Category: News update

The Science and Technology Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Ben Guerir, Kingdom of Morocco, to explore avenues of cooperation in implementing the “Challenges and Opportunities of Metaverse” Project due to be launched by the Organization in cooperation with several research institutions and centers.

During the meeting, held on February 28, 2022, at the University headquarters, the two parties discussed the importance of this project that will contribute to developing modern technology in the Islamic world, renewing infrastructure and achieving overall development. The project is aimed at promoting new technologies and applications and their potential, as well as their risks and adverse implications on societies. The parties also emphasized the role of artificial intelligence and virtual reality in generating new cooperation opportunities and prospects in the social, economic, and cultural fields.

The meeting saw the participation of Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of ICESCO Science and Technology Sector, Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Advisor at the Sector, and Dr. Foued El-Ayni and Dr. Adel Smeda, Experts at the Sector, as well as Dr. Mohamed El-Saidi, Head of UM6P’s Virtual Reality Center and several members of his team.

After the meeting, the participants toured various facilities of the University, particularly the Virtual Reality Center and the School of Computer Science.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) holds an education workshop in Nouakchott, Mauritania on the values of moderation and middle stance and their integration mechanisms into educational curricula in cooperation with the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, under the patronage of Commission Chairman, Mokhtar Ould Dahi, Minister of Culture, Youth, Sports and Relations with Parliament of Mauritania.

The four-day workshop, which kicked off on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, will train inspectors, counselors and teachers in the educational sector on the best methods for teaching values and mechanisms for integrating them into school curricula, and help them acquire the necessary advanced skills to consolidate the values of moderation and middle stance in the educational curricula. It also aims to encourage communication and exchange of experiences between specialists and those interested in this field to enhance the role of educational institutions in developing a culture of peace.

The opening session saw the participation of Mr. Mohamed Ould Sidi Abdallah, Secretary-General of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and a representative of the Ministry of National Educational System Reform, as well as Dr. Youssef Abou Daka, Program Manager at ICESCO Education Sector, who stressed the importance of this workshop, aspiring to achieve its goals by consolidating education on the values of moderation and middle stance, strengthening the mechanisms of the integration of such values into the educational curricula in Mauritania, and developing the roles of its educational staff to develop a culture of peace.

The symposium’s sessions address the reality of Islamic values in contemporary educational curricula in Mauritania, and the mechanisms and methods for integrating Islamic values into school curricula, promoting Islamic values through Information and Communication Technologies, strengthening the role of civil society institutions in developing a culture of peace, and sharing participants’ experiences and their means of integrating values into educational curricula.

The Education Sector at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the regional educational symposium held by UNESCO Regional Center for Educational Planning, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, under the theme “Learning Loss during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Compensation and Remedial Policies”. The event aimed at reviewing successful experiences in solving the increasing rate of learning losses during the pandemic. It saw the participation of intellectuals, experts and specialists from several local, regional and international bodies.

During the opening session, held on Monday (February 28, 2022) via videoconference, Dr. Wajih Owais, Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research in Jordan, and Ms. Mahra Hilal Al Mutaiwee, Director of the Regional Center for Educational Planning in Sharjah, gave opening remarks.

The discussion touched on Covid learning loss in the Arab countries, the educational and economic impact of learning loss, and the regional and international experiences on measuring and compensating learning loss.
Mr. Aziz Al-Hajir and Dr. Ahmed Zanfali, Program Managers at ICESCO Education Sector, participated in the symposium.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication in the Kingdom of Morocco held a meeting to discuss arrangements for the celebration of Rabat as 2022 Culture Capital in the Islamic world.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, Deputy Director-General (DG), and Mr. Najib Riati, Cultural Advisor to the Director-General, and General Coordinator of the celebration of the Cultural Capitals Program in the Islamic World, represented ICESCO in the meeting, which was held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Rabat, on Monday, February 28, 2022. Representingthe Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication were Mr. Salah-Eddine Abkari, Adviser to the Minister, Ms. Samira Malizi, Director of Administrative and Financial Affairs at the Ministry and Mr. Mohammed Benyaacoub, Director of Arts at the Ministry.

The two parties emphasized the importance of this celebration, which was approved by His Majesty King Mohammed VI – may God assist him – of the Kingdom of Morocco, to highlight Rabat’s rich cultural heritage and its prominent international cultural institutions and activities, reflecting the values ​​of cultural diversity, dialogue and coexistence with its distinguished geographical location between Africa, Europe, the Arab and Islamic world and the Mediterranean region.

The meeting touched upon arrangements for the celebration, namely the composition of the Higher Commission, the preparation of the general program throughout the year, the partners from the relevant ministries and government sectors and the relevant cultural institutions. At the outset of this meeting the two parties determined the official launch day for the celebration.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the closing ceremony of the ICESCO-funded project “Enjoy Your Life with Music” Project, organized in Gaza by the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science in partnership with Al-Sununu Association for Culture and Arts. The project is aimed at improving the mental health of Gaza’s children, particularly those who have been exposed to violence and suffer from post-traumatic stress, through music therapy as a means of creative expression with various psychological benefits that help unlock children’s full potential.

Dr. Mohammed Zine El Abidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture and Communication Sector, represented the Organization at the ceremony held on Saturday, February 26, 2022, via videoconference. In his statement, Dr. Zine El Abidine emphasized the need for a peaceful and serene world, free from conflict and hostility, noting that music is a universal language we all understand that has deep philosophical roots and appeals to the mind and soul.

“ICESCO endeavors to promote peace and believes in the role of young people in peace-building, a strong conviction that was translated into numerous programmes geared towards training youth and building their capacities in various areas, namely in anchoring peace and coexistence and promoting technology, innovation, and strategic foresight,” added Dr. Zine El Abidine.

At the close of the ceremony, Al-Sununu Association for Culture and Arts offered its shield to Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), in recognition of his efforts and appreciation of the Organization’s support to this programme. Dr. Dawas Dawas, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, Chairman of ICESCO’s Executive Council, received the shield on behalf of ICESCO DG.

Within the framework of the activities of ICESCO Chair on “Women in Science: Artificial Intelligence and the Future” at the Euro-Mediterranean University, in Fez, Kingdom of Morocco, the Chair, in cooperation with the Regional Academy of Education and Training of Guelmim-Oued Noun Region, organized two training sessions for girls of Guelmim-Oued Noun Region, under the theme “Inspiring future young women to become women leaders in artificial intelligence,” to encourage girls to study digital engineering and artificial intelligence.

The two training sessions, which started on Saturday (February 26, 2022), and last for two days, in two primary schools, will benefit 100 girls aged 7-10. Dr. Maha Kamira, who is in charge of the Chair, designed the training program to develop the critical and creative thinking of the beneficiary girls by tackling current issues related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics such as machine learning, data science, the Internet of Things and technological infrastructures.

Dr. Kamira emphasized that this initiative aims to bridge the gender gap in technology, noting that digital inclusion and literacy enhance the contributions of girls and women in key areas such as gender equality and climate action.

She added that age is a decisive factor in orientation, stressing the need to integrate the educational and awareness-raising dimension about artificial intelligence in educational curricula to provide information for young girls on the field.

In May 2021, ICESCO and the Euro-Mediterranean University signed an agreement to establish the ICESCO Chair on “Women in Science: Artificial Intelligence and the Future” at the University, to promote scientific research in the field of artificial intelligence, and encourage the participation of girls and women in this field through training, workshops and doctoral research, as well as enshrining the culture of foresight.

The General Directorate of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) extends its sincere condolences to the academic community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic world, and the family of Dr. Saleh Al-Hajoori. The Saudi Scholar passed away after completing his last scientific work with ICESCO within the framework of the “Specialized Studies” project, which was supervised by the ICESCO Center of Arabic Language for Non-Arabic Speakers, and culminated in nine academic studies in the field of teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers in 2021.

Dr. Al-Hajoori worked as a professor of Applied Linguistics at the Arabic Language Institute for Speakers of Other Languages of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He co-authored the book “Language Weaknesses among non-Arabic Speaking Learners: Manifestations, Extent, and Solutions” with Dr. Ali Abdul Mohsen Al-Hudaibi. The book consists of four chapters and delves into the major language weaknesses exhibited by non-Arabic speaking learners namely when listening to, speaking, reading, and writing the Arabic language, explores the extent of these weaknesses among students with varying language levels and suggests solutions to fix them.

The book provides a set of scientifically-founded suggestions and recommendations that should contribute to fixing language weaknesses among non-Arabic speaking learners.

We beseech Allah the Almighty to bless the deceased with His mercy and generous forgiveness.

Surely we belong to Allah and to Him, we shall return.