Category: News update

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held a preparatory session on the launch of the Futures Literacy Lab (FLL), which aims to publicize the new foresight approaches that can be used to improve understanding of pressing matters.

The organizers held the session on Thursday, July 1, 2021, face-to-face at ICESCO headquarters and via videoconference and brought together representatives of ICESCO Center for Strategic Foresight, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Francophone University Agency (AUF), and the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC). The session was also attended by several ICESCO interns.

In his address, Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of ICESCO Center for Strategic Foresight, stressed the importance of acquiring the skill of foresight in an ever-changing world. He added that the soon-to-be-launched Foresight Lab will be a step further towards building young people’s foresight capacities.

Dr. Riel Miller, Head of the Future Literacy Division at UNESCO, gave a presentation stating that FLLs are significantly important as they help develop concepts about the future and express relevant imaginative ideas. He also stressed the need to prepare for the future, with all the opportunities and challenges it entails.

Dr. Miller also stated that there are different types of “future,” most notably desirable and probable futures, highlighting the need to encourage the youth to build their foresight capacities to help give sense to the world around them. A discussion session followed Dr. Miller’s presentation where the UNESCO official answered the questions of participants.

ICESCO Center for Strategic Foresight also gave a presentation on the concept of co-design in futures literacy, an overview on the Lab, and a simulation of Phase 1 of “Exploring probable and desirable futures.”

Futures literacy is an acquired skill that helps overcome fear of the future. It also enables individuals, organizations and governments to understand the world and monitor variables.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated, via videoconferencing, in the regional workshop of UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education (RCQE), held on Tuesday, June 30, 2021, under the theme “Teaching Science and mathematics in Arab countries”. The event brought together intellectuals, experts and specialists representing several local, regional and international bodies.

The Workshop reviewed the outcomes of the scientific study which was conducted under the supervision of the RCQE on “Reality and Means of Developing Science and Mathematics Teaching in Arab Countries”. The study aimed to provide a forward-looking vision for the future of teaching science and mathematics in Arab countries through exploring the reality of teaching the two subjects at primary and elementary schools in Arab countries. The study targeted the following Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Bahrain, Lebanon while reference countries included Finland, England, Singapore and the United States of America.

The Workshop also discussed recommendations and suggestions likely to ensure the development of mathematics and science teaching at the level of primary and elementary schools in Arab countries.

Dr. Youssef Abou Daka, Mr. Aziz Elhajir and Dr. Ahmed El Zonfoli, Program Managers at ICESCO’s Sector of Education, represented the Organization in the Workshop.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the General Secretariat of the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture in the State of the United Arab Emirates held on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, via videoconference, a working session to discuss the programs and activities to be implemented in cooperation between ICESCO and several Emirati institutions. The working session focused on programs targeting women and brought together the representatives of the Ministry of Community Development, the Gender Balance Council, the Department of Community Development in Abu Dhabi, and the General Women Union.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General (DG), and Ms. Salma Darmaki, Secretary-General of the Emirati National Commission, chaired the working session with the participation of a number of ICESCO Advisers and Heads of Sectors and Departments.

In his address at the opening of the meeting, Dr. Benarafa reaffirmed that ICESCO’s proclamation of 2021 as the Year of Women, under the slogan “Women for the Future”, reflects the Organization’s commitment to women empowerment, noting that the Organization launched a number of initiatives that aim to highlight women’s leading roles in various walks of life.

Ms. Darmaki commended ICESCO’s efforts to promote the situation of women and hailed the Organization’s proclamation of 2021 as the Year of Women and its keenness to develop cooperation relations with UAE institutions.

Following the opening remarks, the representatives of the Ministry of Community Development, the Gender Balance Council, the Department of Community Development in Abu Dhabi, and the General Women Union gave overviews of their respective institutions’ history, strategic goals, working mechanisms, future action plans, and major programs and activities in progress.

ICESCO Heads of Sectors and Departments and advisors highlighted the major trends in the Organization’s vision and gave presentations on its strategic action plans and major sector-specific programs and activities that focus on supporting, empowering and building the capacities of women to enable them to assume their role as key element in achieving sustainable development. The ICESCO officials noted that such programs and initiatives can be the subject of cooperation between ICESCO and the Emirati institutions.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to select a number of practical and goal-oriented initiatives and programs. They also agreed to reconvene to lay down the executive plans of these initiatives and programs.  

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) International Workshop, held in partnership with the Iranian National Commission and Allameh Tabataba’i University in Iran, under the theme: “Urgent Call for Teachers’ Critical Assessment Literacy”, kicked off on Monday (June 28, 2021). The event benefited over 100 participants, including teachers, education experts, curriculum developers, educational planning and education quality staffs from several ICESCO Member States.

The Sector of Education and the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences at ICESCO supervise the two-day virtual workshop, which aims to contribute to a better understanding of assessment tools and relevant teaching methods, promote the importance of critical assessment as a key competence and share knowledge, expertise, and best practices among the participants.

During her presentation on the implications of COVID-19 on education systems, Ms. Zineb Iraqi, Supervisor of the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences at ICESCO, stressed the need to shift from emergency management, that the current circumstances imposed, to proactive strategic planning, provision of a framework for the implementation and management of structural changes, and the development of technology-based ecosystems for education in the future, while taking into consideration their rapid obsolescence and coping with the need for continuous training and learning.

Ms. Mitra Teymouri, Secretary-General of Iranian National Commission, praised the successful partnership between the Commission and ICESCO as well as the Organization’ constant support to educational programs. She underscored the importance of organizing such workshops which focus on highlighting the importance of assessment in ensuring quality education and enabling teachers to make rational decisions in the classroom.

Mr. Aziz Al-Hajir, Programs Manager at ICESCO Education Sector, highlighted the importance of the Organization’s new vision for teachers’ capacity building and its pivotal role in achieving the intended quality of education, thus contributing to the achievement of SDG4. Mr. Al-Hajir reaffirmed ICESCO’s constant support for the implementation of impactful education policies and the consolidation of the efforts of Member States to achieve quality education by 2030.

The training session on “Capacity-Building in Peace Education and the Socio-economic Empowerment of Women” that the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) organizes, in cooperation with the Conference of French-speaking Ministers of Youth and Sports (CONFEJES), kicked off on Monday, June 28, 2021. The event took place both via videoconferencing and at ICESCO Regional Center for Education on the Culture of Peace (CRECP), in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, with high-level participation.

The training, which falls within the framework of ICESCO’s Year of Women 2021 and the Leadership Training Program for Peace and Security, aims to train 40 local women leaders from 14 African countries in the fields of education on peace and women’s socio-economic empowerment, under the supervision of specialized international experts.

During the opening session, held under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, Ms. Ramata Almami Mbaye, Director of Human and Social Sciences Sector at ICESCO, expressed her happiness to represent the Organization at the activity given its importance in training future leaders, stressing the need to work hard to strengthen the capacities of women and youth to achieve sustainable development, peace and security.

Ms. Mbaye reaffirmed that ICESCO pays special attention to issues of peace and security, and it is keen to provide capacity-building programmes for young people and women while commending the cooperation between ICESCO and Côte d’Ivoire, which CRECP is one of its fruits.

Mr. Modibo Traoré, CONFEJES Secretary-General, praised the cooperation with ICESCO on issues of peace and the empowerment of women and youth.

For his part, Mr. Danho Paulin Claude, Minister of Sports, who attended the opening session on behalf of the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, highlighted the importance of ensuring peace while welcoming the joint initiative of ICESCO and CONFEJES.

On the sidelines of the two-day training, the ICESCO delegation will participate in the expert workshop on developing an MA program on artificial intelligence for peace and conflict avoidance, in partnership between CRECP and the National Polytechnic Institute in Yamoussoukro.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the Symposium on Scientific Diplomacy that the Pakistan Nuclear Society held, on Friday, June, 25, 2021, in cooperation with the Virtual University of Pakistan, Pakistan Academy of Sciences and the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event also brought together experts from several prestigious institutions of scientific research.

Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Science and Technology Sector at ICESCO, gave a presentation on “Scientific diplomacy in the Covid-19 era,” wherein he stressed the importance of scientific diplomacy, which is based on the exchange of scientific research experiences between different countries, especially on climate change, environment, food security, space and disease control. He noted that only through concerted joint efforts we can face challenges because sustainable development requires the development of global technologies and expertise stating the current global health crisis as a salient example.

Dr. Qamar added that it is necessary to build strategic dialogue and establish strong cooperation between all countries, regional and international organizations and civil society institutions in all fields to meet the needs and aspirations of humanity in times of crisis.