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 Culture and Communication Sector of the
Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a
training session on combating illicit trafficking in cultural property, in
cooperation with the Libyan National Commission for Education, Culture and
Science. The purpose of this training course is to train trainees on the steps
to follow to combat illicit trafficking in the property as an attempt to
address this phenomenon that has become global, and many countries suffer from
it especially those experiencing instability.
The session, which was held on September 23, 2021, via videoconference, aims to introduce the
necessary legal and administrative steps to prepare files for the recovery of
cultural properties that were illegally taken, in addition to the relevant
national laws and international agreements.
The session was inaugurated by Dr. Mohamed
Zine ElAbidine, Head of ICESCO Culture and Communication Sector, and Dr. Faraj
AlSuwais, Secretary-General of the Libyan National Commission for Education,
Culture and Science, and presented by Dr. Ahmed
Abdel Zaher, an expert in combating illegal trafficking in cultural property,
and Dr. Osama Al-Nahas, an expert in heritage at ICESCO.
An in-person training session will be held
in Libya, for the benefit of workers in the fields of heritage, during the next
week.
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.
Under the theme, “Animal stories,” the 21st edition of Sharjah International Narrator Forum (SNIF) kicked off on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, and saw the participation of 40 countries across the globe as well as ICESCO, UNESCO, and ALECSO. The event, held at Sharjah Expo Center and the headquarters of Sharjah Institute for Heritage, will last until 30 September 2021.
The Forum was opened by H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah. Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), attended the opening session and presented His Highness with a selection of ICESCO publications in the field of cultural heritage.
Moreover, Dr. Benarafa presented a paper at the opening session on “Institutional Efforts to Safeguard Living Human Treasures,” which discussed ICESCO’s efforts to preserve both tangible and intangible heritage. He explained that ICESCO capitalizes on the inscription on heritage lists, preservation, documentation, and publication to exert such efforts, through the work of its Islamic World Heritage Committee and Islamic Heritage Center, in addition to numerous ICESCO bodies and mechanisms.
Likewise, the ICESCO Deputy DG reaffirmed the significance of cooperation with Sharjah Institute for Heritage, in coordination with ICESCO Regional Office in Sharjah.
At the close of his paper presentation, the ICESCO Deputy DG gave several practical proposals to activate this cooperation, including working towards setting up national systems for safeguarding living human treasures in the Member States, and launching the project to create the “Storyteller House” or the “House of Tales” in every Member State that enjoys a treasure trove of stories. He also proposed launching joint programs in observance of World Storytelling Day, that would include specialized training sessions and workshops on preserving storytelling heritage.
Speaking next were the respective representatives of UNESCO and ALECSO. The opening session was moderated by Dr. Ahmed Bahi Eddine Al-Assas.
The Forum’s first session was dedicated to “Animal Stories in Gulf Drama.” The second session will be held on Thursday, September 23, under the theme “Cultural Heritage in the Sudan,” which will be dedicated to the efforts of Dr. Ahmed Abdel Rahim Nasr, the Forum’s Personality of the Year, in documenting cultural heritage. The Forum’s sessions are all dedicated to animal stories and each focuses on a different perspective such as Emirati heritage, Arab and world heritage, and Arab drama.
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.
The Education
Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(ICESCO) and the Education and Training Evaluation Commission in Saudi Arabia
held on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, a virtual workshop on analyzing data and
drawing lessons from international assessments for students. The workshop dealt
with ways to build on conclusions of international assessments in matters
relating to educational policies.
The workshop,
which was supervised by two international experts with outstanding
contributions in the field, saw the participation of several researchers and
specialists in the field of international assessments.
The workshop
aimed to find answers to questions related to the experiences gained and
lessons learned from international assessments (PISA, PIRLS, TIMSS) over a
period of more than twenty years. It also provided insights on addressing the
gaps in those assessments based on other methods of research and data
collection, as well as providing trainees with direct experience in accessing,
understanding and analyzing international assessment data.
The Science
and Technology Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (ICESCO) participated in the webinar “South-South
Cooperation: A Pathway to Post-pandemic Inclusive Recovery,” which was held by
the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the
South (COMSATS) at its headquarters in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
The webinar,
which was held via videoconference, on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, on the
occasion of the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation, witnessed the
participation of several experts from various institutions and specialized
organizations, to discuss issues related to science, technology and innovation,
and examine the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on the countries of the
South.
ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector was represented in the webinar by Dr. Mohammad Sharif, advisor at the sector, Dr. Foued El Ayni, Dr. Ismaila Diallo, and Dr. Abdul Rehman, experts at the Sector.
In his speech, Dr. Mohammad Sharif reviewed the action strategy of the Science and Technology Sector, which attaches great importance to investing in modern technology and artificial intelligence applications to contribute to achieving sustainable development and protecting the environment; and supports young people in the field of innovation.
The webinar
witnessed interventions by Dr. Akhtar Nazir, Executive Director of COMSATS, Dr.
Adel Abdellatif, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South
Cooperation, Dr. Carlos Correa, Executive Director of the South Center in
Geneva, and many representatives of international organizations and
institutions.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik,
Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (ICESCO), stressed the need for the 21st-century
university to keep up with change and cater to the needs of the ever-changing labor
market. He reaffirmed that such goals call for relying on critical thinking and
open science, endeavoring to train new capacities and professors in both
academia and scientific research; providing them with the skills to keep up
with the change; and monitoring training and scientific research in their
relation to the jobs of the future.
The DG made this statement in a pre-recorded
address to the First Regional Forum for Open Science in the Arab Region, hosted
by Galala University in Galala, Egypt. The Ministry of Higher Education and
Scientific Research in the Arab Republic of Egypt organized the event, in
cooperation with the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and
Culture, UNESCO Regional Office for Arab Countries in Cairo, and Galala
University. The opening session of the Forum, which kicked off today, Tuesday, September
21, 2021, saw the screening of the pre-recorded address of Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar,
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the Egyptian
National Commission.
In his address, Dr. AlMalik hailed
the role assumed by Galala University, a new generation university that strives
to ensure good education in line with the current major trends in the field of
higher education. He noted that it is high time to bring about the desired
change in higher education and scientific research as today’s youth possesses
different sets of skills and aspirations regarding information, and have
different approaches to dealing with the learning tools. He added that the
traditional pre-set model of specialty and field of knowledge fades away before
changes witnessed in the universities of the 21st century.
In the course of his address, the DG
posed two questions: How can we rethink the mission of research professors who face
challenges that require re-setting their missions and roles? And how can we
build students’ capacities in the universities of the 21st century
through open science and open-source resources? The answer to these two
questions, he noted, leads us to keep up with the changes pertaining to the
jobs of the future and the ever-changing roles of universities, scientific
research and innovation.
At the close of his address, Dr.
AlMalik reaffirmed that ICESCO, in light of its forward-looking vision, has
made serious strides towards highlighting this major trend through holding international
conferences and symposia, most notably, the seminar on “Skills and Jobs of
Tomorrow”, held in April 2021, in addition to numerous events on AI application
mechanisms.
The Forum saw high-caliber
participation including several presidents of Egyptian universities,
international experts and academicians in the field of open science, in
addition to Dr. Ghada Abdel Bari, Secretary-General of the Egyptian National
Commission for Education, Science and Culture. ICESCO also participated in the
face-to-face proceedings of the Forum with a delegation comprised of Dr. Raheel
Qamar, Head of the Sector of Science and Technology, and Dr. Omar Halli,
Advisor to the DG for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World.
