Category: News update

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Ms. Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), on Monday, August 23, 2021, held a virtual meeting wherein they explored the prospects of cooperation between the two parties in the field of space sciences and their applications, in addition to the provision of scholarships for students and researchers specializing in the development of these sciences in the Islamic world.

During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s efforts to support its Member States in the fields of education, science, and culture, and highlighted the main axes of the Organization’s new vision and strategy of action, based on an open-door policy, building the capacities of young people in various fields to assume their role in the development of their societies, and consolidating the values of coexistence, dialogue and peace.

The meeting touched upon the importance of the accession of ICESCO Member States to UNOOSA, which helps young people to study space sciences. Such accession would develop cooperation between the two parties to capitalize on space science technologies and applications to achieve sustainable development and promote peace.

The two parties agreed to strengthen their cooperation, hold training workshops in space sciences, form a joint working group to develop joint action mechanisms, examine the areas of cooperation, and conduct studies to raise awareness of the importance of these sciences and their applications in the many Member States.

The two parties also reaffirmed their willingness to cooperate in the organization of conferences and forums. Dr. AlMalik extended an invitation to Ms. Di Pippo to take part in ICESCO major international conference on space sciences and their applications, due to be held in November 2021, which she accepted.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, received Ms. Vasilyevia Oksana Yuryevna, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Morocco, where they discussed the prospects of cooperation between ICESCO and Ukraine in the fields of education, science and culture.

During the meeting held at ICESCO headquarters on 19 August 2021, in the presence of several officials from ICESCO’s sectors, Dr. AlMalik stressed that ICESCO is adopting more communication and openness, not only with the Member States but also with non-Member States and international organizations, bodies and institutions, as well as civil society organizations concerned with its fields of competence. It also builds partnerships and cooperation for the benefit of the Member States and Muslim communities worldwide.

The meeting focused on further consultation and coordination between ICESCO and Ukraine to strengthen cooperation in the educational, scientific and cultural fields, and to form a joint working group to develop and implement cooperation programs and projects.

Ms. Vasilyeva Oksana Yuryevna praised the excellent work of ICESCO, stressing Ukraine’s readiness to cooperate with the Organization in its fields of activity, and its willingness to ensure the success of this cooperation.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, met with Dr. Ashwin Fernandez, Regional Director of Quacquarelli Symonds Foundation (QS) in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, to discuss the prospects of cooperation between ICESCO and the Foundation in the field of capacity building, evaluation and classification of universities in the Islamic world, and the holding of a series of programs and seminars on how to promote related issues.

During this virtual meeting that took place on Thursday, August 19, 2021, with the participation of managers and experts from ICESCO’s sectors, Dr. AlMalik confirmed that cooperation with QS will contribute to raising the level and quality of education in universities in the Islamic world, by organizing joint activities and programs that contribute to the exchange of experiences and good practices in higher education among universities.

For his part, Dr. Ashwin Fernandez expressed his pleasure to cooperate with ICESCO, stressing that the partnership with the Organization will enable universities in the Islamic world to include evaluation and grading issues in their institutional policies and strategic orientations.

During the meeting, the two parties agreed to develop joint programs for the evaluation and classification of universities in the ICESCO Member States in general, and the member universities of the Federation of Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) in particular, and to focus on evaluation mechanisms that will enable universities to occupy advanced ranks in the international classification. They also agreed to launch programs to raise awareness of evaluation and classification issues among university leaders, scientific research centers, professors, students and researchers, and their role in the advancement of universities and research institutes in the Islamic world.

The two parties also agreed to organize an international symposium, in the presence of several university presidents and higher education officials, to discuss the mechanisms for the development of evaluation and classification issues in the Islamic world, and to launch a joint ICESCO-Quacquarelli Symonds project for capacity building in the field of evaluation and classification.

In conclusion, it was agreed to sign a partnership agreement between ICESCO and the QS, to implement innovative programs and projects in the fields of evaluation and classification as discussed during the meeting.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met on Thursday, August 19, 2021, via videoconference, with Mr. Mokhtar Ould Dahi, Minister of Culture, Youth, Sports and Relations with Parliament, Government Spokesman, the Chairman of the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, in the presence of several ICESCO’s heads of sectors and the Ministry.

At the beginning of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik commended the Ministry’s programs and projects in the field of cultural and media action. He also reiterated his pride in the participation of Ms. Mariam bint Dah, First Lady of Mauritania, who stressed the need to focus on the woman of tomorrow, as a source of inspiration and innovation and a strong lever of socio-economic development, during the great international celebration held by ICESCO in March 2021, to announce the official launch of “2021 ICESCO Year for Women,” under the theme “Women for the Future.”

The DG also reaffirmed ICESCO’s willingness to cooperate with the Ministry to support and implement cultural projects and programs, in particular the inscription of the Mauritanian Mahdara on the Islamic World Heritage List, which constitutes an element of intangible heritage, the preservation of ancient and historical Mauritanian cities, and the designation of Nouakchott as the capital of Islamic culture, being a city rich in its heritage, history, thinkers and historians. He also announced the willingness of the Organization to hold an international conference on the role of women in cultural development before the end of this year.

For his part, Mr. Ould Dahi welcomed ICESCO’s distinguished efforts to support the countries of the Islamic world through the launching and implementation of multiple programmes and projects in the fields of education, science and culture, stressing that Mauritania stresses its interest in women’s issues and places them at the top of its priorities. He also welcomed the initiative of ICESCO to organize the conference that will deal with the role of women in achieving development and proposed to collaborate in the establishment of a center to train educators and preschool teachers.

Mr. Ould Dahi added that the Ministry works to develop and modernize the Mahdara, as part of the intangible heritage of Mauritania, and aspires to cooperate with ICESCO to develop the areas of competence of the Chinguitt Prize, which aims to deepen and promote research in the field of Islamic scientific and literary studies, and to organize the Festival of Ancient Cities, which celebrates the Mauritanian culture, to preserve the historic cities.

At the end of the meeting, both parties agreed to hold more meetings in coordination with the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, to elaborate and implement all joint projects between ICESCO and the Ministry.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Ki-Seok Kim, President of Educators Without Borders (EWB) in the Republic of Korea. The two sides considered the prospects of cooperation in the fields of education, scientific research and innovation, as well as the development of projects and programs for the benefit of young people and women, aimed at strengthening their capacities to meet the demands of the labor market, eradicate illiteracy, achieve social development and establish partnerships between ICESCO and international institutions and companies in Korea.

During the meeting, which took place at ICESCO headquarters, on Monday, August 9, 2021, in the presence of a number of the heads of sector and experts at ICESCO, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the new vision and action strategy of ICESCO, which seek further communication with the Member States. The Strategy adopts an open-door policy to non-Member States, international organizations and bodies, and civil society institutions, and ensures more partnerships for the benefit of citizens in the Islamic world and Muslim communities around the world.

For his part, Mr. Ki-Seok Kim stressed that EWB’s vision highlights the ongoing developments in countries of the Islamic world as well as the great role that universities and research centers fulfill in the development of education, noting that EWB has developed good educational practices in several African countries, mainly in the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to hold a symposium on Korea’s successful experiences in various types and cycles of education, and sign a memorandum of understanding between the Sector of Education of ICESCO and EWB in the coming days.