Category: News update

Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Mr. Mohamed Al-Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco, explored the arrangements for the proclamation of Rabat as the 2022 Islamic World Capital of Culture for the Arab Region, as part of ICESCO’s Islamic World Capitals of Culture Program. 

At the beginning of the meeting, held today, Friday 05 November 2021, at the Ministry Headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik congratulated Mr. Bensaid on the trust placed in him by His Majesty, King Mohamed VI, may Allah preserve him, upon his appointment as Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, expressing his warm wishes to Mr. Bensaid in assuming this major responsibility.

  The meeting also discussed the executive measures relating to agreeing upon the details of the programs and activities to be implemented throughout 2022, as part of the celebration of Rabat as the Islamic World Capital of Culture for 2022. The two parties also talked about the consultative meeting to be held on 22 November 2021, to present the blueprint of the celebration programme, which will bring together representatives from all ministries in the new Moroccan Government and an ICESCO team.

In addition, the two parties discussed the proposal of the Moroccan Ministry of Culture to organize the upcoming edition of the International Book and Publishing Fair in Rabat. The Fair is one of the major cultural events in Morocco and features a variety of activities relating to books, publishing and culture. 

Moreover, the two parties also discussed the latest developments regarding several cultures and heritage projects, to be implemented by ICESCO in cooperation with the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, reaffirming their keenness to sustain the fruitful cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry in the fields of youth training and capacity building, culture, heritage and the co-organization of a number of cultural events.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy DG, and Mr. Najib Riati, Advisor to the General Directorate, also attended the meeting.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Khalifa Al-Suwaidi, Member of the Board of Trustees of Hamdan bin Rashed Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance, and together they discussed ways to promote cooperation between the Organization and the Foundation in the field of education.

During the meeting held today, Wednesday 4 November 2021, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, the two parties reviewed the arrangements for the award ceremony of the two editions of ICESCO—Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Prize for Voluntary Development of Education Facilities in the Islamic World, to be held during the 14 Session of the General Conference and the 42nd Session of the Executive Council, which will be both hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt, on December 6-9, 2021.

The two parties also discussed the preparations for launching the Prize’s third edition, a prize launched by the two institutions to encourage outstanding, sustainable and comprehensive education projects, and pay tribute to the people and institutions in charge of voluntary initiatives and charity works in the field of education.

The meeting discussed the Foundation’s participation in the international conference which ICESCO will hold in December, in celebration of the World Arabic Language Day, under the theme, “Women and the Arabic Language: Reality and Prospects”. This conference will pay tribute to the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashed Al Maktoum, in recognition of his efforts to promote Arabic.

At the close of the meeting, Dr. Al-Suwaidi presented the Director-General with a copy of “Al-Qalbu An-Naqiy”, a book issued by the Foundation, which documents the journey of the late Sheikh Hamdan, who was a prominent patron of educational and health initiatives and a devoted supporter of Arab and Islamic culture.

Dr. Ahmad Said Bah, Advisor to the DG for Partnerships and International Cooperation, also attended the meeting.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Ambassador Mohamed El Nokaly, Senior International Relations Advisor at the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSa), discussed means to strengthen cooperation between the Organization and the Agency on promoting space science and technology and developing scientific research and innovation in this field in the countries of the Islamic world.

During the meeting, held on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, on the sidelines of Mr. Al Qubaisi’s participation in ICESCO’s Global Space Science Forum, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed the great interest that the Organization attaches to supporting the efforts of its Member States in developing space science programs and related industries, and leveraging the potential of space applications to overcome challenges and achieve sustainable development.

ICESCO DG noted that the Organization, as part of its new vision and action strategy, endeavors to build close cooperation with all space science actors to work jointly on raising awareness of the importance of investing in space science and technology, integrating them into school curricula, benefiting from space applications, and providing opportunities for researchers and scientists to exchange ideas and experiences in these fields. He added that the Organization has signed several cooperation and partnership agreements with several international organizations, institutions, and bodies, and that joint programs and activities are being implemented with these partners along with various donors.

For his part, Ambassador El Nokaly commended ICESCO’s efforts to organize a global forum on the promising field of space science that has gained international momentum, affirming the Egyptian Space Agency’s willingness to cooperate with ICESCO on organizing activities and implementing initiatives and programmes relating to space science and applications.

Partnership and Investment in Space Science is Necessity to Face Challenges in Islamic World

The Global Space Science Forum, held in cooperation between the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the US Space Foundation, concluded its proceedings, yesterday. The Forum issued a set of practical recommendations to strengthen international partnership and cooperation to bridge the gap between the developed and developing countries in the field of space science and encourage countries of the Islamic world to invest in space science applications and related industries.

The Forum, held under the theme “Exploring the Space Science Future – Together” on November 1-2, 2021, both at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, and via videoconference, saw the participation of officials, experts, and policymakers in the field of space as well as astronauts. The participants unanimously stressed the need to strengthen human resources to carry out space exploration research and studies and provide the necessary financial resources to develop the appropriate infrastructures. They also focused on the need to set incentives for youth and women in the Islamic world to ensure their integration into space science and technology by providing support for start-ups and incubators and raising awareness about the importance of space science in improving life on planet Earth.

On the second day, the Forum witnessed a series of scientific sessions and discussions, where participants reviewed the most prominent milestones of space science history in several countries of the Islamic World, the areas of cooperation to develop scientific research and innovation to achieve sustainable development, and the importance of space sciences to have access to data and information to respond to humanitarian disasters and reduce poverty.

The first session tackled ways to strengthen the partnership between academic and industrial sectors in space science applications, highlighting the attention that Muslims have paid, throughout history, to space science and innovation. The participants stressed the importance of the openness of academic institutions and researchers to space technology and the need to establish partnerships and involve the private sector to capitalize on the advantages of space science, strengthen the innovative capacities of young people and urge all countries to integrate into the field of space science and its applications to break the monopoly of space knowledge.

The second session focused on developing space technology to ensure food security, develop agriculture and reduce poverty. The participants reviewed the salient programs of the international institutions for using space technology to collect information and data to achieve sustainable development through monitoring crops and developing navigation, stressing the need to join forces and engage in research activities to exchange experiences, policies and strategies in the field of space science and technology.

In the third session, the participants explored the relationship between communications systems, cybersecurity, and space sciences. They reviewed the experiences of the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA) and Oukaimeden Observatory in Morocco as well as the field experiences in aeronautical engineering of the International University of Rabat. They also explored cybersecurity challenges in light of space science development and the new prospects for space science and its applications to improve life on Earth and encourage innovation.

At the end of the Forum, the participants exchanged ideas and opinions, in a roundtable discussion, on the role of ICESCO Member States’ space agencies to help spread awareness about space technology.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Mr. Mizanur Rahman, Chairman of the Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO), discussed prospects for cooperation between the two Organizations in strengthening efforts to develop scientific research, innovation, and space science and technology.

During this meeting held on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, on the sidelines of Mr. Rahman’s participation in ICESCO’s Global Space Science Forum, Dr. Al-Malik stressed that ICESCO attaches great importance to supporting the efforts of its Member States to leverage the potential of space science and applications and new technologies, in general, to overcome challenges and achieve sustainable development.

ICESCO DG noted that the Organization’s new vision and action strategy are based on openness and cooperation with all to serve its Member States and Muslim communities around the world. He added that the Organization has signed several cooperation and partnership agreements with several international organizations, institutions, and bodies, and that joint programs and activities are being implemented with these partners along with many donors.

Mr. Rahman commended ICESCO’s Global Space Science Forum and noted that it provides an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge and share experiences among Bangladeshi experts and specialists, stressing SPARRSO’s willingness to cooperate with ICESCO in the promising field of space science.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Mr. Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi, DG of the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA), discussed prospects for cooperation between the Organization and the Agency in the field of space science and applications and sharing the Emirati distinguished experience in this regard with the Islamic world.

During the meeting, held on Monday, November 1, 2021, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, on the sidelines of Mr. Al Qubaisi’s participation in ICESCO’s Global Space Science Forum, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed the great interest that the Organization’s new vision and strategy attach to supporting the efforts of its Member States in developing scientific research and enhancing investment in space science and applications.

ICESCO DG noted that the Organization signed a partnership agreement with the Space Foundation in the USA to cooperate closely and raise awareness of the importance of investing in space science and technology, integrating them into educational programs, contributing to the use of space applications, and providing opportunities for researchers and scientists to exchange ideas and experiences in this field. He also pointed out that ICESCO’s Global Space Science Forum is held within the framework of this partnership agreement and in cooperation with the Space Foundation.

UAESA DG commended ICESCO’s new vision and tireless efforts in establishing cooperation between countries of the Islamic world in the field of space science. He also confirmed the Agency’s willingness to cooperate in this field as building international strategic partnerships is one of the Agency’s major actin approaches.
 
The meeting was also attended by Engineer Nasser Bin Hammad, Head International Relations and Chief Innovation Officer at UAESA.