Category: News update

The headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) will witness an extraordinary international celebration next Friday, August 25, 2023. This celebration marks the achievement of reaching three million visitors to the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted at ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat, since its opening in November 2022. The event is organised under the High patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Morocco – may Allah assist Him –, and is graced by the presence of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay Hassan.

This grand international celebration, organized by ICESCO in collaboration with the Muslim World League and the Rabita Mohammadia of Ulemas (Mohammadia League of Scholars) in the Kingdom of Morocco, will know the attendance of high-ranking officials, religious leaders, public figures, diplomats, and journalists from various countries. The aim of the event is to celebrate the success of this significant academic facility hosted in the Moroccan capital, Rabat. This achievement came as a culmination of the tripartite strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League, and the Mohammadia League of Scholars. Importantly, it marks the first touring edition of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization exhibitions outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where Medina serves as the main venue. The exhibition has received special attention and sponsorship from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may God protect him, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is also the Prime Minister.

The celebration’s program includes speeches by the heads of the three institutions participating in organizing the exhibition and museum, as well as by senior officials in attendance. Additionally, there will be a presentation highlighting the journey of creating the exhibition and museum in Rabat, showcasing the various stages that led to reaching this significant number of visitors in record time. The program will also feature segments of religious chants performed by a selection of renowned vocalists from different countries, a poetry segment, and screenings of documentary films about the exhibition and museum.

The festivities will be transmitted in real-time through ICESCO’s official social media pages and profiles across various social networking sites, in the Organisation’s three working languages (Arabic, English, and French).

The Science and Technology sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in collaboration with the Jordanian National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, is conducting an awareness workshop on Modern Technological Concepts for a Selected Group of Ministry of Education Staff in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The aim of this workshop is to enhance technological awareness and assist participants in understanding the latest technologies and technological concepts, particularly in the field of education, including applications of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and distance learning.

The workshop, which commenced on Monday, August 21, 2023, in the capital city Amman, will continue over two days: August 31, 2023, in Irbid, and September 7, 2023, in Aqaba. Its focus is on developing digital teaching skills and promoting safe technology use. This involves introducing and discussing technology-related privacy protection and how to responsibly engage with it. Participants will also be trained on using social media and modern technologies to enhance communication and promote digital transformation in educational institutions.

During the opening session of the workshop, conducted through video communication, Dr. Adel Smeda, an expert in the Science and Technology sector at ICESCO, highlighted the Organization’s efforts to encourage Member States to harness the potential of digital technologies in supporting the educational process and assisting education professionals in the digital transformation domains. This is achieved through the development and implementation of initiatives, projects, and training courses about the latest innovations in the digital field.
Dr. Ibtisam Aqqab Ayoub, Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Commission for Education, Culture, and Sciences, praised ICESCO’s role in supporting Member States to enhance the educational process through activities and programs that encourage the utilization of emerging technologies in learning and education.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is organizing an international symposium and capacity-building workshop, under the theme: “Precision Medicine Symposium and Workshop for the Development of Genomics Workforce”, in Malaysia, with the participation of several international experts. The event aims to raise awareness of genomic data processing and its use in providing medical care to patients.

During the opening session of the five-day symposium, on Monday, August 14, 2023, Dr. Nor Fariza bint Ngah, Deputy Director-General of Health at the Malaysian Ministry of Health, stressed the importance of supporting cutting-edge technologies in medical care, praising ICESCO’s efforts in supporting its Member States in this regard. For his part, Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, delivered a speech via videoconference, in which he stressed the importance of integrating precision medicine into medical care in the Organization’s Member States.

The opening session was followed by in-depth discussions between participating experts on precision medicine, presentations by genomics experts, and the launch of an exhibition of state-of-the-art equipment used in this field.

During the intensive workshop, participants and trainees will learn ways to manipulate genomic data to arrive at accurate conclusions for appropriate medical treatment and to reduce the adverse effects of randomly administered drugs.

On Monday (7 August 2023), the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched a programme aiming to plant 500,000 trees in the Togolese Republic, in partnership with the Togolese National Commission for ICESCO, as part of the activities aiming at supporting the Togo 2023 reforestation campaign.

The launch of the four-day programme witnessed mobilizing and training of the local population for planting gum trees and various other species. Additionally, the local population has also benefited from awareness-raising activities on the importance of environmental protection and reforestation of desertification-affected areas, the governance of natural resource exploitation, the rehabilitation of degraded land, the promotion of agricultural best practices to contribute to providing sustainable income and achieving development in Tsévié, sokodé and Kpalimé in Togo.

An area of 55 hectares has been covered over the two first days, with plans to continue the reforestation efforts until it covers 100 hectares.
During the launch, attended by Mr. Alf Ousino Karamo, the Secretary-General of the Togolese National Commission, Dr. Ismaïla Diallo, expert at ICESCO Science and Technology Sector, reviewed the best tree-planting practices as well as the strategies and mechanisms for combatting desertification and enhancing the resilience of the ecosystem to preserve biodiversity, which is one of the strategic priorities defined by the Organisation to serve its Member States.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is holding a training session on capacity building in the field of educational planning in times of crises, in cooperation with the Jordanian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. The session aims to provide planners with the necessary skills for educational planning in times of crises, spread knowledge, promote experience exchange among participants and discuss new trends in the field.

The four-day training session, which kicked off on Monday, August 7, 2023 in Amman, focuses on practical applications to build the capacities of educational planners. The session benefits 25 educational planners, officials and workers in the planning departments and units in the ministries, bodies and centers concerned in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

The opening session saw the attendance of Ms. Ibtisam Aqab Ayoub, Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Commission, who commended ICESCO’s efforts to develop educational systems and provide support for its Member States.

For his part, Mr. Sultan Al-Khalif, Head of the Sector of Education at the Jordanian National Commission, delivered ICESCO’s address which highlighted the significance of the session in contributing to building the capacities of planners in the field of educational planning during crises.

The training session focuses on the fundamentals, principles and types of crisis-sensitive planning, and discusses its purpose, stages and areas, and provides opportunities for practical applications for preparing crisis-sensitive educational plans. It also seeks to highlight participants’ expertise and experiences in educational planning in times of crises and share the Jordanian experience in this field.

The 3rd training workshop on the design of an educational satellite (CanSat) held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with Istanbul Technical University in Türkiye, concluded with the successful launch of the satellite from Aksaray.

The workshop, organized from July 31 to August 4, 2023, for 40 researchers and students from 27 ICESCO Member States, in the presence of an elite group of officials, astronauts and high-level international space science experts, included a theoretical framework to present the CanSat and the technologies used in its design, as well as practical work explaining the use of the accelerometer, magnetometer and gyroscope sensor, in addition to data collection and analysis, and the development and testing of landing systems.
This successful experiment was followed by a closing ceremony held at Aksaray rocket launch range, during which Dr. Muhammed Sharif, Advisor in science and technology sector at ICESCO, underlined the Organization’s commitment to supporting the capacities of young people in Muslim countries. Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of the Sector attended the ceremony.

For his part, Dr. Alim Rüstem Aslan, Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Istanbul Technical University, and supervisor of the workshop reaffirmed the importance of strengthening partnerships between organizations, universities and research centers to develop innovation, technology and space science.

At the end of the ceremony, the participants received certificates of achievement and expressed their thanks to ICESCO and the University for their support of young people’s skills in space technology. Tribute was also paid to the experts and managers behind the success of this 3rd edition of the workshop.

As part of the celebration of Nouakchott as the Culture Capital of the Islamic World, a plaque commemorating the poem “The Flower of Cultural Capitals” was unveiled. The poem was composed and recited by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, at the launch of the celebration in a major cultural event organized under the auspices and presidency of H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ould El Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

During the ceremony, held on Friday, August 4, 2023, on the Place de la Liberté in the center of the capital, Ms. Fatimetou Abdel Malick, President of Nouakchott Region, emphasized that the plaque commemorating the poem “The Flower of Cultural Capitals” was an added value for the square, located in the heart of the capital and frequented by visitors from all over Mauritania.

ICESCO was represented at the ceremony by Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Advisor to the Organization’s Director-General for Partnerships and International Cooperation and supervisor of the General Secretariat for National Commissions and Conferences, who explained that the creation of the commemorative plaque in a central location in the capital is one of the most important steps in the ongoing celebration of Nouakchott as the Capital of Culture of the Islamic World.

A plaque containing the “Djéol” appeal to cultural diversity, launched by the Djéol Festival in March 2023 with the participation of the Organization, was also unveiled during the ceremony.

The ceremony saw the presence of Mr. Mohamed Sidi Abdallah, Secretary General of the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, Secretary General of the Higher Committee in charge of preparing for the celebration of Nouakchott, Culture Capital of the Islamic World, and several officials representing the Ministries of Culture, Interior and Foreign Affairs.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the eighth International ILEM Summer School entitled “Rethinking Arts and Aesthetics in the Islamic World: Concepts, Theories and Practices,” in Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye, organized by the Academic Studies Association “ILEM,” in partnership with the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum, to discuss key issues in the Islamic world by bringing together academics, researchers and artists from diverse backgrounds.

ICESCO was represented by Ms. Zainab Bougrine, from the Culture and Communication Sector, as well as Dr. Asmaa Bouhadioui and Mr. Alaa Mawla Al-Duwailah, members of the Young Professionals Program, in this seven-day activity, which kicked off on Monday (July 24, 2023), along with 40 researchers from 15 countries. The participants reviewed the efforts of ICESCO in promoting the fields of culture and heritage through programs and initiatives in the Member States, including the preservation and promotion of heritage and its inscription on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List, and holding several training workshops for the benefit of staff in the field.

ICESCO delegation also met Mr. Taha Ayhan, President of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum, at the Forum’s headquarters in Istanbul, where they discussed means of cooperation in developing youth capacities and preparing them for the professions of tomorrow and the prospects for implementing joint programs and projects between ICESCO and the Forum for the benefit of youth in the Islamic world.