Category: News update

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) mourned the passing of President of Chad, His Excellency Idriss Deby, may Allah rest his soul, today, April 20, 2021.

ICESCO commended the role of the late President in developing his country and supporting culture and literature, and his keenness on cooperation with the Organization in its fields of action, as well as his distinguished participation in the high-level international virtual forum that ICESCO held on July 21, 2020, in cooperation with the Islamic World League and the World Council of Muslim Communities, under the theme “Role of Religious Leaderships in the Face of Crises.”

On his part, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, on behalf of all the Organization’s staff, expressed his deep condolences to the family of the deceased and the people and government of Chad, on the death of H.E. President Idriss Deby, may Allah rest his soul, stating that he learned of his death with great sorrow beseeching Allah Almighty to have mercy on him and grant him the highest paradise.

Since its establishment on April 18th, 1982 on the proposal of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the celebration of the International Day for Monuments and Sites is an opportunity to highlight the richness, diversity, and originality of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the Islamic world countries. The celebration is also an occasion for the general public to discover the richness and diversity that characterize world heritage and the archaeological sites whose features have been defined in all parts of the globe, highlighting the relentless efforts made, as part of international agreements and declarations related to the protection of cultural and natural heritage, in order to maintain, preserve and promote heritage.

In this context, it should be recalled that ICESCO today attaches great importance to preserving cultural heritage, raising awareness of its role, and alerting to the threats of vandalism against heritage during crises, on top of which is the current global health crisis. This was evident in several achievements and many reference documents, all of which pinpoint the need for urgent action and the establishment of a contract between public sectors, international and regional organizations, and civil society institutions to develop a joint roadmap to protect cultural heritage.

Since 2019, ICESCO has also deployed a strategy based on a more comprehensive and realistic vision for preserving cultural heritage in the Islamic world. To this end, it has provided the necessary means of action, foremost of which is the approval of the establishment of the Islamic World Heritage Center, the development of the work mechanisms, the expansion of the functions, and enhancement of the roles of the Islamic World Heritage Committee, especially about inscribing heritage sites on the Islamic World Heritage List. Moreover, ICESCO set up an observatory for heritage protection to monitor the situation of heritage in the Islamic world and threats thereto and formed the Heritage Projects Fund, which will help provide the necessary support to the parties in charge of heritage protection in the Member States.
The celebration of this day in 2021 comes in very exceptional circumstances in light of the Covid-19 pandemic which forced more than half of the world’s population to stay in their homes and caused the closure of most archaeological sites, historical monuments, and museums, which were previously open to visitors. ICESCO has introduced several comprehensive initiatives in the cultural field to provide alternatives to in-person programs. These include the “Distance Culture” initiative; the necessary support for damaged heritage sites and museums that have been affected by the closure since the beginning of the crisis in several Member States. Also, through its civilization project “Roads to the Future” and “ICESCO Creativity” programme, ICESCO has allocated several programmes and activities within a comprehensive and balanced vision for the future of the heritage of the Islamic world by 2030.

To implement the recommendation of the Islamic World Heritage Committee issued at its meeting on December 10th, 2020, that call for the adoption of an initiative to celebrate the Heritage Month in the Islamic World annually, during the period from April 18 (International Day for Monuments and Sites) to May 18 (International Museum Day), ICESCO intends to observe it this year under the slogan “United for Art and Heritage” and prepared an integrated project that features many international seminars and training courses over a whole month.

In light of these urgent and dangerous circumstances, ICESCO calls on the whole world and international and regional organizations to take measures to limit the negative repercussions of the pandemic and rationalize the promotion and management of the Islamic world heritage, by publicizing and maintaining it and harnessing the virtual display mechanisms and artificial intelligence to highlight its richness and diversity and raise public awareness of the importance of its preservation and incorporation in the desired sustainable development programmes.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture of Azerbaijan held a meeting to outline the framework and explore the executive plans and the schedule of the programs and activities that the two parties will implement in the upcoming period in the fields of science, technology, and innovation, as part of the partnership relations between ICESCO and Azerbaijan.

Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Sector of Science and Technology at ICESCO, Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Adviser at the Sector, and Dr. Foued El-Ayni, Expert at the Sector, represented ICESCO in the meeting. Mr. Vasif Eyvazzade, Secretary-General of the Azerbaijani National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture, and Dr. Leyla Taghizade, a member of the Commission, represented the Azerbaijani side.

During the meeting, the two parties discussed the organization of a training workshop in reverse engineering in Baku addressing the basics of devices and developing small tools, medical and biological equipment, and cutting-edge diagnostic devices, in terms of the fundamentals and designs.

The two parties also discussed the proposal for the implementation of a training program in Baku in July 2021, consisting of a three-day boot camp to train young people on ways to set up and develop small businesses in the field of technology and innovation. The program will also feature an accelerated six-week course where the beneficiaries will apply their training in starting up their own projects. The program will start in Azerbaijan in cooperation with the Azerbaijani Ministries of Agriculture, and Transport, Communication and Modern technology, to be later implemented in 10 other countries.

The two parties also discussed the symposium that the Sector of Science and Technology will hold in Agadir, Morocco in June on Sustainable and Smart Cities.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST) in Morocco held a coordination meeting to discuss the cooperation agreement on the Award for Best Scientific Research on Countering Violence against Women. The Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, ICESCO, and the CNRST will sign the agreement.

Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Cultural Adviser of ICESCO Director-General, and Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Head of the Department of Legal Affairs, represented ICESCO in the meeting. Dr. Jamila Alami, Director of the Center, Dr. Abdellah Al-Ziyadi, Head of the Department of Support for Research, Transfer of Technology and Innovation, represented the Center along with a host of officials representing the Department of General Affairs.

During the meeting, the Center representatives gave a presentation on the procedural process for granting awards and the standards in force pertaining to selecting the best works. The two parties then agreed on several issues, most notably broadening the scope of these awards to cover the ICESCO Member States in the following years, allocating an electronic platform for the Award, and searching for international experts to evaluate the submitted works to ensure an international exposure for the Awards.

The to-be-signed agreement is part of Morocco’s initiative to combat violence against women, which was launched on March 08, 2020, under the supervision of H.R.H. Princess Lalla Meryem. The initiative earmarked several awards for the topic of violence against women.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed on more coordination and cooperation in their areas of competence and on signing a framework agreement in this regard.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) announces the launch of the ICESCO Prize for Women’s Poetry: “Poem of the Year of Women 2021,” which will be awarded to three laureates during which the best poems will be published in a special collection.

The Prize, which ICESCO’s Arabic Language Centre for Non-Arabic Speakers will supervise, is part of the Organization’s programmes celebrating the Year of Women, placed under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

The Award aims to promote women’s poetry in classical Arabic (fus’hâ) and revitalize its positive role in promoting cultural interaction and human communication. It also aims to enrich the Arab library and the poetic scene with a plethora of quality women’s poems, dealing with women, their concerns, hopes, and aspirations. The goal is also to consolidate the presence of creative women poets in the Arab literary spheres and allow them to compete and make known their achievements and roles in promoting society through literature.

A jury composed of ICESCO specialists and renowned poets will evaluate the poems to select three winners who will receive an award of US$ 2000, US$ 1500, and US$ 1000, respectively. ICESCO will also award the winners certificates of appreciation and publish the best poems in the competition.

As for the application requirements, they include the following:

• The candidate must submit one poem only;
• The poem must be written in classical Arabic composition following the rules (metrics) of classical poetry (called “vertical” – shi’r ‘amûdi) or free verse (shi’r hurr);
• The poem must be composed of at least 20 lines (classical verse) or 30 lines (free verse) respecting the unit of measure (taf’îla);
• The subject of the poem must be related to women, their concerns, hopes, and aspirations;
• The poem must be original and unpublished and must not have been awarded a prize before or pending participation in other competitions;

The poems must be sent to ICESCO in “Word” or “Pdf” format along with the candidate’s CV, before July 30^th, 2021, to this email address: arabic@icesco.org. The names of the winners will be announced through the ICESCO website and official letters to the winners.

On the blessed month of Ramadan, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launches the second annual Ramadan Whiffs and Intellectual Sparks, which consist of clips made by a host of prominent intellectual cultural and religious figures. The clips will be shared on ICESCO’s website and its various platforms and social media pages and accounts, starting tomorrow, Wednesday, April 14, 2021.

Through this initiative, ICESCO aims to send focused and constructive messages highlighting the pivotal role that both men and women play in promoting social reform and anchoring religious values that call for peace, tolerance, and coexistence among societies.

The Organization further seeks to discuss key issues and new ideas to enrich cultural life, contribute to modernizing the fields of thought, including culture, letters, and science. It will also promote the values of peace and share knowledge, and facilitate communication between prominent religious, cultural, and intellectual figures and the wide audience to support spiritual and intellectual exchange.

The Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the 34^th session of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic University in Uganda.

Dr. Raheel Qamar, head of ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, represented ICESCO Director-General in the meeting, which was held by videoconference. During the meeting, Dr. Qamar highlighted the necessity of increasing the number of students in the universities of the Islamic World calling for upgrading their level and training them adequately to join the job market and promote their employability.

Dr. Qamar suggested organizing visits for universities’ representatives to high schools to attract excellent students and grant them scholarships to enable them to complete their university studies. He also suggested holding recruitment forums regularly to bring graduates and companies and institutions together.

During the meeting, the Board of Trustees of the Islamic University in Uganda approved several reports that the President of the University submitted on the financial, academic, and administrative situations of the University.

The international seminar “Skills and Jobs of Tomorrow” that the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held yesterday, in partnership with several international organizations and bodies featured many ideas and views about necessary future skills and the jobs that will prevail across the world in the coming years and brought together high-level participants from among experts and academics in the field of education, science, culture, and strategic foresight.

The opening session of the seminar kicked off through videoconference and face-to-face participation at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat and commenced with the address of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), wherein he reaffirmed that the world is changing radically. He stated that studies show that 60% of future jobs do not exist today and that 14% of today’s jobs will disappear within 15 and 20 years due to automation thus the need for building youth’s capacities for the future since they are the driving force of nations.

Dr. AlMalik recalled that ICESCO has placed the youth at the core of its action priorities and that transition toward an educational model that will support youth and students’ skills is what mostly drives the Organization’s partnerships with universities and educational institutions. He noted that ICESCO provides young men and women with an opportunity to benefit from useful training in its action areas.

In his address, Mr. Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills, reaffirmed that the new educational model should be founded on technology and innovation, especially that the current model does not serve young talents in the Islamic world. He also called for helping youth to discover the future and identify its needs in terms of skills and expertise.

Dr. Slim Khalbous, Rector of the Francophone University Agency (AUF), recalled the rapprochement between the principles of AUF and ICESCO in terms of diversity and linguistic variations and the importance of foresight. He underscored that with the prevailing uncertainty, the need for foresight emerges especially the one based on scientific grounds.

In her address, Ms. Giovanna Barberis, UNICEF Representative in Morocco, talked about digitalization and its deep impact on a wide range of jobs. She reviewed UNICEF’s experience in the MENA region in the development of key skills of the region’s youth and proposed the adoption of many initiatives such as second-chance schools and the promotion of entrepreneurship skills among the youth.

Dr. Ali Serhrouchni, Director of HEM Rabat, stated that the labor market that was in a transitional period now suffers from the lack of necessary skills and that technology has changed working methods and opened new prospects while noting that language diversity should be considered in preparing for the jobs of tomorrow.

Mr. Fariz Ismailzade, the Executive Vice-Rector of ADA University in Azerbaijan, pointed out that some of the jobs that flourished during the pandemic invite us to think of developing skills and technology, especially that new jobs will appear with the changing environment in the future. He also stressed the need to revise and update curricula to adapt them to current and future requirements.

Dr. Abderrahman Tenkoul, Dean of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences of EUROMED University, recalled the necessary incorporation of theoretical and practical parts in curricula and the adoption of proactive approaches to addressing future changes and challenges and sustainable training to keep pace with the emerging jobs.

At the close of the opening session, Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of ICESCO Strategic Foresight Center, made a presentation on the jobs of the future. Then, the working session included several topics respectively “Value and Challenges of Cultural and Creative Industries in the Future,” “Challenges of Fourth Industrial Revolution and its Impact on the Labor Market,” and “Methods of Training Youth and Young Teachers to Keep Pace with the Future World.”