Category: News update

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held yesterday, a coordination meeting with several professors representing a group of prestigious universities in different countries, to prepare for the launch of the ICESCO Chairs project, under the Organization’s new vision and action strategy.

Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Director of Culture and Communication Sector, and Mr. Nassim Mhand Omar, Programs Director at the Sector, represented ICESCO in the videoconference.

Dr. Zine El Abidine reviewed the vision, strategy, and the major future activities and programs of the sector. He also indicated that within the framework of “ICESCO’s Roads to the Future,” the Organization adopts a comprehensive and multidimensional approach that involves all groups in the paths of renewal related to thought, art, science, and heritage.

“The new ICESCO chairs in universities will make a major contribution to the existing academic chairs and give a special position for culture through their cultural, academic and research dimensions, particularly in the field of science and scientific research,” he added.

During the meeting, Dr. Eliane Chiron, a distinguished professor at the University of Panthéon-Sorbonne (University of Paris I), referred to the importance of contemporary arts in the development of societies and the influence of innovative artists on their social and cultural environment.

Dr. Fathi Triki, Director of Tunis College for Philosophy, talked about the philosophical references of coexistence.

Dr. Sandra Rey, from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, highlighted how to deal with artistic creativity through its interrelation with new creative technologies.

Dr. Benjamin Brow, lecturer in plastic arts and art sciences at the University of Lille in France, emphasized the importance of integrating art in the educational systems to achieve coexistence.

Ms. Sanaa Ghaouati, professor at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Ibn Tofail University, indicated the need for establishing research on modern patterns of creativity and the links between them.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held yesterday, a consultative meeting with several renowned world universities, including Yale, Coventry, and Singapore National University to discuss cultural cooperation prospects and examine the establishment of ICESCO Civilizational Dialogue Center.

Representing ICESCO in the meeting were Amb. Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of the Department of Dialogue and Cultural Diversity; Dr. Sidra Tariq Jamil, Communication Expert at the Department. Dr. Michael Hardy, Professor and Executive Director of the Centre for Trust, Peace, and Social Relations, represented Coventry University. Also in attendance were Dr. Jonas Elbousty, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Faculty member at the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University (NELC), Dr. Mustafa Izzuddin, Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the National University of Singapore and Visiting Professor at the Islamic University of Indonesia (UII).

During the videoconference, Amb. Fathalrahman gave an overview of the ICESCO Civilizational Dialogue Center project, its objectives, and action areas. He reaffirmed that the action of the center, which will host a select group of international experts, will be in line with the Organization’s outreach policy adopted as part of its new vision.

The participants welcomed the proposal and expressed their universities’ willingness to cooperate with ICESCO. The participants also reaffirmed the need for prioritizing the youth as being change agents and put forward elaborated ideas that will provide substantial input for boosting the ongoing efforts to promote the role of the Organization in the field of civilizational dialogue.

     Two winners from Senegal and Nigeria received yesterday December 8, 2020, the “ICESCO Bayan Award” for Creative Expression in the Arabic Language at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in Rabat.

The winners are Abdullah Gay, from Senegal, student at Dar al-Hadith al-Hassania in Morocco, and Redwan Abu Midi Akanbe, Nigeria, student at Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Institute for Traditional Education Morocco. Each winner received USD2,000 in prize money.

Given the COVID-19-related exceptional circumstances, a face-to-face award ceremony to honor all winners proved challenging. ICESCO began transferring the prize money to remaining winners from different categories, age groups, and countries. The winners are:

• Wan Massina Al Muwaiheb Bin Massoudin, Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al Islamiah, Republic of Singapore. (Children category)

• Abdul Hadi Muayad bin Haji Azrul, Al-Falaah School, Sultanate of Brunei. (Children category)

• Nasir Sabi, Osman Rijovi School in Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Boys and girls category)

• Adeeba Wei Sani, Institute of Religious Missions in Galle, Thailand. (Boys and girls category)

• Riaz Subacic, Faculty of Islamic Studies – University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Youth)

• Ko Abdullah Hakim bin Ko Solong, Malaysia University of Science, Malaysia. (Youth)

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the international virtual forum on December 5, organized by Sunan Kalijaga Islamic University (UIN) in Indonesia under the theme “The Future of Arabic Language in Indonesia: a look from both within and outside.” The videoconference marked the launch of the Ph.D. program at the Arabic Language Teaching and Teachers’ Qualification Department at the University.

The forum brought together the representative of the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs; UIN Rector; Dean of the Faculty of Education Sciences and Teachers’ Qualification; General President of the Federation of Arabic Language Teachers in Indonesia, and several experts in Arabic teaching to non-Arabic speakers from Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and the Sudan.

Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Advisor to the Director-General (DG) on ICESCO’s External Centers and Academic Chairs on Arabic Language, represented ICESCO in the forum. In his address at the opening session, Mr. Bouraoui reaffirmed ICESCO’s willingness, under its new vision, to help the Islamic world’s universities interested in teaching the Arabic language. ICESCO’s Center of Arabic for non-Arabic Speakers will help universities strengthen the linkage between ICT-powered scientific research and the systems of the teaching of Arabic to non-Arabic speakers in all school stages, epitomized in the project of “ICESCO University Chairs on Teaching Arabic to non-Arabic Speakers”.

The enrolment in Arabic language courses has been on the rise in Indonesian universities and the number of Ph.D. programs in the field of Arabic language for non-Arabic speakers has increased.

On the occasion of the celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) pays tribute to persons with disabilities and calls on the members of the international community to take the necessary measures to support these persons to counter the health, social, and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected this category of people more than others.

ICESCO also affirms that the disability challenge, faced by approximately one billion people in the world, necessitates joining efforts and using modern technological means and applications of artificial intelligence to help these persons and integrate them into societies. We must also offer them every opportunity to develop their skills, enable them to fulfill their potential, accomplish their dreams, and contribute to building the post-COVID-19 world.

In this regard, the Organization reiterates its commitment to continue according to a special priority to persons with disabilities in its action programs, projects, and activities, and to further work on the implementation and application of the initiatives it has launched, including “The Societies We Want,” aimed at disseminating knowledge and carrying out innovative programs that will contribute to building healthy, peaceful, and inclusive societies to improve the course of humanity’s future.

The Islamic World for Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the 3^rd session of the General Assembly of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), held 2-3 December 2020, in Ankara, Turkey. The event was held under the title: “Sustainable development of food security in the OIC region.”

Representatives of specialized international organizations, ministers, and experts in the field of agriculture and food security participated in the videoconference.

The meeting discussed the importance of cooperation among Member States to address the current challenges and develop a strategy for food security in the Islamic world. The session also focused on the importance of establishing a food security reserve for OIC and facilitating access to food in the Member States.

The goal can be met through coordinating food stock policies, monitoring the countries’ food security situation, adopting IOFS’ action plan and its implementation mechanisms, forming steering committees for strategic agricultural commodities, the project committees affiliated with it, and approving the proposed regional centers of excellence.

The participants also examined the proposal of establishing the Islamic Food Processing Association and developing national gene banks as stipulated in OIC’s Agenda 2026 for Science, Technology, and Innovation.

Dr. Raheel Qamar, head of the Science and Technology Sector, and several experts in the sector represented ICESCO in the videoconference. The participants emphasized the importance of strengthening gene banks in the Member States, given the strategic role the states play in the integrated management of genetic assets. 

The participants also stressed the importance of food security governance in the Member States, combating desertification, fighting the loss of vegetation cover, taking the necessary measures to protect biodiversity in the countries of the Islamic world. The parties in the meeting also tackled the issue of grain banks and cooperation between ICESCO and other organizations.

The IOFS, an organization affiliated with the OIC, was established in 2016 and is headquartered in Kazakhstan. The goals of the organization include providing expertise and technical knowledge to the Member States in various aspects of sustainable agriculture, rural development, food security, and biotechnology. The organization also assesses and monitors the state of food security, provides social safety nets and humanitarian aid, and combats desertification, deforestation, and erosion.