Category: News update

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), held a working session with Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and together explored the latest developments on promoting cooperation and the ongoing preparation for Egypt’s hosting of the Organization’s General Conference and Executive Council in December 2021.

During the meeting held, today, Saturday, September 25, 2021, in Cairo, in the presence of Dr. Ghada Abdel Bari, Secretary-General of the Egyptian National Commission, the two parties discussed the key programs and activities to be implemented in 2021-2022 in Egypt in cooperation between ICESCO and said Commission.

Moreover, the meeting discussed the latest preparations for ICESCO General Conference, to be held next December in Egypt for the first time in the history of the Organization. The Conference will see the participation of international personalities who will take part in the different activities to be held on the sidelines of the Conference.

The two parties also explored cooperation between Egyptian universities and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), within the framework of the Federation’s new strategy and development plan.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), is taking part in the meeting of the Supreme Council of Universities, in the Arab Republic of Egypt, at the invitation of Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chairman of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.

ICESCO DG participates in this meeting in his capacity as Secretary-General of the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW). The meeting which is due to be held on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at the Arts and Culture Complex, Helwan University in Cairo, will focus on sharing expertise between the Egyptian universities and the FUIW and inviting non-member Egyptian universities to join the Federation.

This meeting is part of the visit of ICESCO DG to Cairo, which will last from 24 until 27 September 2021, during which he will meet several senior Egyptian officials to explore the prospects of cooperation between the two parties, the activities ICESCO suggested to implement in Egypt in 2021-2022, and the preparations for the General Conference and the Executive Council of the Organization that the Arab Republic of Egypt will host on December 6-9, 2021.

The Headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in Rabat, witnessed, on Thursday, September 23, 2021, the closing ceremony of the ICESCO Program for Leadership Training in Peace and Security (LTIPS) for women and youth. The meeting announced the code of engagement of ICESCO Youth Ambassadors for Peace, and distributed certificates to members of the cohort from more than 20 countries, who are now official peace ambassadors of ICESCO.

The closing ceremony of LTIPS, implemented in partnership with UNESCO Maghreb Office, the Conference of Education Ministers of French-speaking Countries (CONFEMEN), the Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports of French-speaking Countries (CONFEJES), and Luanda Conference brought together officials and ambassadors from various countries and the representatives of a group of international organizations and bodies both at ICESCO headquarters, in Rabat, and via videoconference.

In his opening address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), stressed that peace is an essential component of the Islamic civilization, which is a prerequisite for building a prosperous society. He underscored that “it is not possible to build and form an active human capital capable of handling challenges without peace and security.”

Dr. AlMalik also pointed out that ICESCO has become a leading Organization in building peace and security through building its multiple partnerships, and its strategy based on integrating peace issues in the fields of education, noting that ICESCO’s LTIPS aims to focus on the essential role of youth and women as builders of peace and security in their communities.

Mr. Tun Musa bin Hitam, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, highlighted the importance of women and youth training programs to form peace ambassadors who contribute to building peaceful and secure societies, calling for cooperation between all parties to alleviate the suffering of displaced people in conflict areas.

In a speech delivered on his behalf by Dr. Mustapha Messaoudi, Secretary-General of the Ministry, Mr. Othman El Ferdaous, Moroccan Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, commended ICESCO’s initiative to train women and youth leaders as active parties in building peace and citizenship. Dr. Faisal bin Muaammar, Secretary-General of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICED), called for intensifying cooperation to implement similar training programs that promote a culture of peace and security.

Mr. ElHadj As Sy, Chairman of the Board of Kofi Annan Foundation, congratulated ICESCO on the success of its training program, calling for concerted efforts to combat violence. Dr. Abdel Rahmane Baba-Moussa, Secretary-General of CONFEMEN, stressed the importance of improving the quality of education as an essential way to build safe societies. Mr. Modibo Traoré, Deputy Secretary-General of CONFEJES, indicated that the conference programs aim to consolidate the principles of peace and social cohesion through sports activities.

Mr. Salah Khaled, Director of UNESCO’s Regional Office for Central Africa, commended the ICESCO’s program aimed at promoting peace and security through training youth and women.

Afterward, the code of engagement of ICESCO Youth Ambassadors for Peace was read out in the three languages ​​of the Organization, which stipulates the commitment of the young ambassadors to take the necessary measures to spread peace and security while addressing all forms of violence and extremism, focusing on women and youth in building peace, and refraining from promoting any political agenda or taking any political stance that would undermine the efforts and missions of ICESCO and its partners.

During the ceremony, four members of the 2021 cohort of the ICESCO training program received the Peace Leadership Support Award, and 30 cohort members from more than 20 countries received certificates of participation to officially become ICESCO Ambassadors for Peace.

At the close of the ceremony, the winners of the Peace Leadership Support Award presented their projects. Besides, the participants discovered the future stages of ICESCO’s LTIPS program.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, received the Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Morocco, Mr. Armando Barucco. The meeting explored prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and Italy in the fields of education, science and culture.

At the outset of the meeting, held on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, ICESCO DG expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Italian government for the good organization of the G20 Interfaith Forum 2021, held in Bologna. The Ambassador, in his turn, stated that one of the reasons for his visit to ICESCO is to thank Dr. AlMalik for his distinguished participation in the Forum’s activities.

 ICESCO DG reviewed the main axes of the Organization’s vision and action strategy, stressing that ICESCO adopted an open-door policy to all countries, international organizations, and bodies to forge partnerships for the benefit of its Member States and Muslim communities around the world. He also highlighted the Organization’s interest in civilizational dialogue and its effort in anchoring the values ​​of coexistence and peace and training and building capacities for youth and women.

Dr. AlMalik stated that safeguarding heritage and restoring cultural artifacts are among the fields that have broad prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and Italy. The latter is known for its ancient civilization, invaluable heritage treasures, and distinguished expertise especially in utilizing modern technologies.

The Italian ambassador to Rabat commended the roles of ICESCO, stressing his keenness to build fruitful cooperation between the Organization and Italy, home to a large Muslim community consisting of Muslim immigrants and others born there. He also stated that Italy is currently working on the establishment of an Islamic library in Palermo, which will be one of the largest Islamic libraries in Europe.

The meeting brought together several ICESCO’s heads of sector and department, who gave presentations on the ongoing programs and projects of their sectors and departments.

     The participants in the International Webinar on international assessments and their role in improving the quality of education stressed the importance of these international assessments and tests for drawing lessons to improve education systems and support the relevant policies and initiatives in the Islamic world.

The webinar that the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC), in Saudi Arabia, held via videoconference, on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, under the title “How International Large-Scale Assessments from the Past 20 Years can Inform Policy and Practice: Global Lessons to Improve Education Quality,” witnessed the participation of high-profile education officials from many countries, as well as international experts in education and international assessments.

In his address at the opening session, Dr. Khalid Bin Abdullah Al-Sabti, Chairman of ETEC Board of Directors, indicated that education has become the key factor in the economy, adding that modern technology requires the positive interaction of individuals and further national projects to develop high-quality educational systems to prepare young people for the labor market.

Dr. Al-Sabti noted the importance of the “Human Capacity Development Program” that Saudi Arabia has launched for developing an educational base for all citizens, providing lifelong learning opportunities, and meeting the future labor requirements. He underlined that “cross-country comparisons are among the advantages of international assessment studies. They can serve as incentives to enhance education quality and achieve better results.”

In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), stressed that education plays a pivotal role in building the future and constitutes the driving force for progress and security in societies, and cohesion among individuals. He added that international assessments are essential tools for evaluating education systems and a key indicator for assessing students’ skills and performance in basic subjects. Dr. AlMalik also underscored that “ICESCO is keen on ensuring the participation of the largest number of countries in the Islamic world in international assessments taking into account that the Organization intends to conduct studies on the international assessment data of each Member State to ensure better education.”

ICESCO DG pointed out the need to reconsider educational systems from a forward-looking perspective to develop educational policies and programs in line with international standards of quality and excellence, and adopt technology and artificial intelligence in schools of the future to contribute to the sustainable development in Muslim countries.

The first session touched upon how international student assessments like PISA and TIMSS can inform policy and practice to improve education quality: key learning from international assessments over the last 20 years. The second session reviewed the international models from Portugal, Chile, Estonia, and Poland to present evidence from countries that have improved in terms of their performance in international assessments, to understand how they have utilized the data that they collect from international assessments for evidence-based policymaking.

In the third session, the participants explored the participation of ICESCO Member States in international assessments to determine the common factors that affect students’ achievement and performance scores, through examples from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, and Morocco. The closing session discussed the future roadmap for developing educational policy and improving the quality of education based on the results of international assessments.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture launched the free distribution of sanitizers and prevention materials produced within the framework of the project for countering the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic developing entrepreneurial spirit among women and youth. The project was implemented in partnership with Alwaleed Philanthropies for the benefit of 10 African countries, including the Kingdom of Morocco.

In his address at the launching ceremony, held on September 21, 2021, at the Commission’s headquarters in Rabat, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), stressed that empowering women and girls, who are the most affected by this pandemic, has significantly contributed to mitigating the ensuing repercussions, particularly through the production of necessary prevention materials and sanitizers. He also reaffirmed the need to ensure the sustainability of income and training of girls taking part in this project.

Dr. AlMalik indicated that ICESCO has proclaimed 2021 as the Year of Women under the theme “Women for the Future”, an initiative celebrated under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. He also expressed his thanks and appreciation to Alwaleed Philanthropies Foundation, a supporting partner in this promising project, and to the Moroccan National Commission for its interest and action to implement this project, as well as the cooperatives that ensured the participation of women and girls in the project.

Dr. Said Amzazi, Minister of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chairman of the Commission, in his speech delivered on his behalf by Mr. Jamal Eddine El Aloua, Secretary-General of the Commission, said that the project was a success. Mr. El Aloua stressed the importance of this project in supporting the productive units of the informal sector to empower them to improve their working methods and help them have access to the formal sector, and enable the vulnerable categories to benefit from masks, sanitizers, liquid soaps, and floor cleaners, made within the framework of the project.

He thanked ICESCO and its DG for all the initiatives that truly embody the strategic partnership between the Organization and the National Commission, considering that this ceremony is the culmination of the efforts made by each participant to make this promising project a success, since its launch in November 2020.

During this ceremony, the representatives of the cooperatives benefiting from the project in different regions of Morocco delivered their respective speeches, wherein they expressed their thanks to the project organizers.

In this regard, Ms. Jamila Idbourrous, from the Union of Women’s Cooperatives of Argan Tree “Tissaliwine”, reaffirmed that the pandemic has negatively affected many of the argan products. She noted that this project has been an opportunity to diversify production to include sanitizers, and added that it has offered many opportunities for rural women to work in the region of Agadir.

Mr. Yassine Al Hara, from the company “Fast Clean Missour,” said that this project has allowed small cooperatives to modernize the equipment used in production, which has allowed them to increase this production and offer more jobs for women. Ms. Hassbia Nouari, from the company “Hassbia Fashion,” said that this project has made a leap forward in the field of sewing for the company, which has produced masks and provided many job opportunities for women.

At the end of the ceremony, ICESCO DG, the Secretary-General of the Commission, and the participants of the Moroccan National Commission, as well as the officials of the Social and Human Sciences Sector at ICESCO took a look at the products produced by the cooperatives in the framework of the project.