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The Education Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the Continental Symposium on Research and Innovation in Education under the theme: Reimagining Education for a Better Impact on Learning Commutes in Sub-Saharan Africa, which was held by the Center for Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) Africa, in cooperation with the Organization of the Global Partnership for Education’s (GPE) and the International Organisation of la Francophonie, at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the participation of several ministers of education, researchers and specialists in the field in Africa, to discuss innovative way to address the challenges related to education in the post-Covid 19 world.

Dr. Barry Koumbou, Head of the Education Sector, represented ICESCO in the Symposium, on October 6, 2022, via videoconference, where she reviewed in her address ICESCO’s guide prepared during the Covid-19 pandemic on the reopening of educational institutions in Member States, which was introduced during the Extraordinary Virtual Conference of Education Ministers of ICESCO Member States, held in May 2020, to serve as a road map for the Member States in developing educational systems.

She also highlighted the importance of a holistic approach to reopening schools after the pandemic, in addition to the need to create a space for dialogue with all partner researchers, teachers’ network and civil society, mainly the five pillars of reopening schools, which are: acceptability, accessibility, adaptation, availability and appropriateness, and mental health and well-being.

The Symposium highlighted recent research, innovations and good practices to improve student learning outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa and encourage the use of research in developing educational systems, along with investing in opportunities to improve educational outcomes, improve teacher training, curricula and assessment, as well as development strategies.

The Science and Technology Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the jury meeting to select three winners out of ten (10) participating teams in the competition of the ICESCO Youth Training Programme on how to develop small businesses in the field of technology and innovation in the Republic of Uzbekistan, implemented in cooperation with ‘New Innovation Space Foundation’ and the business incubator ‘Savana.’

During the hybrid meeting, held on Wednesday (October 5, 2022), in Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, and via videoconference, the participating teams made presentations on their businesses before the jury composed of Dr. Muhammad Sharrif, Advisor at the Science and Technology Sector, and his work team, as well as several experts and specialists in the field of entrepreneurship and start-up financing.

At the end of the meeting, the jury announced the winning teams in the Republic of Uzbekistan. These winners are “Beautify” team, which presented a digital platform that connects service providers to their clients in the field of aesthetics; “Coozin,” which presented a digital platform for the delivery of home-cooked meals; and “Mento,” which won the third place for its platform on enhancing the educational experience and preparing for university entrance exams in developing countries.

It is noteworthy that this programme targets Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Nigeria. It will be launched in 10 Member States of ICESCO by the end of 2022. It is part of ICESCO’s strategy and action plan, which aims to support more than 150 start-ups in the field of innovation and technology by 2025.

The jury will select the best three teams from each country to compete in the final stage, which will be held at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, to present their businesses before a number of donor institutions and investors to obtain the necessary funding for their implementation.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the opening ceremony of the Annual Religious Moussem of the Assa-Zag Zaouia, in Assa, Kingdom of Morocco, organized by the Assa-Zag Foundation for Development, Thought and Culture, in cooperation with several institutions. The Moussem is held concurrently with the announcement of the inscription of the Moussem on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List.

Mr. Najib Rhiati, Cultural Advisor of the Director-General, represented ICESCO in the six-day Moussem, which kicked off today, Tuesday, October 4, 2022. Mr. Rhiati gave an address reaffirming the significance of the inscription of this religious event and its role in safeguarding its spiritual, cultural, artistic, and socio-economic elements. He added that this inscription will enable the competent parties to benefit from the Organization’s extensive expertise and technical support in order to prepare the relevant sector-specific plans and consolidate the components of this cultural heritage, with the ultimate goal of achieving socio-economic and touristic development of the region.

For his part, Dr. Taleb Bouya Maelainin Laatik, Regional Director of Culture for the Gulemim Ouad Noun Region, hailed the inscription of the Moussem on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List, stressing the importance of such a step to safeguard its elements and preserve the region’s cultural heritage.

At the close of the ceremony, which was attended by the Governor of Assa-Zag, Mr. Youssef Khayer, two documentaries highlighting the Moussem were screened, followed by a cultural symposium on “Literary Works in the Sahraoui Community”, which brought together a host of intellectuals and literary figures.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is holding in Conakry, Republic of Guinea, a training and awareness session on ways to capitalize on information and communication technology (ICT) to promote environmental and health education. The session is held in cooperation with the Guinean National Commission for ICESCO and benefits several school counselors and educational inspectors.

The four-day session, which kicked off on October 4, 2022, aims at developing national policies that integrate ICT in environmental and health education, building the capacities of technical and educational professionals in this field, producing the necessary digital resources, exchanging expertise and developing a united vision on the mechanism to capitalize on ICT to promote environmental and health education.

The event’s opening session featured the respective remarks of Mr. Mohamed Ali Sow, ICESCO National Correspondent; Mr. Malik Bah, Director-General of the National Institute for Pedagogical Research and Action in the Republic of Guinea; and Mr. Zouley Yamounou, Secretary-General of Ministry for Pre-University Education and Literacy. The three officials all commended ICESCO’s efforts to promote the educational process and its support for the Republic of Guinea.

For his part, Dr. Youssef Abou Daka, Program Director at ICESCO’s Sector of Education, stressed the importance of the session, hoping that it would achieve its goals of activating the roles of educational institutions in protecting the environment, promoting health safety and anchoring sound environmental and health practices among students.

The session addressed a number of themes, notably the reality and prospects of capitalizing on ICT to promote environmental and health education in Guinea and promoting its role in improving the quality of education; and the best educational practices to integrate ICT in education and training.

Believing that teachers are the key pillar in the educational system, and the driving force for achieving quality education, the world celebrates the World Teachers’ Day annually on the 5th of October, which is celebrated this year under the theme “Transforming education begins with teachers.” On this occasion, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) calls for placing teachers at the forefront of the efforts aimed at transforming education, and restoring the due esteem for the teaching profession in order to develop creative and innovative minds and build balanced and capable personalities.

In September 2022, the international community announced its commitment to transform education to meet the learning needs of all in the present and future. In this vein, ICESCO recalls the need to realize that teachers are the cornerstone for achieving these hopes. The path towards a true transformation of education is based in the first place on intensifying investment in teachers to provide the required numbers of teachers, prepare and rehabilitate them in order to upgrade their skills and capacities through their appreciation and support to ensure their financial, material and moral stability, and provide incentives that develop their motivation and ensure an adequate working environment.

In this context, ICESCO stresses the need to bring about a radical and tangible transformation in the conditions of teachers, their training and professional development in a way as to contribute to transforming education as desired. Actually, the teacher we want for tomorrow is totally different from the one we have today. The future teacher needs proactive future thinking skills, critical and creative thinking skills, teamwork skills, skills of action during crises, teaching, assessment, follow-up, and remote communication skills using modern technology as well as emotional stability, psychological and emotional balance, the ability to communicate with others, the ability to work under pressure, and work in all circumstances and conditions.

ICESCO also calls for expanding investment in modern technologies, employing artificial intelligence applications in the educational process, and attaching great importance to enabling teachers to employ them.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with Nomadhood Platform, and in partnership with several regional and international institutions and bodies, held a symposium on climate issues and the fight against air pollution. The event aimed at strengthening ways and mechanisms for knowledge and experience sharing on the environment and enhancing the role of youth in COP27, which will be hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt, in Sharm El-Sheikh, next November.

Dr. Foued El Ayni, Expert in Science and Technology Sector, and Dr. Huda Abdullah Megeirhi, Expert at the Center for Civilizational Dialogue, represented ICESCO in this symposium via videoconference. Dr. El Ayni reviewed the Organization’s efforts to contribute to environmental protection, green economy transition, and Member States’ capacity-building to adapt to the repercussions of climate change and air pollution through the consolidation of the concepts of smart and sustainable cities, awareness-raising among youth and training on the importance of preserving the planet.

For her part, Dr. Megeirhi highlighted the importance of the culture of dialogue on climate and air issues and their environmental and socio-economic repercussions, noting the need to preserve biological diversity through modern environmental technologies to achieve ambitious goals in the field of climate and promote dialogue between civilizations and generations to stress the importance of protecting the environment and the need for environmental dialogue based on respect for human values, justice and tolerance.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia (CSAMR) in the Republic of Bashkortostan signed an agreement to create the ICESCO Chair for Arabic Language in Service of Dialogue and Coexistence at the Russian Islamic University, which reports to the Central Spiritual Administration. The Chair aims to promote the position of Arabic among the foreign languages taught at the Russian Islamic University in Ufa, and in all the universities of the Russian Federation and the countries of Central Asia.
The Agreement was signed by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and His Eminence Shaykh al-Islam Talgat Safa Tajuddin, Chairman of the CSAMR.

The Chair falls within the framework of the cooperation programme between ICESCO and Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance to support the “Project of Teaching Arabic in non-Arabic Speaking Countries.” It aims at intensifying scientific and educational research on issues of teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers at the Russian Islamic University in Ufa and in all educational and scientific research institutions in the Russian Federation and countries of Central Asia; and developing approaches, curricula and tools for teaching Arabic for non-Arabic speakers within the framework of the local specificities of the region.

The Chair also seeks to enrich the comparative linguistic studies between Arabic and the mother languages of students and researchers; highlight the literary and scientific heritage written in the languages of Muslim peoples transcribed in the Arabic script in the Russian Federation and the countries of Central Asia; and highlight the moderation of Islam, its civilizational contributions and its noble human values.

The creation of the Chair falls as part of ICESCO’s vision to capitalize on specialized university chairs in the field of Arabic for Non-Arabic speakers to promote the roles of universities in promoting applied linguistic research, excellence and innovation, and diversifying sources of knowledge to enable universities to lead national efforts to develop Arabic education and create the necessary academic conditions to foster the spirit of innovation, initiative and development.