The Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), affiliated with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), participated in the thirty-fifth meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic University of Niger, held in Niamey and presided over by Ambassador Nasser bin Abdullah bin Hamdan Al-Zaabi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, in the presence Mamoudou Djibo, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the State of Niger.
Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General for the Universities of the Islamic World, took part in this three-day meeting, which concluded its proceedings on Monday (February 27, 2023).
The Board of Trustees of the Islamic University in Niger approved several reports submitted by the University President on the financial, academic and administrative matters of the university.
The meeting also approved the report submitted by Mr. Abdulrahman Al-Jarwan, Chairman of the University’s Advisory Academic Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees, on a set of academic procedures and important decisions. At the close of its meeting, the Board approved the new draft budget of the university.
After that, the Board members visited the university campus in Sai, in the south of Niamey, and attended several activities of the university.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the third session of the Mediterranean Forum for Sustainable Development, held in Tetouan, Kingdom of Morocco, under the theme “Youth, to determine our future,” organized by the Moroccan Association of Education, Training and Social Development, in cooperation with the United Nations Information Center in Morocco, in the presence of 2000 participants, including ambassadors, heads of international organizations, institutions, experts in the field of development, and students from various disciplines.
During the three-day forum, which concluded its proceedings on Sunday (February 26, 2023), Dr. Muhammad Sharif, advisor to the Science and Technology Sector of ICESCO, reviewed the Organization’s efforts to support its Member States for achieving sustainable development goals through a number of initiatives, programs and projects in the fields of education, scientific research, innovation, culture and communication, and enhance the capacities of youth and women.
The forum also brought together some of the participants in the 2022 edition of the ICESCO Young Professional Program, which provides the opportunity for young competencies from Muslim countries to benefit from professional qualification in the specialized sectors, departments and centers of ICESCO, within the Organization’s vision and strategic orientations to build youth capacities and provide them with new professional skills that keep pace with the global technological development.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the Forum of “Gender Equality: International Indicators, Key Practices and Lessons for a Balanced Workplace,” held by the Institute of Public Administration in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in cooperation with the World Bank, aimed at exchanging experiences, knowledge and lessons in the field of women’s rehabilitation policies, with the participation of several experts and specialists as well as regional and international organizations and bodies.
Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of Human and Social Sciences Sector, and Ms. Rime Jirari, Head of the Section of Organizations and Bodies in the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, represented ICESCO in the Forum, which concluded its activities today, February 28, 2023.
In her address during the Forum, Mrs. Ramata Almamy Mbaye noted the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the field of gender equality and reviewed ICESCO’s key programmes and projects to enhance gender balance, address gender-based discrimination and build women’s capacity, highlighting that the Organization provides an environment for supporting the presence of women in leadership positions.
For her part, Ms. Rime Jirari stressed the necessity of establishing a fruitful dialogue between decision-makers, the parties concerned and experts in a participatory approach to meet the needs of countries and societies, emphasizing ICESCO’s eagerness to cooperate with its Member States in the field of enhancing gender equality, capacity building and dialogue through organizing workshops and training sessions and encouraging scientific research.
On the Forum’s sidelines, ICESCO’s delegation held a meeting with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science to follow up on the proposals related to youth and women’s development programmes.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Korea Institute of Child Care signed a memorandum of understanding to implement several joint programs and activities to build capacities and hone skills in the field of early childhood education and care. The Institute focuses its work on developing the research and policies relevant to early childhood education and care.
The MoU was signed via videoconference, by Ms. Amira El-Fadil, Head of the Sector of Partnerships and International Cooperation at ICESCO, and Dr. Sanji Park, President of the Institute. The signing ceremony was also attended by a number of ICESCO’s heads of sectors and departments and experts and a host of the Institute’s officials and researchers.
The MoU provides for implementing some research projects and initiatives pertaining to early childhood care, focusing on issues and challenges facing the education sector and promoting the professional growth of stakeholders, notably trainers, teachers and government officials. The MoU also provides for the joint organization of international conferences, meetings and workshops, geared toward improving the quality and fairness of this field.
Likewise, the MoU covers publishing works on early childhood education and educational policies and best practices, and facilitating partnership and cooperation to contribute to honoring international commitments to ensuring children’s rights to quality care and education through developing curricula, training teachers in ICESCO Member States and mainstreaming advanced educational techniques and methods in this field.
“Peace 360º Approach in Academia,” a program implemented by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with the International University of Rabat (IUR), concluded its proceedings today, Friday, February 24, 2023. The Program aims to strengthen educational programs in the field of peacebuilding and security in ICESCO’s Member States, through an approach based on a comprehensive and multidisciplinary methodology.
Dr. Ndioro Ndiaye, President of the Alliance for Migration, Leadership and Development and Coordinator of the Francophone Network for Gender Equality, gave the Program’s closing remarks, where she stressed the importance of focusing on women and the youth in peacebuilding operations.
She also highlighted the need to better understand the relationship between migration, peace and development to take measures to improve the management of migration issues.It is worth noting that the Program benefitted students in the IUR’s Master’s Program on Conflict Resolution and Governance of Peace.
It was implemented over a ten-hour teaching and exchange format, which allowed the beneficiaries to learn more about the Program which would likely prompt more research and knowledge production in the field of building peace.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the first International Forum of Ibn Battuta for Tolerance and Rapprochement between Peoples, which was held in Tangier, Kingdom of Morocco, to highlight the role of the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta in spreading noble human values and enriching travel literature.
Mr. Najib Rhiati, Cultural Advisor to ICESCO Director-General (DG), represented the Organization, and was a guest of honor at the forum, on Friday, 24 February 2023. In his intervention on culture and rapprochement between peoples, he noted that Ibn Battuta’s travels across the world are an example of the art of living and living together, emphasizing that they are a model for human relations and rapprochement between peoples and nations, respect for difference and the combat against all forms of intolerance.
The ICESCO official added that Ibn Battuta embodies the Islamic tolerant values and good moral character which we need to build a peaceful world.
It is worth noting that the forum marks one year since the exhibition space of Ibn Battuta’s memory was inaugurated at Borj En-Naam in Tangier’s old medina, which marks the 719th birth anniversary of the great traveler.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and UNESCO’s Regional Office in Rabat held a meeting, on Friday 24 February 2023, to discuss the implementation mechanisms of a joint project to support and strengthen the presence of women and girls in the field of science.
ICESCO was represented at the meeting by Ms. Amira El-Fadil, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Advisor to the Director General for Partnerships and International Cooperation, Supervisor of the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences, Dr. Koumbou Boly Barry, Head of the Education Sector, Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Science and Technology Sector, Ms. Sally Mabrouk, Director of the Office of the Director-General, Ms. Fahmida Fayza, Programs Manager at the Social and Human Sciences Sector, and Ms. Doha Mghabbar, from the Center for Strategic Foresight. UNESCO Office for the Maghreb was represented by its Director, Mr. Eric Falt, and Mr. Mohamed Alaoui, Science Program Specialist.
During the meeting, ICESCO representatives reviewed the main axes to be included in the said project as well as the implementation means and schedule.
For his part, Dr. Falt stressed the willingness of the Office to make every effort, within the framework of the strategic partnership with ICESCO, to ensure the success of the project in order to fulfill the objectives and aspirations of both parties and strengthen the status of women in science.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Institute of Silk Road Strategy Studies (ISRSS) of the Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) in the People’s Republic of China signed a memorandum of understanding and an action plan for cooperation, to promote the values of coexistence, peace and civilizational dialogue, as well as to enhance knowledge in higher education, scientific research and cultural exchange.
In his speech delivered at the signing ceremony on Friday, 24 February 2023, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director General, welcomed this strategic cooperation and partnership between the two parties, as part of the Organization’s policy of opening up to universities and higher institutes, and its contribution to consolidating the values of peace and tolerance and promoting civilizational dialogue. He also stressed the importance of this partnership in enhancing the Silk Road’s historical dimension and achieving coexistence between civilizations.
For his part, Mr. Jiang Feng, SISU Chairman of the Board, expressed his satisfaction with the signing and reviewed the missions of the University and the great importance it accords to youth capacity building and the development of research, through cooperation with its international partners and knowledge networking. He also stated that the Memorandum of Understanding and the Action Plan signed with ICESCO will open up broad perspectives on Chinese civilization for the countries of the Islamic world.
The memorandum and the action plan were signed by Mrs. Amira El Fadil, Head of ICESCO Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Dr. Ma Li Rong, ISRSS Dean, with the attendance of several Heads of Sectors and Departments and Experts of ICESCO, as well as officials of the Institute.
In her speech, Mrs. Amira El Fadil stressed the importance of implementing the terms of the memorandum and the procedures contained in the action plan to achieve tangible results to consolidate the cooperation between ICESCO and the Institute. For his part, Dr. Ma Li Rong reviewed the terms of the memorandum and the areas of cooperation, stressing the Institute’s eagerness to sustain this fruitful cooperation with ICESCO.
The memorandum and the plan include setting up a Chair for Silk Road Studies to enrich the civilizational discourse between China and the Islamic world, holding a joint exhibition on Silk Road heritage, international forums and workshops for youth in this field, as well as harnessing modern technology to enhance the educational capabilities of youth in China and ICESCO Member States, in addition to publishing joint articles on Silk Road studies.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the official opening ceremony of the Intangible Heritage Museum in Jemaa el-Fna Square in Marrakesh, Kingdom of Morocco. The museum was established at the former headquarters of Bank Al Maghrib in partnership between Morocco’s National Museum Foundation in and ICESCO, in implementation of the partnership agreement signed between the two parties in October 2020, and in cooperation with a number of partners.
This new pioneering museum combines tourism, culture, heritage preservation and collection valorization with a view to achieving sustainable and comprehensive regional development. It will operate under the auspices of Morocco’s National Museum Foundation, chaired by the artist Mehdi Qotbi, and under the museological and scientific supervision of Dr. Abdelaziz El Idrissi, Director of the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat.
Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture and Communication Sector, represented the Organization at the opening ceremony, which was held on Thursday, 23 February 2023, during which he perused the museum’s archeological and art collections and the displayed photographs and videos on the history of Jemaa el-Fna, its rich intangible heritage and its oral artistic, literary, performative practices.
The museum will contribute to promoting Marrakesh as a global tourist destination through a cultural tourism space on Jemaa El-Fna Square as a meeting point between the city and the Kasbah Makhzenia that encapsulates a unique legacy that has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1997 as well as on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List.
The headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) hosted a major ceremony to select the three winners out of the 10 finalists in the first edition of “My Thesis in 1000 Words” contest, organized by ICESCO’s Federation for the Universities of the Islamic World. The candidates had five minutes to present a summary of their doctoral theses in front of a jury and an audience and compete for the three first spots. Out of ten contestants, the jury selected the first and second winners while the audience selected the third through live online voting.
The grand finale of the contest kicked off on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by the opening remarks by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, FUIW Secretary-General, who stated that organizing this contest aims to test the ability of Ph.D. students in the Islamic world to present their theses in a condensed manner. He added that mastering and fully grasping the topic of the thesis is reflected in the ability to convey complex thoughts in a simplified manner to a non-specialized audience in few minutes.
Moreover, the Director-General stressed that ICESCO and FUIW organized this contest to encourage universities to adopt this approach in training students on presentation skills, capturing the audience’s attention and managing to convey difficult ideas in a simple way without compromising the requirements of sound scientific research.
In his address, Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General for the FUIW, stated that the Prize aims to provide students with networking opportunities and highlight the positive progress made by the universities of the Islamic world.
For his part, Dr. Khalid Berrada, Head of the Prize Jury, stated that 181 student researchers from 17 countries participated in this contest, creatively presenting their theses in less than 1000 words in one of ICESCO’s working languages (Arabic, English or French). He added that they each presented video segments and thesis abstracts, noting that the selection of the ten finalists was carried out in a consistent and unbiased manner.
Following the opening remarks, the ten finalists from universities in the State of Qatar, Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Morocco, Malaysia, Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Tunisia proceeded to present their theses to the jury and the audience within the five-minute time limit.
After the jury’s deliberations and the closing of the online voting, Khalsa Al Bahri from Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman won first place, while Nisrine Nouj from Ibn Zohr University in the Kingdom of Morocco won second place. As for the audience choice, Chaymae Fouikhri from Hassan II University in the Kingdom of Morocco won third place.
At the close of the ceremony, Dr. AlMalik presented the prizes to the three winners, which consisted of commemorative shields and monetary awards standing at USD 2,000 for the first winner, USD 1,500 for the second, and 1,000 for the third. The other finalists were also presented with 500-dollar monetary rewards.
