Category: News update

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in spreading technical awareness, enriching technical Arabic content, and exchanging expertise to promote policies pertinent to smart technologies, artificial intelligence, big data, and innovation policies.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, and Engineer Haitham bin Abdulrahman Al-Ohali, Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, signed the memorandum of understanding in Cairo during the 14th General Conference of ICESCO held on December 8-9, 2021, and hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The memorandum of understanding seeks to step up cooperation in exchanging expertise in the development of professionals’ leadership, practical and technical skills in the fields of artificial intelligence, smart technologies and innovation. It also aims to further cooperation in the preparation of joint research papers in these fields, promote the exchange of best practices for the advancement of scientific research and emerging technologies, contribute to supporting artificial intelligence projects, ICESCO Digital Home initiative and the Organization’s digital cultural project.

Other objectives of the memorandum include the commitment of the Ministry to provide ICESCO’s beneficiary Member States access to the “Attaa Digital” initiative and develop the relevant platform based on their public policies, jointly promote the initiative’s activities, transfer the necessary expertise and practices to the working team in each Member State, and share statistics relating to the initiative’s activities participants and beneficiaries. In this respect, ICESCO will make the necessary legal arrangements to launch the initiative, determine the official entity in charge of managing the platform and following up on its performance, help publicize the initiative and engage a legal expert from the Organization to provide advisory services to the entity responsible for implementing the initiative.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), H.H. Sheikh Rashed bin Hamdan Al Maktoum, and Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, presented awards to winners of the First and Second Editions of Hamdan-ICESCO Prize for Voluntary Development of Education Facilities in the Islamic World.

The award ceremony was held during the 14th Session of ICESCO General Conference, hosted by Egypt, under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Launched by ICESCO and the Foundation to promote voluntary initiatives and charitable work in the field of education, the Prize is awarded biennially to three winners who each receive the Prize Shield and a monetary reward, which is to be used in supporting and developing the winning project or work. 

The winners of the First Edition were as follow: “Fa’il Khir Project,” with support from tie Islamic Development Bank (IsDB); the Project of “Information Technology Faculty as Birzeit University and Other Projects in Palestine,” with support from Munib Rasheed Al-Masri Foundation; and the “Schools in the Emirati Jordanian Camp Project,” with support from the Emirati Red Crescent (ERC).

As for the Second Edition, the winners were as follows: “To brighten their Future Project for Developing Educational Institutions and Curricula,” with support from the International Charity Organization in Ajman, UAE; the “Educational Hubs Projects,” with support from Abdul Aziz, Mohammed, Abdullatif Aljabr Charity Organization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and the “Project of Teaching Arabic in a Bilingual Education System in Chad,” with support from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). The Second Edition saw the participation of 37 candidates from the Arab, Asian and African regions. 

Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Coursera, Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help learners across the countries of the Islamic World develop high-demand digital skills at scale. ICESCO and Coursera plan to launch the Future Pioneers Project, in January 2022, to provide selected access to world-class online learning and the Future Skills Learning Programme to upskill ICESCO’s leadership team.

Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), and Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO at Coursera, signed the MoU on the sidelines of the 14th Session of the ICESCO General Conference held on December 8 and 9, 2021 in Cairo, Egypt under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

“Working with Coursera will support youth and our staff in acquiring the contemporary skills they need to succeed in their future careers,” said Dr. AlMalik, noting that “this partnership will provide invaluable support as ICESCO enters a new pivotal period in its history, and serves as an international beacon in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.”

From his part, Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO at Coursera stated that “the accelerated adoption of online learning during the pandemic has created new opportunities to develop digital skills at unprecedented speed and scale.” He also added, “We are honored to partner with ICESCO to help youth across the Islamic states develop the skills and credentials needed to advance their education and careers in the new economy.”

The provisions of the MoU aim to further ICESCO’s mission to assist countries of the Islamic World by nurturing tomorrow’s decision-makers, sharing expertise, optimizing development policies, and building systems of innovation and knowledge. The ICESCO-Coursera initiative will equip learners from the countries of the Islamic world and ICESCO’s staff with the entrepreneurial, digital, and technological skills required to drive innovation and leadership across the Islamic world and unlock the next generation of talent. Through the Coursera for Campus platform, learners will have access to more than 5,000 high-quality online courses from over 250 leading university and industry partners worldwide. Course content will also be available in English, Arabic, and French, and the pilot will run until the end of March 2022.

Proceedings of the second day of the 14th General Conference of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt, under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, kicked off today, December 9, 2021, with the participation of forty-nine (49) out of ICESCO’s fifty-one (51) Member States.

The agenda of the second and last day of the Conference includes several working sessions on issues relating to education, science, technology and culture, and features addresses by the heads of the participating delegations. It also includes the approval of the members of the ICESCO Executive Council and the decisions adopted by the Executive Council’s 40th, 41st and 42nd sessions, as well as the determination of the time and venue of the 15th Session of the ICESCO General Conference.

The Conference kicked off on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, with an opening session, during which Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, delivered an address wherein he welcomed the participating delegations, wishing for a successful Conference that would hopefully yield outcomes leading to further development in the Islamic world and the promotion of its role in leading the educational, scientific, cultural and technological fields.

The Egyptian Minister expressed his great confidence in ICESCO’s wise decisions and ability to expand its impact and multiply its achievements. He also praised the Organization’s approach of modernization and development towards its Member States, noting that the Conference is a good opportunity to strengthen bonds of cordiality and fraternity between the leaders and peoples of the Islamic world.

In his address, Dr. Ali Zeidan Abu Zuhri, President of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, President of the 13th General Conference of ICESCO, commended the Organization’s pivotal role and diligent efforts in meeting its Member States’ needs in the educational, scientific and cultural fields. “ICESCO was able to harmonize and coordinate the efforts of Muslim countries. It succeeded in reinforcing cooperation among them on the development of innovation and the exchange of knowledge and expertise in the fields of artificial intelligence applications and modern science,” added Dr. Abu Zuhri.

He also hailed the Organization’s programmes and projects for the benefit of the State of Palestine and Al-Quds, and the inscription of Palestinian monuments and landmarks on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List.

In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, reiterated his gratitude and appreciation to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, for hosting ICESCO’s 42nd Executive Council and 14th General Conference. He extended his heartfelt thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and the Crown Prince, for nominating him for the post of the Director-General of ICESCO, thanking all Member States for their trust.

Dr. AlMalik reviewed the initiatives through which the Organization has made a difference by supporting Member States’ efforts in the fields of education, science and culture, instituting profound structural reforms, and crafting a strategic vision that enabled ICESCO to become a leading Organization at the international arena. “ICESCO has undertaken several developmental measures, most notably the amendment of its Charter, Internal Regulations and Organizational Structure, and the elaboration of the task descriptions of its sectors, departments and centers as well as the job descriptions of its staff members. ICESCO has also attracted highly qualified competencies, creating a legal department in charge of controlling the Organization’s working procedures using an institutional and rights-based approach, digitizing the working system, modernizing its mechanisms in accordance with transparency and quality standards, developing the Organization’s media department, in addition to establishing specialized centers for capacity building in ICESCO’s fields of competence,” noted ICESCO DG.

In conclusion, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the international certifications and prizes that ICESCO has recently received, noting that they represent powerful incentives to intensify improvement and development efforts to serve the Member States and contribute to the fulfillment of their peoples’ aspirations for sustainable development and prosperity.

ICESCO signed a set of partnership and cooperation agreements with different partners and awarded the ICESCO-Hamdan Prize for the Development of Education Facilities in the Islamic World to the winners.

H.E. Mr. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, opened today, Wednesday 8 December 2021, the General Conference of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Global Forum for Higher Education and Scientific Research, both hosted by Egypt under his high patronage.

The opening ceremony brought together high caliber personalities including ministers of education, culture and scientific research as well as the delegations of ICESCO Member States.

  In his opening remarks,  Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, stated that Egypt’s hosting of these two major events reflects the Republic’s keenness and commitment to share expertise and knowledge, in the spirit of honoring the principle of joint action and promoting cooperation and coordination among international and regional institutions and organizations sharing the same competences. The Minister added that Egypt is dedicated to investing in education, science and culture and keeping up with economic change, building competitive capacities in the labor market, and promoting the skills of the jobs of the future, in light of the continuous digital changes the world is undergoing.  

In addition, Dr. Abdel Ghaffar highlighted the technological revolutions the world is witnessing, particularly the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which capitalizes on digital knowledge, AI applications, robotics, and the Fifth Revolution, which invests in autonomous intelligence and use of modern technology to address pressing issues such as pollution, global warming, desertification, in total harmony between the human and the machine and in service of development goals. 

In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), thanked the Arab Republic of Egypt for hosting the 42nd Session of the Executive Council, expressing his gratitude to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for his high patronage of these two major events. The DG also commended the progress scored by the field of higher education in Egypt and the modernization efforts to upgrade its institutions in quest to achieve Vision 2030 Goals and keep up with global digital transformations.

The DG noted that universities play a pivotal role as they are innovation incubators, contemporary knowledge, creativity, and production platforms, stressing the need to anticipate the future by focusing on its requirements and scenarios, investing in the sciences of the future, according due attention to AI applications and investing in space sciences given their roles in shaping sustainable development paths. 

Dr. AlMalik stated that there are a number of key elements every 21st-century university should possess to keep up with current development and changes. These include, he further explained, the ability to have sufficient freedom and autonomy, sustain funding resources, build young people’s capacities in the fields of the jobs of the future, and build local and international sustainable partnerships with economic, industrial and technological institutions. He also underlined the need to upgrade the working mechanisms of the universities of the Islamic world and invest in human capital as a key development indicator. 

At the close of his address, the DG reiterated the commitment of ICESCO and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) to support the efforts of the universities of the Islamic world to achieve sustainable development goals and develop cooperation and complementary mechanisms between Member Universities. He also conveyed ICESCO and the FUIW’s readiness to build smart partnerships, expressing his hope that the Member States’ universities can join the ranks of prominent and world-renowned universities by 2030.

Following the address, ICESCO DG present ICESCO Shield, “Long Live Egypt, the New Republic” to President El-Sisi, before proceeding to the first scientific session of the Global Forum for Higher Education and Scientific Research, which the President attended. The session focused on the prospects of technological advancements, jobs of the future, and the importance of foresight.  It was moderated by Dr. Abdel Ghaffar and featured the participation of Dr. AlMalik.

Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Ines Abdel-Dayem, Minister of Culture of the Arab Republic of Egypt, proclaimed Cairo as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2022 during a press conference held at the Cairo Opera House on Tuesday, December 7, 2021.

In her address, Dr. Ines Abdel-Dayem expressed her delight at the choice of Cairo as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2022, emphasizing that this proclamation affirms the symbolic value held by the city. “Cairo is a long-standing crossroads of cultures and a hub for creativity, thought and arts. The city’s landmarks and monuments reflect different aspects of the human civilization in general and the Islamic heritage in particular,” noted the Egyptian minister.

Dr. Ines Abdel-Dayem commended ICESCO’s implementation of its distinguished Celebration of Islamic World Culture Capitals Program (CIWCC) and its efforts to harness all effective mechanisms for the promotion of relationships among these capitals.

The Egyptian minister noted that communication will be established, through ICESCO, with those in charge of the celebration program of Rabat as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2022 to ensure synergy and coordination among the programmes held in Egypt and Morocco as part of the celebrations and share the activities between the two countries.

She also underlined the importance of these celebrations in providing a true portrayal of the Islamic civilization and promoting coexistence, tolerance, and communication between populations.

She pointed out that the celebration program of Cairo as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World, to be launched in mid-February 2022, will last throughout the year and will include a rich programme prepared by the various sectors of the Ministry of Culture in coordination with ICESCO.

In his address, Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, emphasized the importance of intensifying coordinated efforts and harnessing all capacities for according due consideration to the celebration of Cairo as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2020 and raising it to the level befitting the status of this ancient historical and cultural capital.

He noted that the celebration of Cairo as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic world was scheduled for 2020, but was postponed due to the exceptional circumstances imposed by the COVID- 19 pandemic. “This forced postponement gave us additional time to review, develop and enrich the initial celebration program with more cultural and artistic activities and programmes. We were able to widen our circle of local and regional partners and benefit from the new developmental amendments introduced to the Celebration of Islamic World Culture Capitals Program (CIWCC) by the Organization’s General Directorate,” explained ICESCO DG.

Dr. AlMalik praised the cultural and civilizational assets that make Cairo a capital of culture in the Islamic world, notably its abundant tangible, intangible and natural heritage, noting that the city represents a major meeting point of various civilizations and an open world heritage museum displaying several ancient and modern monuments from different eras.“ In addition to being home to numerous cultural institutions and hosting some of the most important cultural festivals and events, book fairs, and theatrical performances, Cairo also has several cultural facilities where intellectuals, artists, and creators meet,” he added. 

Celebrations of Cairo and Rabat as Capitals of Culture in the Islamic World are part of ICESCO’s Celebration of Islamic World Culture Capitals Program (CIWCC) which seeks the promotion of the cultural heritage of several Member States’ capitals, and the regeneration of cultural activity in the celebrated capitals by highlighting the role of their new cultural facilities and monuments as spaces for cultural and creative gatherings and promoting cooperation among the celebrated capitals in other regions of the Islamic world.

Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met Dr. Aibek Artykbaev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, and discussed aspects of joint cooperation between ICESCO and Kyrgyzstan in the fields of education, through participation in the preparation of religious curricula and its inclusion in all educational levels in Kyrgyz public schools.

The meeting, which took place today, Tuesday, December 7, 2021, is held on the sidelines of the 14th General Conference of ICESCO due to be held on December 8 and 9, in Cairo, the Arab Republic of Egypt, under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

During the meeting, Dr. Al-Malik affirmed ICESCO’s readiness to cooperate with the Kyrgyz government in training and qualifying teachers on how to develop religious curricula for government schools and participate in preparing them to suit all educational levels. He also suggested that the President of the Kyrgyz Republic be a guest of honor in one of ICESCO’s upcoming international conferences.

For his part, Dr. Aibek Artykbaev expressed the Kyrgyz government’s keenness to cooperate with ICESCO in preparing religious curricula and including them for the first time in schools, and to employ several Kyrgyz competencies at the Organization, to allow them to strengthen their capacities and develop their expertise.

Dr. Aibek Artykbaev pointed out that the Kyrgyz Republic is fully prepared to pay the arrears of its contribution to ICESCO’s budget and to benefit from the initiative offered by the Organization to allocate a large proportion of these sums for the implementation of programs and projects for the benefit of Kyrgyzstan. He also invited the Director-General of ICESCO to visit Kyrgyzstan.

Mr. Omarbek Gabarov, Advisor to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Aydin Kalmatov, Attaché of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also attended the meeting.