Category: News update

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, and Dr. Mostapha Bousmina, President of the Euro-Mediterranean University in Fez (UEMF), explored yesterday, October 19, cooperation opportunities between ICESCO and the University, in light of ICESCO’s new vision and working strategy.

Dr. AlMalik presented the Organization’s vision which adopts an open-door policy with civil society organizations, namely universities which play key roles in the development of societies and achievement of economic growth. He also emphasized ICESCO’s constant willingness to support leading programs of universities in the Islamic world and coordinate university partnership, cooperation, and complementarity. The Organization also focuses on developing mechanisms of inter-university communication and networking.

The DG gave an overview of ICESCO’s relevant initiatives, including its effort to train future young leaderships in the Islamic world. He pointed out that the Organization is hosting and granting a select of young university students with training opportunities to acquire diversified expertise in the field of international institutional work.

The goal is to reach out to non-Member States, international organizations, and civil society institutions. Dr. AlMalik underscored such approach will open the door to leadership opportunities for the participants in their countries.

The President of the Euro-Mediterranean University in Fez lauded ICESCO’s new vision and its ongoing development, renewal, and willingness to constructively cooperate with universities, in service of the Islamic world. He also emphasized that the cooperation reaffirms the important role deployed by the Organization and its support to Member States in the fields of education, science, and culture.

The two parties discussed future cooperation prospects, topmost of them is the preparation of an agreement to set up ICESCO chair at the University. The end result is to boost partnership between the Organization and the University and bring closer the two shores of the Mediterranean, in line with the development program of ICESCO chairs.

ICESCO’s directors of sectors and the DG’s advisors attended the meeting along with UEMF’s Dr. Abderrahman Tenkoul, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and Ms. Ghada Bouhlal, Director of Cooperation and International Relations.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received yesterday, October 19, at ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat, Mr. Abdellatif Al Haya, Ambassador of Kuwait to Morocco. The meeting explored cooperation prospects between ICESCO and Kuwait in the fields of education, science, and culture.

In the presence of ICESCO’s heads of sectors, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the Organization’s new vision and action strategy, as well as last year’s developments. He also underlined ICESCO’s major initiatives, programs, and activities to support the efforts of Member States to counter the negative repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic in the fields of education, science, and culture.

“The new vision adopts an open-door policy, cooperation, and partnership with all parties, including non-Member States, international organizations, and civil society institutions to serve Member States’ populations and the Muslim communities worldwide,” elaborated Dr. AlMalik.

            He added that the vision “also promotes further communication with Member States to identify their needs and priorities on which programs and activities are planned and implemented.”

ICESCO’s also highlighted that the Organization established several specialized centers, including the Center of Teaching Arabic for non-Arabic Speakers. The Center for Strategic Foresight is preparing four important studies on the future of the Islamic world, African countries, and cultural action, as well as artificial intelligence challenges facing the Muslim world, with the participation of renowned international experts.

“ICESCO also established the Heritage Center, which has inscribed 200 historic sites in Member States on the Islamic World Heritage List,” stated Dr. AlMalik.

Mr. Al Haya commended ICESCO’s outstanding work and quality initiatives launched during the pandemic as well as its support to Member States to counter the negative repercussions of the outbreak. He also stressed Kuwait’s keenness to promote constructive cooperation with ICESCO.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received yesterday at the headquarters of the Organization in Rabat, Mr. Azzeddine El Midawi, President of Ibn Tofail University of Kenitra, Head of the Conference of Presidents of Moroccan universities.
 
Several directors of sectors and advisers to the DG attended the meeting.
 
The two parties examined the prospects for cooperation between the two parties and other Moroccan universities in the fields of education, science, and culture.
 
Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main directions of ICESCO’s new vision, which emphasizes the pioneering role of universities in achieving the development of societies and accelerating the economic growth of countries. He also reiterated the Organization’s long-term desire to support avant-garde programs in Moroccan universities and those of the Islamic world in general, to fast-track partnership, cooperation, and integration between parties.  He also underscored the development of communication mechanisms and university academic networking.
 
The DG presented an overview of some related initiatives, including ICESCO’s young future leaders in the Islamic world initiative. The Organization welcomed at its headquarters elite academics to whom ICESCO offered great opportunities to deepen their training and acquire various experiences in international institutional work. ICESCO based the initiative on an open-door policy with non-Member States, international organizations, and civil society institutions. The measure will allow these young students to assume leadership roles in their country in the future.
 
The President of Ibn Tofail University praised ICESCO’s distinguished work, in particular its efforts to reach out to universities and students of Morocco and other countries of the Islamic world.
 
The meeting dealt with various fields of cooperation, including developing the ICESCO Chair at Ibn Tofail University in the field of culture, arts, and civilization, scheduled for November 2020. The goal is to strengthen the partnership between the Organization and the university and to be in line with the ICESCO University Chairs Development Program.
 
Ms. Sanaa El Ghawati, professor at the Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences at Ibn Tofail University, attended the meeting Ms. El Ghawati is a candidate for the presidency of the ICESCO chair at the University.

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, reaffirmed that a great deal of tireless work still needs to be done to adequately publicize the image of Islamic civilization. The efforts need to introduce the civilization’s figures, showcase the major role it has played throughout the ages, and contribute to human civilization.

The DG also noted that ICESCO, under its new vision, is tirelessly working to promote the true image of Islamic civilization through the preservation of its heritage and the publicizing of its symbols and figures.

Dr. AlMalik made the statement during his pre-recorded address at the opening session of International Conference on the Commemoration of the 700th Anniversary of Eminent Scholar Kamal Khujandi. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tajikistan organized the event today, in the presence of H.E. Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, and senior officials. The attendance also watched a pre-recorded statement by Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO DG.

Dr. AlMalik congratulated, on behalf of the ICESCO family, the President of the Republic and the people of Tajikistan on the organization of this major international conference to commemorate one of the most renowned scholars in the Islamic world and beyond.

The scholar had a deep influence on numerous scholars who followed. The DG also stated that this celebration is an opportunity to shed light on the important role of Tajikistan and its excellent contribution to the history of the Islamic world.

The DG noted the centrality of Islamic philosophy and the outstanding role of its pioneers throughout the history of the Islamic civilization in the resurgence of this civilization whose influence has reached all nations of the globe and enriched the human civilizational heritage.
“Even though the accuracy of history depends on the integrity of its authors, falsehoods can never hide the truth. No matter how long historical truths are eclipsed, they will shine again and astonish the world with the greatness of science, literature, and arts,” stressed Dr. AlMalik.

The DG added that ICESCO’s vision focuses on showcasing the visible beauty of Islamic civilization to young generations to raise their awareness about its greatness. The goal is also to commemorate the figures of art, thought, philosophy, medicine, and in other fields who significantly marked human civilization and contributed to its advancement.
The aim, Dr. AlMalik underlined, is to ensure that the rest of the world looks at the Islamic world through the same positive angle, in line with the efforts that the Member States deploy to preserve the cultural and civilizational heritage.

At the close of his address, Dr. AlMalik reiterated his invitation to Tajikistan to join ICESCO’s Project of the “Digital Encyclopedia of Islamic Civilization.”

The Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, received yesterday, October 14, at the Organization’s headquarters, Mr. Jamal Eddine Al-Aloua, Acting Secretary-General of the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture, and a delegation from Association Coeurs Blancs and Association Amal pour le Développement Social from Morocco.

As part of the visit, ICESCO offered to the Amal Association a collection of books to award the winners of the association’s Holy Quran Contest.

Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed ICESCO’s willingness to promote cooperation and partnership with civil society’s institutions and organizations. He further noted the event falls within ICESCO’s new open-door policy and strategy that aims to serve Member States’ citizens and Muslim communities across the world. He also stressed ICESCO’s strong support for civil society institutions and associations and its willingness to host any activity these institutions may organize in the fields of education, science, and culture.

The DG also highlighted the Organization’s strong partnership with the Moroccan National Commission, which yielded numerous programs during the COVID-19 pandemic that the two parties organized in different regions of the Kingdom.

Mr. Al-Aloua expressed his thanks to ICESCO and its DG on behalf of Mr. Said Amzazi, President of the Moroccan National Commission, Minister of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education, and Scientific Research, and Government Spokesperson.

The Acting Secretary-General also conveyed Mr. Amzazi’s appreciation on ICESCO’s efforts to promote education, science, and culture, and support Moroccan civil society institutions, particularly women associations.

The representatives of the two Moroccan associations thanked the DG for holding the meeting and the Organization’s efforts to support civil society institutions in Morocco, reaffirming these associations’ desire to work with ICESCO to support the youth in different fields of knowledge and fieldwork.

The parties agreed to hold a forum for Moroccan NGOs and civil society institutions at ICESCO’s headquarters, once the pandemic is over. The forum will be held in cooperation between the Organization and the Moroccan National Commission to explore the challenges faced by these institutions and examine ideas put forward to develop their work.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), called upon all international organizations operating in the field of heritage to establish an ‘international support network for endangered heritage’ as well as a consolidated fund to support damaged sites and monuments due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises. The measure should be under the supervision of a scientific and coordination committee made up of the representatives from each organization.

The statement was part of his address at the opening session of the Coordination Meeting that the Arab League of Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) held yesterday through videoconferencing. The meeting aimed at developing an urgent action plan to save the damaged heritage due to pandemic and natural disasters. It brought together many museum officials and heritage experts.

Dr. AlMalik highlighted that the fragile infrastructure, weak human capital, and the lack of conservation of heritage sites often constitute a challenge to the sustainability of the right to have access to the human breakthroughs.

“Most heritage sites worldwide are still closed due to the pandemic. A large number of heritage sites in Napata and Meroe, Sudan, face unprecedented threats due to the recent floodings,” he stressed.

The DG explained that “such damage may lead to the disappearance of this 700-year-long civilization as well as more than 640 historic buildings in the old town of Beirut which were partially damaged due to the blast of Beirut port, including 60 buildings that face the risk of collapse within months unless restoration measures are taken.”

Dr. AlMalik also said the Organization has taken upon itself to support Member and non-Member States in prompt intervention efforts to preserve their heritage. Amid the current conditions, which threaten the global civilizational heritage, ICESCO established the Islamic World Heritage Fund with an initial budget of USD250,000 to support the projects on heritage protection. It also allocated USD100,000 as a contribution to the efforts of protecting and restoring damaged heritage sites due to floods in Sudan. ICESCO dedicated another USD100,000 to support the educational and cultural institutions in Lebanon.

The Organization also earmarked one million US dollars to restore the collections of 30 museums affected by the pandemic in Muslim countries.
Dr. AlMalik reiterated ICESCO’s willingness to promote cooperation and partnership with all organizations operating in the field of heritage while calling for an in-person expert coordination meeting as soon as possible, at ICESCO headquarters.

The goal is to explore the establishment of an international support network to identify violations against endangered heritage. The coordination meeting will also explore an international strategic plan based on accurate and scientific indicators.