The
Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in
partnership with Konrad AdenauerFoundation, is
holding an international conference on the preservation, protection, and promotion
of cultural heritage, in the context of insecurity in the Lake Chad Basin,
which is the largest lake in Africa, with an estimated area of 2.5 million Km².
The three-day
conference, which is held in celebration of the Islamic World Heritage Day,
will kick off tomorrow, September 28, 2021, both at ICESCO headquarters and via
videoconference, at 7:30 UTC (8:30 Rabat time).
It will bring
together the Ministers of Culture of the Republic of Cameroon, the Republic of
Niger, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of Chad, Ms. Amira
El-Fadil Mohamed El-Fadil, Commissioner for Social Affairs at the African
Union, representatives of several international and African organizations,
researchers and students from more than thirty universities and research
centers in Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and France.
The event
aims at exchanging ideas and experiences in the field of African cultural
heritage, highlighting the importance of heritage preservation in the context
of insecurity, and encouraging the inscription of cultural elements on the Islamic
World Heritage List.
Dr.
Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, received Dr.
Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), on September 26, 2021, in the
presence of Dr. Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and
Scientific Research and Chairman of the Egyptian National Commission for
Education, Science and Culture.
During the
meeting, held at the headquarters of the Council of Ministers in Cairo, Dr.
Mostafa Madbouly expressed Egypt’s pride in hosting ICESCO’s 14th session of
the General Conference, and the 42nd session of the Executive Council,
scheduled from 6 to 9 December 2021, stressing that the Egyptian government
will provide all possible means to support the success of the conference and
the Executive Council.
He also
valued the existing relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and ICESCO,
stressing his aspiration to enhance its horizons by supporting the fields of
scientific research, innovation and knowledge dissemination in the Islamic
world.
Dr.
AlMalik commended the level of cooperation existing between ICESCO and the Arab
Republic of Egypt, as one of the most important countries in the Islamic world
and the Middle East. He noted that Egypt’s hosting of the General Conference
reflects the centrality of its role in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
He also stressed his aspiration for the success of these conference meetings.
ICESCO DG
reviewed ICESCO’s action vision, which is based on more communication with the Member
States and the role that ICESCO plays to protect and preserve historical and
heritage sites, and to inscribe them on the Islamic World Heritage List.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the
Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a
meeting with Dr. Inas Abdel Dayem, Egyptian Minister of Culture, to discuss
cooperation between ICESCO and Egypt in the field of culture. The two officials
also discussed the participation of several Ministry sectors in the activities
to be held on the sidelines of the Organization’s Executive Council and General
Conference that Egypt will host next December. Dr. Ghada Abdel Bari,
Secretary-General of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science
and Culture, and several sector officials at the Ministry attended the meeting.
During the meeting, held on Sunday, September 26, 2021,
at the Headquarters of the Ministry of Culture in Cairo, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed the Organization’s keenness
to present the true image of the Islamic culture and civilization, stressing
that fine arts are the best way to contribute to assuming such a mission.
The Egyptian Minister hailed the recent dynamism and
modernization efforts made by ICESCO, reaffirming the Ministry’s support for
the Organization’s cultural activities and its desire to take part in the
parallel activities to be held on the sidelines of the General Conference and
Executive council.
Moreover, the Minister and heads of sectors at the
Ministry presented ideas and suggestions on the nature of such participation
and discussed the details of some cultural activities, including holding book
fairs and manuscript exhibitions bearing witness to the history of Islamic
civilization, folklore exhibitions, galleries, etc.
The two parties agreed to develop cooperation between
ICESCO and the Ministry in many fields and examined the creation of ICESCO
Chair for Opera in Egypt. The Egyptian Opera stands out from the rest of the international
opera houses thanks to its presentation of all forms of art, which makes it an
integrated cultural hub presenting arts for everyone.
Dr. Salim M.
AlMalik, Director General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egyptian Minister
of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chairman of the Egyptian National
Commission for Education, Science and Culture, signed the agreement for hosting
the 14th General Conference and 42nd Executive Council of
ICESCO at the Arab Republic of Egypt, on December 6-9, 2021.
Prior to the
signing ceremony, held at the Ministry’s Headquarters, in Cairo, in the
presence of Dr. Ghada Abdelbary, Secretary-General of the Egyptian National
Commission, Dr. AlMalik and Dr. Abdel Ghaffar explored the latest preparations
and the main activities planned in parallel with the General Conference and the
Executive Council of ICESCO.
The two parties reaffirmed
their commitment to ensuring the success of these two events that Egypt will
host for the first time, stressing that all means of comfort will be provided for
the participants.
After the signing
ceremony, the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
presented ICESCO Director-General with the Ministry’s shield.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Khaled El-Anany, Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, and together they explored ways to promote cooperation between ICESCO and Egypt in the field of preserving and safeguarding heritage.
During the meeting, held on Sunday, September
26, 2021, in Cairo, the two parties reviewed the latest developments regarding
the preparations for holding the International Conference on Combating Illicit Trafficking
of Cultural Property and its Restitution, scheduled to be held in Egypt. Both parties
reaffirmed the importance of setting a date for such a major event that would ensure
the wider participation of countries most affected by this phenomenon. Both Dr.
El-Anany and Dr. AlMalik highlighted the significance of the conference in
countering the illicit trafficking of cultural property and ensuring its
restitution to their original countries.
The meeting also underscored the
importance of cultural tourism, which would likely contribute to creating job
opportunities and provide revenues that could in turn be used in preserving and
safeguarding heritage. The meeting also discussed the inscription of more
Egyptian heritage sites on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List.
At the close of the meeting, ICESCO DG
presented Dr. El-Anany with the Certificate of Inscription of the Nilometer on
the Islamic World Heritage List, as part of some of Egypt’s historic sites and
cultural elements on the List.
Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic
World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr.Hala
Helmy El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development of the Arab
Republic of Egypt, discussed the prospects of joint cooperation between ICESCO
and the Ministry in the field of entrepreneurship, through the Rowad 2030
project, and programs of training and capacity-building for women and youth
with future skills.
During the meeting, held on Sunday, September 26, 2021,
Dr. AlMalik commended the efforts made by the Ministry of Planning in the field
of training and capacity-building of youth and the initiatives the Ministry
launched, stating that their success is not limited to Egypt only, but positively
affects several African countries. He expressed ICESCO’s readiness to cooperate
with the Ministry in the field of entrepreneurship and dissemination of its
culture in the Member States.
ICESCO DG stressed that the Organization’s vision and
work strategy attach great importance to the capacity-building of youth and women
and encourage them to become entrepreneurs. He added that “the Organization, in
cooperation with several donor institutions, has achieved great success in
supporting this field in many African countries and in spreading a culture of
innovation in the countries of the Islamic world.”
Dr. Hala Helmy El-Said reaffirmed the Ministry of
Planning’s keenness to build fruitful cooperation with ICESCO in several
fields, particularly entrepreneurship. She also noted that the Rowad 2030 project
revolves around stimulating and enriching the culture of innovation and
entrepreneurship as it offers specialized qualification programs in cooperation
with local and global major universities.
Dr. Helmy El-Said, equally, expressed her desire to transfer
the project’s experiences to the countries of the Islamic world, to implement
and launch the “One Million Entrepreneurs” campaign for the benefit
of the Organization’s Member States and to make it available in four languages:
Arabic, English, French, and sign language.
At the end of the meeting, the Egyptian Minister of
Planning presented the Ministry’s shield to ICESCO DG.
The remote training course on teaching and learning Arabic using
websites and electronic applications of ICESCO Educational Center in Malaysia
kicked off, on September 25, 2021. The training is held under the supervision
of the ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, in cooperation with the
Malaysian Ministry of Education, the International Islamic University College
Selangor, and the International Islamic University in Malaysia.
Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General (DG) for External
Centers and Academic Chairs on Arabic Language, represented ICESCO at the
opening ceremony, which saw the participation of Prof. Muhammad Fawzi Abdul,
representative of the Malaysian Ministry of Education, and Dr. Yakoub bin
Hassan, Director of ICESCO Educational Center in Malaysia.
In his address, Mr. Bouraoui reviewed the main educational aspects of ICESCO’s
new vision, the future prospects for ICESCO’s activities in the field of the
Arabic language, and its orientation to accelerate the transition of
educational institutions to artificial intelligence, including Arabic
educational institutions in Member States. He also commended the rich topics of
the training, which include three workshops, and highlights many teaching and
learning websites and applications.
135 Malaysian Arabic language female and male teachers from the States of
Sabah, Sembilan, Kelantan, and Johor, are participating in the training. Three
Malaysian experts specialized in educational technology, namely Prof. Dr.
Muhammad Sabri bin Shahrir, Mr. Muhammad Ferdaous bin Yahya and Mr. Muhammad
Naqib bin Ismail, will supervise the training. Dr. Yakoub bin Hassan will
ensure the organizational aspects of the training, in coordination with the ICESCO
Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the
Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and
Dr. Ghada Abdel Bari, Secretary-General of the Egyptian National Commission for
Education, Science and Culture, paid a visit to the new administrative capital
of the Arab Republic of Egypt on Saturday, September 25, 2021, to examine the
facilities prepared to host ICESCO’s General Conference and the Executive
Council in December 2021.
ICESCO DG also inspected the halls and facilities of
the Conference venue and took stock of the arrangements made to host Member
States’ delegations and the Organization’s General Directorate.
In this connection, Dr. AlMalik commended the
preparations and high-level arrangements made to host the proceedings of the
Organization’s Executive Council, as well as the General Conference which Egypt
is hosting for the first time in the Organization’s history.
Dr. Salim AlMalik,
Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (ICESCO), visited the National Museum of the Egyptian Civilization
in the Fustat area in Cairo, where he listened to a presentation from museum officials about the collection
of Egyptian civilization from all ages, notably the Royal Mummies’ Hall, which
includes the mummies of twenty kings and queens from ancient Egypt.
During the visit to the museum,
which is part of the activities of his visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr.
AlMalik was accompanied by Dr. Ghada Abdelbary, Secretary-General of the
Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.
During the visit, ICESCO DG
expressed his admiration for the museum’s large collection of Egyptian Civilization
treasures from different ages. The
museum is the first of its kind in Egypt and the Arab world as it contains
fifty thousand artifacts that reflect the stages of the development of Egyptian
civilization, in addition to a presentation of the achievements of Egyptians in
various fields of life.
At the kind invitation of Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chairman of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), attended the meeting of the Supreme Council of Egyptian Universities, hosted at the University of Helwan, on Saturday, September 25, 2021.
Dr. Abdel Ghaffar started the meeting with an address, wherein he welcomed ICESCO DG and highlighted the potential areas of cooperation between the Egyptian universities, ICESCO and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), explaining that Dr. AlMalik, FUIW Secretary-General, has a vision that will ensure a fresh start for the Federation. Afterward, Dr. Maged Negm, President of Helwan University, welcomed ICESCO DG and the heads of the participating Egyptian universities. Dr. Ghada Abdelbary, Secretary-General of the Egyptian National Commission, gave a presentation on ICESCO and the cooperation programs with Egypt, including the organization General Conference and Executive Council of ICESCO next December.
At the beginning of his address, Dr. AlMalik expressed his happiness to attend the meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities in the Arab Republic of Egypt, which is the hub of knowledge and scientific and cultural heritage, stressing that it is ripe time to modernize higher education and its structures. He underscored that “the 21st Century University must be in line with various changes to overcome the current challenges as digitization has brought about a profound transformation in learning and working methods, the mentalities of young people and students, and the environment and professions of today and tomorrow.”
Besides, Dr. Al-Malik called on the Egyptian universities that are not members of the FUIW to join the Federation to expand the scope of cooperation between universities in the Islamic World, especially on matters relevant to artificial intelligence, open science, remote education, and review of curricula to keep up with current changes.
In appreciation of his efforts to develop ICESCO and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World, Dr. Abdel Ghaffar presented Dr. Al Malik with the shield of the Supreme Council of Universities. Dr. Negm also handed Dr. Al Malik the shield of Helwan University respectively in appreciation of his visit to the University and his participation in the meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities.
After the meeting, ICESCO DG toured the Arts and Culture Complex at Helwan University, which includes more than 2,000 various pieces of art. Dr. Ashraf Reda, CEO of the Complex, reviewed the history, establishment and collection of the Complex.