The training session held by the Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Djibouti, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, and the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture on “Digital skills for teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers,” closed its proceedings.
The session, which kicked off last Monday in Djibouti, benefited over fifty (50) educators end academic professionals engaged in Arabic education from thirty (30) private and public educational institutions.
Supervised by Dr. Anas H. Saeed, Expert at the Center, the session is aimed at equipping educators with the necessary skills to utilize modern technologies, platforms and digital resources to enhance their in-class teaching performance and provide them with valuable academic expertise to develop Arabic education curricula within educational institutions.
A delegation of 13 Arab and African Culture Ministers and several senior officials from cultural institutions of more than 13 other countries visited the International Museum and Exhibition of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat.
Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General, accompanied by Mr. Najib Rhiati, Cultural Advisor to ICESCO Director-General, and several Heads of the Organization Departments, received the delegation participating in a high-level ministerial meeting in the Kingdom of Morocco on the occasion of the close of Rabat celebration as Capital of African Culture for 2022-2023, where he noted that the Museum and Exhibition, which are the first edition outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, are the outcome of a strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.
During the visit, the delegation listened to detailed presentations on the contents of the Exhibition’s various pavilions using modern display technologies, which narrate and document in detail the biography of our Prophet (PBUH).
Following the tour, the delegation members expressed their great admiration for the knowledge presented by the Exhibition of Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization using the latest display technologies. Mrs. Mabrouka Othman Toghi, Libyan Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, expressed her gratitude to the Exhibition’s organizers for the encyclopedic information it provides which connects us with Prophet’s Seerah.
For his part, Mr. Hamat Bah, Minister of Tourism and Culture of The Gambia, noted that the Exhibition provides information about the Prophet’s biography in a simplified manner that addresses all age groups, while Ms. Peace Mutuuzo, Ugandan State Minister for Cultural Affairs, confirmed that the Exhibition takes the visitors back in time due to its modern technologies. Several other ministers and heads of delegations expressed their desire to return to visit the Exhibition and the Museum, because of the valuable contents and treasures it contains about the Prophet’s Seerah.
The Center for Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is holding a training workshop on teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, under the theme, “Teaching Arabic: Challenges and Solutions.” The Workshop is organized in cooperation with Guinea-Bissau’s National Commission for ICESCO.
More than thirty educational officials and teachers of the Arabic language from different regions of Guinea-Bissau took part in the four-day workshop, which kicked off on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. The Workshop will feature educational presentations and training segments, focusing on several themes, including, an overview of the challenges and difficulties facing teaching Arabic in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, a review of major educational strategies in teaching language skills, and educational solutions to the various teaching problems facing teachers in class.
Dr. Yousef Ismaili, Expert at the Center for Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, represented ICESCO at the workshop, which aims to build participants’ capacities; hone their teaching skills by introducing them to the latest developments in educational linguistics, educational strategies and procedural steps in teaching various subjects to develop language skills; and provide them with mechanisms for skill assessment.
In celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity, observed annually on May 22, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched a program to produce 500,000 seedlings of seeds collected from gum arabic trees in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, in partnership with the following: the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, the Pan African Agency for the Great Green Wall Initiative, the Healthy Tomorrow Organization for the Development and Protection of the Environment in Mauritania, and several women’s incubators. The program is part of ICESCO’s celebration of Nouakchott culture capital in the Islamic world for 2023.
The launch of the first phase of the program, held on Monday (May 22, 2023), saw the mobilization and training of female incubator workers to produce seedlings of gum arabic trees, raising their awareness of the importance of protecting the environment, ensuring the afforestation of areas affected by desertification, promoting good governance in natural resources use, reclaiming degraded lands, and harnessing best agricultural practices in order to contribute to providing sustainable income and achieving development in several areas in the Trarza Region in Mauritania.
The seedlings are to be grown in a nursery at this first phase, before being transferred to their permanent planting lots on a 12-hectare field, in August 2023.
During the launch, Dr. Ismaila Diallo, Expert at ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, highlighted the objectives of the programme, notably contributing to combating desertification and enhancing the resilience of ecosystems to preserve biodiversity, which falls within the strategic priorities of the Organization to serve its Member States in general and Mauritania in particular, as it is considered one of the countries most affected by this phenomenon.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and His Highness Dr. Fahad bin Al-Julanda Al Said, Vice-Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), held a meeting at the University’s headquarters in the Omani capital, Muscat, to examine strengthening cooperation between the Organization and the University in several areas of common interest. They also signed an agreement to establish an ICESCO Chair on Machine Learning for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems at the University.
During the meeting, which took place on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, in the presence of Her Highness Dr. Mona bint Fahad bin Mahmoud Al Said, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for the University’s International Cooperation, and several University officials as well as ICESCO delegation, and Ms. Amna Al Balushi, Secretary General of the Omani National Commission For Education, Culture and Science, Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s efforts to build youth and women capacities and support university students in the fields of innovation and modern technology to contribute to promoting scientific research and achieving sustainable development in the countries of the Islamic world, stressing the importance of exchanging knowledge and developing partnerships between organizations, universities, research centers, and Member States Commissions in various fields to address the current challenges and anticipate future requirements.
For his part, His Highness SQU Vice-Chancellor reviewed the history of the University, its strategic vision, and the pioneering role of its colleges in the fields of higher education and community service within the Sultanate of Oman, which made it assume an international position by enhancing the quality of its scientific research, qualifying its graduates and developing its strategic partnerships.
The meeting touched upon ways to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and SQU in many fields, mainly artificial intelligence, modern technologies, space sciences, remote sensing, and machine learning.
At the close of the meeting, ICESCO DG and His Highness SQU Vice-Chancellor signed an agreement to establish ICESCO Chair on Machine Learning for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems at the University, which aims to promote an integrated system for research, training, exchange of information and verification of documentation in the fields of space exploration, remote sensing and the Internet of Things, and they exchanged shields between ICESCO and the University.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) announces the launch of the “Youth Contest for Digital Content for Learning Arabic,” as part of the Organization’s Year of Youth, which is proclaimed under the gracious patronage of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The contest, which is overseen by ICESCO’s Center for the Arabic Language for Non-Arabic Speakers, aims to encourage digital creativity and innovation in the Arabic language, support youth talents and enable them to harness their creative abilities to produce and design electronic programs, educational applications, and advanced platforms and contents for teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers.
The contest is open beginning today, Saturday (May 20, 2023), and will close at the end of August 2023. Interested candidates must fulfill the following conditions:
Candidates must be no older than 40 as of the date of the call for applications (May 20, 2023); -The submitted content should include new innovative ideas for teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers;
The content should be based on reliable scientific sources and references;
The content should take into account the development of the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing);
The application should be in classical Arabic, and the contents must not contain any linguistic errors;
Candidates must present a statement attesting to the originality of the content and undertaking to not rely on what is offered by well-known artificial intelligence applications;
The application must include a 5 to 10-minute video explaining the design, application, program, or platform, and highlighting its objectives, characteristics, and method of operation;
All applications must be sent to the following e-mail: daaiac@icesco.org. Following the close of the call for applications at the end of next August, a specialized committee comprising several experts in the fields of language, software computing, and teaching Arabic to Non-Arabic speakers, will assess the applications and select three winners, who will receive $5,000, $3,000, and $2,000, respectively, in addition to certificates of appreciation.
The names of the winners will be announced through ICESCO’s website and official letters to the parties concerned. The awards ceremony will be held during the celebration of World Arabic Language Day in December 2023.
On May 21st of every year, the world celebrates the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, which is an opportunity to highlight the essential role of intercultural dialogue in upholding the values of coexistence and peace, capitalizing on the richness and diversity of the world’s cultures, and building a continuous dialogue to ensure the achievement of sustainable development.
On this occasion, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) reaffirms its commitment to support all programs and initiatives aimed at promoting the various forms of cultural expressions, benefiting from the enormous potential of modern technology applications, promote understanding between people of different cultures, and contribute to achieving peace worldwide through dialogue and diplomacy.
In line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ICESCO, in coordination with its partners, endeavors to encourage sustainable cooperation in the fields of education, science, technology, culture, civilizational dialogue, youth capacity-building and women training to build bridges of dialogue between cultures inside and outside the Islamic world.
Aware of the importance of bridging the gap between cultures as a prerequisite for building peace and achieving stability and development, the Organization reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the efforts of its Member States to develop strategies, which are compatible with the best practices in this field, and contribute to embracing and protecting cultural distinction and introducing different cultural expressions in innovative ways, through the use of digital media and information and communication technology.
Furthermore, ICESCO stresses its willingness to cooperate with all countries, international organizations and civil society institutions to integrate the cultural dimension into the initiatives aimed at supporting the most vulnerable groups and coordinating joint action to promote the values of tolerance, coexistence and civilized dialogue to overcome economic and social challenges and achieve sustainable development.
The Culture and Communication Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the meeting of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Group of Experts to discuss the possible establishment of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Platform for the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage in the Islamic World. This two-day meeting kicked off on Tuesday 16 May 2023, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the OIC, in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Sector of Culture and Communication was represented at this meeting by Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Director of the Sector, and Dr. Nami Salihi, Supervisor of the Islamic World Heritage Centre. The meeting also brought together the delegations representing some OIC Member States and subsidiary centers.
During the meeting, ICESCO delegation made a presentation supported by data and figures on the efforts of ICESCO Centre for Heritage in the Islamic World in its various fields, including inventorying, restoration and enhancement, field training and the establishment of a portal and an observatory, in addition to the establishment of the Islamic World Heritage Committee, which has inscribed so far more than 430 historical sites and cultural items on ICESCO Islamic World Heritage List.
In this connection, ICESCO delegation reaffirmed that the Islamic World Heritage Centre aims at serving as a mechanism to meet all the relevant needs of Member States, stressing that the Centre is willing to host the OIC platform and provide it with a database containing the various forms of tangible and intangible heritage in the Islamic world.
The participating experts agreed to take concerted efforts to develop the said platform, ensure its effectiveness and avoid any overlapping.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the International Conference on “Linguistic and Literary Studies and Arabic Language Teaching: Theoretical and Applied Issues”, held by the Higher School of Education and Training and the Literary, Linguistic and Didactic Studies Laboratory at Sultan Moulay Slimane University, in Beni Mellal, Kingdom of Morocco.
Dr. Sana Lahlali, Coordinator of Mishkat Platform, represented ICESCO in this conference, held on 17-18 May 2023. In her speech at the opening session, she highlighted the importance that the Organization attaches to Arabic language, as part of its vision and strategic orientations, which aim to enhance the roles of Arabic language in consolidating identity and promoting civilizational dialogue.
During the first session, Dr. Lahlali presented a scientific paper on ICESCO’s Mishkat Platform for educational training and professional development in the field of teaching Arabic for non-Arabic speakers, launched in cooperation with Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance.
The Center of Strategic Foresight of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, held a training session on strategic foresight for decision-making, in Cairo, for the benefit of a group of leaders from several Egyptian ministries and national institutions.
Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of the Center of Strategic Foresight, represented ICESCO in the two-day training, which concluded its proceedings on Tuesday (16 May 2023). In the opening session, he pointed out in his address that the Center seeks to promote scientific and cultural dialogue to contribute to achieving sustainable development and finding solutions to the challenges facing the Islamic world, providing current and future generations with the necessary tools to make better decisions and promoting a culture of foresight and anticipation.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Samir Hamza, Head of the Cultural Affairs and Missions Sector at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Supervisor of the Egyptian National Commission, denoted that the training focuses on the main factors that affect the development of foresight, and identifies the tools, concepts and methods of strategic foresight.
In his address, Mr. Assayed Al-Absi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, explained that foresight is one of the main tools for shaping the future in light of the rapid global movement as a result of the huge stream of digital data.
The Director of ICESCO Center of Strategic Foresight supervised the training, which included a theoretical and a practical part. Dr. Hammami reviewed the development of the methods used in the field of strategic foresight as well as the concepts related to strategic planning, highlighting the importance of promoting a culture of anticipation to ensure a better future.
