The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in partnership with the Uzbek Space Research and Technology Agency (Uzcosmos) and Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent concluded the fifth International Aerospace Symposium and the fifth edition of the Training Workshop on Educational Satellite Model (CanSat) in Tashkent on Wednesday, 21 October 2026. The two events brought together 250 trainees from Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Gabon, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
The closing programme of the seven-day workshop featured a competition in which 14 teams developed solutions to engineering and aviation challenges by designing, assembling, and testing CanSat devices before launching them aboard rockets. Team Nebula won first place, Team Pegasus took second place, and Team Sky Lab placed third.
The workshop’s closing day opened with remarks by Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Advisor at ICESCO’s Science and Environment Sector, and Mr. Mukhiddin Ibragimov, Deputy Director of Uzcosmos, in which they emphasized the importance of providing learning and training opportunities in the space industry and developing young people’s technical and creative skills in the field.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a conference on Students’ Mental Health and Well-being on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, at its headquarters in Rabat, under the theme “From Understanding Challenges to Collective Action.” The event was organized in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, Vocational Training and Qualification of the Kingdom of Morocco, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Sciences and Culture, as part of the celebration of World Mental Health Day.
The conference opened with remarks by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, delivered on his behalf by Dr. Ahmed Albanyan, Head of the Education Sector, Supervisor of the Translation and Publishing Center. He stressed that approaches to mental health must not be limited to healthcare but must encompass education, family support, culture, sports and inclusive policies. He explained that schools and families share responsibility for providing safe and supportive environments where children can express their concerns and seek help.
The representative of Morocco’s Ministry of National Education, Preschool, Vocational Training and Qualification underscored the importance of mental health as an essential factor in students’ development and active participation in public life, particularly amid rapid social and digital transformations and the new pressures and challenges they bring.
For her part, Dr. Fatima Abouali, President of the Moroccan Anti-Doping Agency, highlighted the individual and collective responsibility to safeguard health as the foundation of contribution and psychological well-being. She also emphasized the need to uphold the integrity of sports and combat doping to protect health and ensure equal opportunities.
Following, Mr. Karim Hamidouche, Secretary-General of the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Sciences and Culture, touched on the importance of investing in mental health as a direct investment in building more resilient people equipped to confront challenges. Additionally, Ms. Hafida Boumarouane, representative of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, stressed that mental health is a fundamental human right, noting that most mental disorders begin before the age of 14, making childhood and adolescence critical stages.
Mr. Yassine Souidi, representative of the UNFPA, commended the conference for reaffirming the school’s role as a space for learning and thriving, and the family’s role as a supportive and empowering partner, enabling young people to develop their capacities.
The conference also featured panel discussions with the participation of officials and representatives of government and non-governmental bodies, organizations and civil society institutions. The discussions addressed ways to strengthen listening, dialogue, prevention and support for children, and to build trust and genuine partnership between families and educational institutions.
The conference concluded with Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of ICESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, and representatives of the official partners announcing details of the fourth edition of the ICESCO Marathon, scheduled to take place on 31 October 2026 in Rabat.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Sali Shahsivari , Managing Director of the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation in London, on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, to discuss ways of cooperation in organizing international conferences and seminars to highlight the objectives and values of Islam and the contributions of Islamic world countries to the exact sciences, as well as publishing a guide to historical manuscript cataloguing.
During the meeting, held at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the changes the Organization has undergone in recent years, starting with its adoption of an open and inclusive approach and direct engagement with its Member States to develop programs and projects that deliver tangible results in education, science, culture, heritage preservation, the promotion of civilizational dialogue, and youth capacity-building.
The ICESCO Director-General outlined the Organization’s efforts to promote the culture of the Islamic world and safeguard its heritage through the establishment of specialized centers of preserving and enhancing the value of heritage, including the ICESCO Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts. He also expressed the Sultan Qaboos Library’s willingness to cooperate with the Foundation in exchanging books and publications.
For his part, Dr. Shahsivari outlined the objectives and areas of specialization of the Foundation, foremost among them manuscript preservation and the publication of scholarly encyclopedias. He affirmed the Foundation’s interest in cooperating on activities to promote an accurate understanding of Islam and Islamic civilization, as well as organizing a seminar and a training course on cataloguing and manuscripts and publishing a joint guide in this field.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the two sides agreed to develop an action plan setting out arrangements for their cooperation in the coming period.
Those attending the meeting on behalf of ICESCO included Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector; Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of the Center for Civilizational Dialogue; Dr. Idham Hanash, Director of the Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts; and Dr. Ahmed Abdelbaset, Expert at the Center.
It is worth noting that the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation is a non-profit organization established in London in 1988 to enhance the value of Islamic manuscript heritage, catalogue, study and publish manuscripts, encourage research in the sciences, and raise awareness of the richness of Islamic civilization.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, launched the “Mishkat Educational Leadership” program for 2026–2028 with a regional workshop on educational guidance and professional development. The workshop benefited 224 trainees working in teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers across 16 countries in Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.
The workshop was held on 14 and 15 October 2026 in Mishkat Hall at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, with participants attending both in person and via videoconference. Entitled “Educational Guidance and Professional Development for Teachers of Arabic to Non-Arabic Speakers,” the workshop focused on the role of educational leaders in enhancing teacher performance and improving learning outcomes.
Dr. Mohammed Lahyani, a training expert specializing in educational supervision, addressed the role of educational leaders in supporting teachers and advancing their professional practices through supervision and guidance. He also highlighted the importance of adopting modern planning policies and procedures that respond to education quality requirements and learners’ diverse needs.
The workshop also explored ways to integrate innovative educational resources, technological applications, and artificial intelligence tools into teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers, thereby helping to advance teaching methods and harness the opportunities offered by digital transformation in education.
The “Mishkat Educational Leadership” program spans two academic years and aims to prepare senior education professionals to assume leadership roles in developing Arabic language teaching programs in their countries. It is organized within the framework of the ICESCO–Hamdan bin Rashid “Mishkat Al-Arabiya” platform, in academic cooperation with Sultan Moulay Slimane University (USMS) in Beni Mellal, Kingdom of Morocco.
The 15th International Conference on Women’s Health concluded on Thursday, 15 October 2026, in Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran. Held over two days under the theme “the Health of Working Women” the conference was organized by ICESCO Regional Office in Tehran, in partnership with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The event was held both in person and via videoconference, bringing together experts and specialists in sociology, psychology, health and workforce studies.
In a recorded address to the conference, Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of ICESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, stressed that ensuring healthcare for women is essential to safeguarding their dignity and promoting well-being, particularly during crises and periods of social instability, when women and girls face growing barriers to accessing essential services.
Speaking via videoconference, Dr. Hassan El-Hajjami, Head of Social Transformations and Research Division within the Sector, presented ICESCO’s efforts to promote mental and physical health across the Islamic world as a key component of human development and stronger community resilience.
The conference sessions featured contributions from ICESCO Network of Experts in Social and Human Sciences. Dr. Sihem Mathlouthi, Professor at the Higher Institute of Human Sciences at the University of Tunis El Manar, examined the impact of multiple professional and family responsibilities on women’s mental health. Dr. Muslim Khassenov, Associate Professor of Law at Maqsut Narikbayev University in Kazakhstan, discussed the role of labor legislation in shaping women’s occupational health conditions in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held the international symposium “Calligraphy and Manuscript Terminology: Theory and Practice” on Thursday, 15 October 2026, at its headquarters in Rabat, in cooperation with the Hassania Royal Library in Rabat and the Sunni Endowment Diwan of the Republic of Iraq. The event brought together leading experts and researchers specializing in calligraphy and manuscripts from several countries across the Islamic world.
The symposium featured 12 academic papers by researchers from Tunisia, Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Morocco. It aimed to examine terminological issues at the intersection of calligraphy and manuscript studies and advance specialized research and scholarship on terminology.
The opening session began with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by an address by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General. He underscored the importance of preserving manuscripts as a living memory bearing the imprint of the hand that wrote them and the mind that created them. He stressed that safeguarding this heritage begins with understanding it and standardizing its terminology, and that the loss of a single manuscript undermines future generations’ right to know their history.
Dr. AlMalik also highlighted scholars’ early recognition of the need to define meanings and terminology and facilitate their transmission across generations. He emphasized the responsibility of all who value knowledge to reconnect this heritage with academic life and reviewed ICESCO’s efforts to protect it from deterioration and make it accessible to researchers. He called for the symposium to serve as a genuine starting point for establishing a shared terminological reference and launching integrated manuscript cataloguing and digitization projects.
For his part, Dr. Ahmed Chaouki Binebine, Curator of the Hassania Royal Library in Rabat, highlighted the symposium’s importance in addressing a complex subject, explaining that the study of terminology is the first step and a solid foundation for academic research. In the context of codicology, Dr. Binebine noted that neither classical nor modern dictionaries adequately help researchers interpret and decipher many manuscript terms. He provided examples illustrating the issue and pointed out that dozens of terms remain unexplained in dictionaries.
The symposium, moderated by Dr. Ahmed Abdel Basset, expert at ICESCO’s Calligraphy and Manuscripts Center, featured three academic sessions chaired respectively by Dr. Ahmed Chaouki Binebine; Dr. Idham Muhammad Hanash, Head of the Calligraphy and Manuscripts Center; and Dr. Murad Al-Rifi, Director of the Arabization Coordination Bureau in Rabat. A distinguished group of researchers and academics delivered presentations covering issues and terminology related to Arabic calligraphy, manuscripts and textual editing.
They also traced the historical development of these terms and examined their linguistic, technical and aesthetic meanings, with a focus on contemporary efforts to unify and standardize them and address related artistic and technical challenges.
Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), participated in the 67th Beirut Arab International Book Fair, held under the patronage of Lebanese Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam. During a panel discussion on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, Dr. Benarafa presented his novel, “The Night His Excellency Disappeared,” before an audience of writers, intellectuals and critics.
The event was held as part of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan Chair for Arabic and Islamic Studies program at the American University of Beirut, in cooperation with Dar Al Adab. The session was moderated by novelist Riwa Bouhamdan, who discussed with the author the novel’s key themes and issues, the context in which it was written, and Dr. Benarafa’s experience in gnostic literary writing. The session also featured a rich exchange between the author and the audience.
The ICESCO Deputy Director-General also attended the opening ceremony of the Fair, which runs from 9 to 18 October and brings together a prominent gathering of publishers, writers and intellectuals. Its diverse cultural program includes literary and intellectual seminars and panel discussions featuring 280 speakers, with 163 publishing houses participating.
ICESCO’s participation in this prominent cultural event reflects its commitment to strengthening relations with cultural and intellectual institutions across the Islamic world, expanding its presence at international cultural forums, and supporting books, publishing and reading as essential drivers of cultural development and intercultural dialogue.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, has launched the “Mishkat Educational Leadership” program for 2026–2028 under the theme “Creative Practice: Our Way to the Skills of Tomorrow.” The program aims to train educational leaders in 16 countries across Africa and Asia through 40 workshops to be held over two academic years.
On Thursday, 8 October 2026, the Mishkat Hall at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat hosted a preparatory meeting for the program’s experts and coordinators, attended by 24 experts and educational officials. ICESCO was represented at the meeting by Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Adviser to the Director-General, Supervisor of the Mishkat Al Arabiya Program, alongside the participation of Dr. Mohammed Ismaili Alaoui, the Program’s academic coordinator and Director of the University Center for Teaching Arabic to Non-Arabic Speakers at Morocco’s Sultan Moulay Slimane University.
In this regard, Mr. Bouraoui stressed that this edition falls within ICESCO’s strategic vision, which focuses on moving from implementing activities to generating a sustainable impact, with the ultimate goal of achieving international leadership. He highlighted the importance of investing in the professional development of educational leaders to advance Arabic language teaching and respond to the rapid changes taking place in the education sector.
Representatives of the participating entities expressed their appreciation to ICESCO and the Hamdan bin Rashid Foundation for launching the Program, and stressed that it responds to an urgent need for specialized training opportunities that equip Arabic language teaching professionals with modern leadership and pedagogical skills and help them benefit from artificial intelligence technologies.
The first program workshop is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, under the title “Educational Guidance and Professional Development for Teachers of Arabic to Non-Arabic Speakers.” Training will be delivered by a team of 10 specialized international experts, using practical approaches that incorporate digital applications and artificial intelligence tools to achieve the Program’s objectives.
The Program forms part of the ICESCO–Hamdan bin Rashid for supporting the Arabic language in countries where other languages are spoken. It aims to develop the pedagogical and leadership competencies of Arabic language teaching professionals and enable them to use digital applications and artificial intelligence tools to enhance their teaching practices.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Ibdaa Academy for Research and Arabic Language Teaching in Belgium, launched the Training Program in Arabic Language Research and Teaching on Wednesday, 7 October 2026. The program aims to strengthen the capacities of more than 50 professors, teachers, researchers, and stakeholders involved in Arabic language education in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom through regular training workshops running until May 2027.
The program’s launch ceremony, held in person in the Belgian capital, Brussels, and online, featured remarks by Mr. Ahmed Ouzzine, Director of the Ibdaa Academy for Research and Arabic Language Teaching. He stated that the partnership with ICESCO seeks to build sustainable academic and educational bridges among institutions, experts, and Arab professionals working in Arabic language education across Europe.
Dr. Majdi Hajj Ibrahim, Head of ICESCO’s Center for Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, delivered remarks emphasizing the importance of continuous teacher training. He noted that the program’s focus on didactics, pedagogy, and artificial intelligence reflects a profound awareness of the transformations shaping education today.
The ceremony was also attended by Dr. Youssef Ismaili, Head of the Language Training Department at ICESCO’s Center for Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers and the coordinator of the program, and Dr. Anas Hussam Saeed Al-Nuaimi, Head of the Department of Support for International Excellence of the Arabic Language at the Center.
The program covers three main areas: Arabic language teaching, didactics and pedagogy, and artificial intelligence. It is grounded in a vision that considers continuous teacher training essential to improving the quality of Arabic language education. The program also places particular emphasis on artificial intelligence as a promising tool that can be used responsibly to prepare activities, develop educational resources, and analyze learners’ errors.
Training workshops will be held weekly on Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the program. Experts from ICESCO’s Center, in cooperation with experts from the Ibdaa Academy, will lead the workshops and provide relevant academic expertise on developing teaching practices, designing activities and resources, and integrating modern technologies into Arabic language education.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with the International Institute for World Music, held the ninth session of its “Artists of the World, Guests at ICESCO” program under the theme “The Status of Music in Today’s World and Its Role in Tomorrow’s World.” Bringing together a distinguished group of artists, experts, and researchers, the session aimed to explore the future of music and its role in promoting intercultural dialogue.
The webinar, held on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, via videoconference, opened with remarks by Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Culture Sector at ICESCO. He emphasized the importance of music as a universal human language and a common thread linking various forms of creativity and cultural expression, highlighting its role in bringing peoples closer together and fostering mutual understanding and civilizational exchange.
During his presentation, Dr. Fakher Hakima, Director of the Higher Institute of Music of Sousse, shared his experience in discovering young talent. He highlighted the importance of developing musical skills and turning artistic practice into specialized career paths, thereby strengthening the creative industries and opening new opportunities for rising generations. For his part, Manuel Delgado, Spanish musician and prominent figure in contemporary flamenco, explored the intersections between flamenco, musical traditions, and dance forms in the Eastern world. Drawing on his international artistic experiences, he explained how they had enriched his creative journey and affirmed music’s ability to transcend geographical and cultural boundaries and build bridges of communication among societies.
Margaret Dechenaux, Founder and Director of the International Institute for World Music in France, underscored the importance of promoting musical heritage as a living legacy and strengthening music education as a space for dialogue. She also highlighted music’s role in supporting international cooperation and addressed the challenges modern technologies pose to the future of artistic creativity.
Lotfi Ben Salah, Tunisian architect, discussed the historical and aesthetic links between music and architecture, stressing the importance of incorporating acoustic dimensions into the design of urban spaces. Meanwhile, André Fertier, President of the European Center for Cultural Accessibility (Cemaforre,) called for strengthening cultural citizenship, guaranteeing the right of access to music and arts education, and maintaining a balance among diverse cultural expressions amid the growing use of music as a soft-power tool.
The webinar concluded with discussions on music’s contributions to preserving cultural memory and transmitting knowledge and the arts across generations. Dr. Idham Hanash, Head of the Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts at ICESCO, highlighted its historical role in safeguarding oral narratives and artistic and intellectual heritage through the successive stages of transcription and documentation.
