The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a sub-regional forum in the Sultanate of Oman, under the theme “Green Culture and Heritage: Path to Sustainability,” in partnership with the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and cooperation with the Omani Ministries of Culture, Sport and Youth, and Heritage and Tourism, as well as the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.
The three-day forum kicked off on Monday, August 28, 2023, at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah, Dhofar Province. ICESCO was represented by Mr. Bilal Chebbi, expert at the Culture and Communication Sector, who gave a presentation on the risk of climate change and its impact on heritage sites, and the importance of developing strategies and exchanging experiences to protect the environment and its cultural elements. He also highlighted ICESCO’s efforts to support and provide advice to its Member States in tackling climate change and preserving a safe environment.
The Forum, which brings together several experts and specialists in the field of cultural and natural heritage preservation, aims to raise awareness of green culture and heritage and the relevant concepts and to examine the associated challenges and the role of artificial intelligence applications in improving practices and providing the best innovative solutions in the field.
The activities of the Girl Dropout Reintegration Project in Yemen kicked off today, amid a festive atmosphere attended by students and their parents and in the presence of senior officials. The project is the outcome of an agreement signed among the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), the Ministry of Education in the Republic of Yemen and the Benevolence Coalition for Humanitarian Relief (BCHR), which provides for offering educational support and the necessary educational tools to provide an educational opportunity for girl dropouts in seven Yemeni governorates.
The activities of the project, which kicked off on Monday, August 28, 2023, in Hadramout Governorate, include equipping 21 schools with furniture and office equipment, in addition to providing 64 alternative classrooms, distributing 19,000 school bags to female students, and organizing training programs to build the capacities of 350 workers in the field of girls’ education. It also includes providing professional support to their families, facilitating the procedures for accepting displaced girls in schools, and producing awareness programs that promote girl education.
The project is part of ICESCO’s efforts to support girl dropouts, guarantee a fair educational opportunity for them, and build their capacities to play their roles in achieving sustainable development in the countries of the Islamic world. It is also part of the Organization’s endeavors to create adequate infrastructure in educational institutions and equip their facilities to improve academic achievement.
The respective representatives of KSRelief, the Yemeni Ministry of Education, and BCHR took part in the launch ceremony, where it was stressed that the project contributes to keeping Yemeni girls in school, especially in light of the difficult circumstances and the high rates of girl dropouts.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), started his visit to the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, to take part in the Kazan 2023 World Youth Summit, by meeting with Ms. Leyla Fazleeva, Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan, in the presence of Mr. Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan. The meeting focused on prospects for cooperation in areas of common interest.
During the meeting, held on Monday, August 28, 2023, in Kazan, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the key elements of ICESCO’s new vision and strategic orientations, as well as the main ongoing initiatives, programs and projects aimed at contributing to capacity-building for young people and women, promoting the values of coexistence and civilizational dialogue, and encouraging investment in the fields of technology, innovation, artificial intelligence and space sciences. He also discussed the promotion and preservation of the Islamic world’s heritage, as well as the inscription of historic sites and cultural elements on ICESCO’s tangible and intangible heritage lists.
The discussions focused on several proposals for collaboration between ICESCO and the Republic of Tatarstan, intending to implement a range of projects and programs in areas of common interest.
For her part, Ms. Leyla Fazleeva commended ICESCO’s initiatives and efforts in the fields of education, science and culture, underlining the Tatarstan government’s commitment to establishing fruitful cooperation with the Organization.
The meeting took place in the presence of Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector. ICESCO DG and the accompanying delegation visited the Qolsharif Mosque, considered to be the largest mosque in Tatarstan, which was built in the 16th century, destroyed in 1552, and rebuilt in 1996, thanks to contributions from several countries to the construction fund.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Organisation for Education, Science, and Culture (ICESCO), emphasized the need to uphold genuine traditional values to build a prosperous global future. “The essence of such values cultivates the qualities of young people’s character, empowering them to overcome the obstacles that impede their progress and allowing them to face arising challenges. Youth plays a key role and education should not only focus on qualifying them for future responsibilities, but also on equipping them with critical thinking skills to discern and reject all forms of violence and extremist discourse,” he added.
This came in his address, delivered on Monday, August 28, 2023, at the opening session of the Second Edition of Kazan Global Youth Summit 2023, organized by the government of the Republic of Tatarstan, in partnership with the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum, from August 28th to the 30th, 2023, in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan. The event brings together ministers, ambassadors, regional and international organizations, and several youth policymakers from 67 countries.
In his address, Dr. AlMalik commended the efforts made by the Republic of Tatarstan, in cooperation with the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum, which culminated in selecting Kazan as the Youth Capital of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for 2022, emphasizing the importance of this summit, held under the theme “The Role of Traditional Values in the Education of Children and Youth in the Modern World” which underscores the necessity of instilling traditional values among youth to enable them to have unwavering stance while embracing global diversity.
Moreover, he reaffirmed the importance of youth as a demographic force representing 16% of the global population and embodying its future, highlighting the challenges that must be overcome and addressed to build a thriving global community.
Furthermore, ICESCO DG highlighted the Organization’s efforts to promote principles of coexistence and respect for cultural diversity in educational curricula through the organization of sports activities, training educators, and emphasizing the fundamental principles shared among all religions, including values of compassion, solidarity, appreciation, respect, unity, and understanding. “ICESCO looks forward to intensifying international cooperation for the dissemination of human values that are indispensable to overcoming current challenges,” he stressed.
In conclusion, Dr. AlMalik lauded the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, hosted at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, which has garnered over three million visitors, explaining that the Exhibition embodies the great inherent human virtues and moral values, and indicating that ICESCO strives to ensure the seamless integration of the discourse of the Islamic world’s civilization into the global discourse.
The headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) will witness an extraordinary international celebration next Friday, August 25, 2023. This celebration marks the achievement of reaching three million visitors to the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted at ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat, since its opening in November 2022. The event is organised under the High patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Morocco – may Allah assist Him –, and is graced by the presence of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay Hassan.
This grand international celebration, organized by ICESCO in collaboration with the Muslim World League and the Rabita Mohammadia of Ulemas (Mohammadia League of Scholars) in the Kingdom of Morocco, will know the attendance of high-ranking officials, religious leaders, public figures, diplomats, and journalists from various countries. The aim of the event is to celebrate the success of this significant academic facility hosted in the Moroccan capital, Rabat. This achievement came as a culmination of the tripartite strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League, and the Mohammadia League of Scholars. Importantly, it marks the first touring edition of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization exhibitions outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where Medina serves as the main venue. The exhibition has received special attention and sponsorship from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may God protect him, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is also the Prime Minister.
The celebration’s program includes speeches by the heads of the three institutions participating in organizing the exhibition and museum, as well as by senior officials in attendance. Additionally, there will be a presentation highlighting the journey of creating the exhibition and museum in Rabat, showcasing the various stages that led to reaching this significant number of visitors in record time. The program will also feature segments of religious chants performed by a selection of renowned vocalists from different countries, a poetry segment, and screenings of documentary films about the exhibition and museum.
The festivities will be transmitted in real-time through ICESCO’s official social media pages and profiles across various social networking sites, in the Organisation’s three working languages (Arabic, English, and French).
The Science and Technology sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in collaboration with the Jordanian National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, is conducting an awareness workshop on Modern Technological Concepts for a Selected Group of Ministry of Education Staff in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The aim of this workshop is to enhance technological awareness and assist participants in understanding the latest technologies and technological concepts, particularly in the field of education, including applications of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and distance learning.
The workshop, which commenced on Monday, August 21, 2023, in the capital city Amman, will continue over two days: August 31, 2023, in Irbid, and September 7, 2023, in Aqaba. Its focus is on developing digital teaching skills and promoting safe technology use. This involves introducing and discussing technology-related privacy protection and how to responsibly engage with it. Participants will also be trained on using social media and modern technologies to enhance communication and promote digital transformation in educational institutions.
During the opening session of the workshop, conducted through video communication, Dr. Adel Smeda, an expert in the Science and Technology sector at ICESCO, highlighted the Organization’s efforts to encourage Member States to harness the potential of digital technologies in supporting the educational process and assisting education professionals in the digital transformation domains. This is achieved through the development and implementation of initiatives, projects, and training courses about the latest innovations in the digital field. Dr. Ibtisam Aqqab Ayoub, Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Commission for Education, Culture, and Sciences, praised ICESCO’s role in supporting Member States to enhance the educational process through activities and programs that encourage the utilization of emerging technologies in learning and education.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stressed the need for concerted efforts to ensure the right of people to freedom in the same manner they enjoy other rights, calling for countering the risks associated with metaverse and artificial intelligence applications, which threaten the system of values and ethics and the principles of freedom, and warn people against losing their freedoms in favour of machines.
This statement came in ICESCO DG’s address, delivered on Thursday, August 24, 2023, at the opening session of the International Conference on “Regulating Freedoms in Accordance with Islamic Values and Principles of International Law,” organized by the League of Islamic Universities, at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, which brought together high-level scholars and religious leaders, university presidents, thinkers and researchers in international law.
In the same vein, ICESCO DG highlighted that Muslims in the early days of Islam fully understood the message of our religion, which calls for liberation from humiliation and subjugation, and, thus, they ruled the world with justice and fairness. “On the other hand, scientific and technical development without taking into consideration people’s cultural and social differences yielded a single story that seeks to standardize civilizational awareness and set the Western experience as a model to follow for all humanity,” he added.
He also pointed out that in an effort to confront the prejudiced campaign, which allows some ignorant ideological trends to attack the Holy Quran, ICESCO announced its initiative “Read it to understand it,” which is characterized by comprehensiveness, accuracy and seriousness as a positive response in the face of these miserable campaigns, calling for resolute efforts to highlight the true image of the Islamic civilization, the civilization of creativity, sophistication and science.
In his address, Sheikh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, President of the League of Islamic Universities and chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, stressed that freedoms morally and spiritually cannot remain uncontrolled as Islam guarantees rights and freedoms, indicating that most world countries seek to establish peace and harmony in their societies within the framework of shared commonalities between various groups of society far from ignorance, materialism, grudges and ideologies.
For his part, Dr. Shawki Allam, Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt, highlighted that the issues of rights and freedoms have become at the core of intellectual, literary and philosophical debates, especially with the great technological development that has provided greater space for communication between peoples, pointing out that the Holy Quran calls upon people to fulfill their duties while enjoying their rights, and that development loses its meaning and deviates from its purpose to serve humanity if stripped from the moral system.
Dr. Sami al-Sharif, Secretary-General of the League of Islamic Universities, explained that this conference comes within the framework of the relentless efforts to promote rights and freedoms in the Islamic world as the system of religious values in Islam stresses the common human ancestry and the centrality of human rights and freedoms.
The conference agenda also featured scientific sessions on various themes, including the philosophy of freedom and intellectual trends, the concept of freedom from the Islamic perspective, freedom under the principles of international law, the anarchy of freedom and the fuelling of civilizational clash, and the leading initiatives in regulating the freedom of opinion and expression.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched its model program for the integration of educational technologies into the Arabic education system in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in collaboration with the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance. This aims to provide ICESCO’s training hub for Arabic language excellence in Nigeria with the latest technological resources.
At the launch ceremony, held on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at the Nigeria Arabic Language Village University Centre, Ngala, Borno State, ICESCO and Al Maktoum Foundation provided the training hub with computer and communications technology equipment to develop national Arabic education programs, modernize Arabic language teaching materials, and train Arabic language teachers in Nigeria.
In his address at the ceremony, Dr. Bakar Boukarbih, representative of the Nigerian Ministry of Federal Education, praised the considerable support provided by ICESCO and the Foundation to Arabic education in Nigeria through the programs of the aforementioned training center. For his part, Dr. Ibrahim Muhammad, Executive Director of Nigeria Arabic Language Village, Ngala, expressed his gratitude to ICESCO and the Foundation for their innovative initiative in providing these facilities for the integration of educational technologies into the Arabic education system.
For his part, Dr. Omar Yunus, representative of ICESCO’s National Commission, outlined the Organization’s efforts to support Arabic language teaching in non-Arabic-speaking countries, notably through the presentation of ICESCO’s poles of excellence, its university chairs and the “Mishkat” program.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is organizing an international symposium and capacity-building workshop, under the theme: “Precision Medicine Symposium and Workshop for the Development of Genomics Workforce”, in Malaysia, with the participation of several international experts. The event aims to raise awareness of genomic data processing and its use in providing medical care to patients.
During the opening session of the five-day symposium, on Monday, August 14, 2023, Dr. Nor Fariza bint Ngah, Deputy Director-General of Health at the Malaysian Ministry of Health, stressed the importance of supporting cutting-edge technologies in medical care, praising ICESCO’s efforts in supporting its Member States in this regard. For his part, Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, delivered a speech via videoconference, in which he stressed the importance of integrating precision medicine into medical care in the Organization’s Member States.
The opening session was followed by in-depth discussions between participating experts on precision medicine, presentations by genomics experts, and the launch of an exhibition of state-of-the-art equipment used in this field.
During the intensive workshop, participants and trainees will learn ways to manipulate genomic data to arrive at accurate conclusions for appropriate medical treatment and to reduce the adverse effects of randomly administered drugs.
On Monday (7 August 2023), the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched a programme aiming to plant 500,000 trees in the Togolese Republic, in partnership with the Togolese National Commission for ICESCO, as part of the activities aiming at supporting the Togo 2023 reforestation campaign.
The launch of the four-day programme witnessed mobilizing and training of the local population for planting gum trees and various other species. Additionally, the local population has also benefited from awareness-raising activities on the importance of environmental protection and reforestation of desertification-affected areas, the governance of natural resource exploitation, the rehabilitation of degraded land, the promotion of agricultural best practices to contribute to providing sustainable income and achieving development in Tsévié, sokodé and Kpalimé in Togo.
An area of 55 hectares has been covered over the two first days, with plans to continue the reforestation efforts until it covers 100 hectares. During the launch, attended by Mr. Alf Ousino Karamo, the Secretary-General of the Togolese National Commission, Dr. Ismaïla Diallo, expert at ICESCO Science and Technology Sector, reviewed the best tree-planting practices as well as the strategies and mechanisms for combatting desertification and enhancing the resilience of the ecosystem to preserve biodiversity, which is one of the strategic priorities defined by the Organisation to serve its Member States.
