, September 25, 2021, in Cairo, in the presence of Dr. Ghada Abdel Bari, Secretary-General of the Egyptian National Commission, the two parties discussed the key programs and activities to be implemented in 2021-2022 in Egypt in cooperation between ICESCO and said Commission.
Moreover, the meeting discussed the latest preparations for ICESCO General Conference, to be held next December in Egypt for the first time in the history of the Organization. The Conference will see the participation of international personalities who will take part in the different activities to be held on the sidelines of the Conference.
The two parties also explored cooperation between Egyptian universities and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), within the framework of the Federation’s new strategy and development plan.
For the second year, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is celebrating the Islamic World Heritage Day, an occasion it hopes to become an annual celebration of peoples’ memories and a call to pay due attention to human heritage in general.
The occasion came to existence following the proposal that ICESCO submitted to the 11th Conference of Culture Ministers in the Islamic World, held in Tunis, on Septembre 17, 2019, to proclaim Septembre 25 as the Islamic World Heritage Day. This day is an opportunity to highlight the abundance and diversity of cultural heritage in the countries of the Islamic World and underline the serious efforts exerted to preserve, safeguard, and promote this heritage.
ICESCO reiterates the great interest it accords to preserving human cultural heritage, raising awareness of its significance and roles, and warning against the dangers of its destruction, especially during conflicts. The Organization also recalls the support it has provided for its Member States to build their capacities to better publicize, restore and rehabilitate such heritage by launching several initiatives and issuing numerous declarations that all stress the need to call on public sectors, international and regional organizations, and civil society bodies to work closely together to safeguard cultural heritage in the Islamic world. In this regard, the Islamic World Heritage Committee (IWHC) sustained its efforts to inscribe new heritage sites and elements to develop and promote the historical and civilizational heritage of the Islamic world.
In line with its new strategy which adopts a more comprehensive and realistic vision towards preserving the heritage of the Islamic world, ICESCO, through its Islamic World Heritage, launched several programs and virtual activities in the fields of heritage preservation. These included distance training sessions for professionals working in the various fields of heritage in the Islamic world, in addition to virtual symposia that brought together a host of heritage experts and officials from the Member States and beyond, as well as international organizations active in heritage fields. All these activities share the key goal of discussing heritage issues and shedding light on the negative impact of these unprecedented emergency circumstances on heritage, in a time when almost all heritage sites and museums are still closed.
In the hope that the world crisis caused by the pandemic is over soon, ICESCO calls on regional and international organizations, government institutions, and heritage competent parties to exert more efforts to give due attention to tangible and intangible cultural heritage. It also urges them to continue assuming their roles in publicizing and preserving this heritage and allocate virtual presentation mechanisms and capitalize on AI technology and applications to safeguard and highlight the diversity and abundance of such heritage. Likewise, the Organization calls for taking the necessary measures for a safe reopening of heritage sites and historic landmarks and working towards raising people’s awareness of the significance of preserving this heritage.
Dr. Salim
M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), is taking part in the meeting of the
Supreme Council of Universities, in the Arab Republic of Egypt, at the
invitation of Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and
Scientific Research, Chairman of the Egyptian National Commission for
Education, Science and Culture.
ICESCO DG participates
in this meeting in his capacity as Secretary-General of the Federation of the
Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW). The meeting which is due to be held
on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at the Arts and Culture Complex, Helwan
University in Cairo, will focus on sharing expertise between the Egyptian
universities and the FUIW and inviting non-member Egyptian universities to join
the Federation.
This
meeting is part of the visit of ICESCO DG to Cairo, which will last from 24
until 27 September 2021, during which he will meet several senior Egyptian
officials to explore the prospects of cooperation between the two parties, the
activities ICESCO suggested to implement in Egypt in 2021-2022, and the preparations
for the General Conference and the Executive Council of the Organization that the
Arab Republic of Egypt will host on December 6-9, 2021.
