Category: News update

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), announced in the opening session of the ICESCO Executive Council, held on Friday, December 23, 2022, the official accession of the Lebanese Republic to ICESCO, following the finalization of the relevant legal procedures and the reception of an official letter regarding the matter from Mr. Najib Mikati, Lebanese Prime Minister.

Afterward, the flag of the Lebanese Republic was raised among those of ICESCO Member States, a ceremony attended by Mr. Ziad Atallah, Lebanese Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco; Dr. Ayman Ashour, President of the 14th ICESCO General Conference; and Dr. Dawas Taysir Dawas, Chairman of the ICESCO Executive Council.

The ICESCO DG welcomed the accession of Lebanon to the Organization, given the country’s status and significance in the Islamic world and its presence in the fields of education, science and culture, commending Lebanon for being a model in coexistence and peace.

In her address at the ceremony, Ms. Hiba Nashabé, Secretary-General of the Lebanese National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, conveyed the greetings and appreciation of Mr. Najib Mikati, commending the leading roles of ICESCO and its support for its Member States in the fields of education, science and culture. The Lebanese Secretary-General also hailed the Organization’s support and special interest it accords to Lebanon, even before the finalization of the accession legal procedures.

The Members of the ICESCO Executive Council welcomed Lebanon’s official accession, reaffirming their eagerness to cooperate with the Lebanese National Commission.

On Friday, December 23, 2022, the 43rd Session of the Executive Council of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) kicked off at the Organization’s Headquarters, in Rabat, with the attendance of 46 out of the 53 Member States of the Organization.

The opening session began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by the address of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), wherein he reaffirmed that the Organization continues its innovative and modernizing approach to have an integrated practical orientation and become among the most prestigious international institutions, noting that ICESCO won many distinguished international awards and certificates during 2022.

He also reviewed the salient achievements of ICESCO, including the organization of conferences, seminars and workshops, the launch of initiatives and programs that give priority to women and youth, technology, space sciences and heritage safeguarding, and the establishment of several academic chairs in prestigious universities, adding that ICESCO currently hosts the International Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization as a new civilizational contribution.

Moreover, ICESCO DG stated that the Organization promotes the principles of tolerance, anticipates the future, showcases arts and literature and celebrates the talents and skills of young people based on governance and transparency.

In his address, Dr. Mohamed Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Egypt, Chairman of ICESCO’s General Conference, commended the constructive cooperation with the Organization in the fields of education, science and culture, within the framework of coordination with Member States and National Commissions, to define new trends for its strategies and programs, and respond to future requirements.

He also commended ICESCO’s efforts in shaping the future, preserving cultural heritage, teaching Arabic for non-Arabic speakers, and building national capacities in the Member States by supporting education, qualifying and training youth and women, and supporting research and innovation.

For his part, Dr. Dawas Tayseer Dawas, Chairman of ICESCO Executive Council and Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, reaffirmed that the Organization should be applauded for its endeavors to spread outstanding educational and cultural practices, and meet the challenges and needs of Member States through various activities and programs.

Besides, he explained the importance of convening the Executive Council for supporting ICESCO’s efforts to fulfill its mission in all fields, calling for continued development within the framework of a multilateral approach along with the orientations of the Organization’s General Directorate.

At the end of the opening session, ICESCO DG announced the official accession of the Lebanese Republic to the Organization after fulfilling the legal procedures, indicating that he had received an official letter on this matter from Mr. Najib Mikati, Prime Minister of Lebanon.

Afterward, the participants in the 43rd session of ICESCO Executive Council took a group photo. The working sessions will include presentations on the performance reports of sectors, departments, and specialized centers of ICESCO.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in a certificate signing ceremony upon receipt of tablets from the Korean company Woongjin ThinkBig, which specialized in the field of education and digital technology, to support girls’ education in the Republic of Niger.

The signing ceremony, which was held on Thursday, December 22, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters and via videoconference, saw the participation of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), Dr. Ibrahim Natatou, Nigerien Minister of National Education, Dr. Keeyong Chung, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Kingdom of Morocco, Mr. Salissou Ada, Nigerien Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, Mr. JaeJin Lee, CEO of Woongjin ThinkBig, Mr. Joong Hee Han, Senior Director of Contents Development at the company, Mr. Chito Boubacar, First Advisor of the Embassy of Niger to the Kingdom of Morocco, Dr. Barry Boly Koumbou, Head of ICESCO’s Education Sector, and Dr. Sungbong Kim, Expert at the Sector.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik emphasized the importance of this initiative aimed at supporting the efforts of the Nigerien Government to advance girls’ education and ensure their access to quality learning by offering them digital learning devices, noting that this initiative is part of ICESCO’s “Girls’ Digital Labs” Programme and its projects that are geared towards to enhance girls’ ability to use modern technology.

In a video-recorded address, Mr. Jae-Jin Lee commended ICESCO’s support for its Member States and its endeavor to develop the educational field in Niger, hoping that this initiative marks the beginning of fruitful cooperation between ICESCO and the Korean company. Mr. Keeyong Chung conveyed his gratitude to the Organization for its efforts toward promoting education in the countries of the Islamic world.

For his part, Dr. Ibrahim Natatou underscored the need for joint action to overcome major challenges in Niger’s education sector, praising ICESCO’s work and role in delivering digital devices. Mr. Salissou Ada lauded the effective cooperation between ICESCO and the Nigerien Government, calling for strengthened partnerships between the two parties in the Organization’s areas of competence.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received on Thursday, December 22, 2022, a number of the Member States’ heads of delegation and secretaries-general who will take part in the 43rd Session of ICESCO Executive Council, to be held on Friday and Saturday.

During a series of separate meetings, Dr. AlMalik reviewed with the heads of delegation and the secretaries-general the latest cooperation developments between ICESCO and their respective countries. The meetings also focused on the outcomes of the programs and projects implemented in cooperation with these countries’ competent parties and discussed the activities planned for the upcoming period, in collaboration with the competent parties of the Member States concerned and in coordination with their respective National Commissions. The activities are designed to meet the priorities and needs of each country.

The first meeting was held with Dr. Dawas Tayseer Dawas, Chairman of ICESCO Executive Council, President of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture. Dr. AlMalik received in the second meeting Dr. Hafida Saleh Nasser Al-Shaikh, Acting Secretary-General of the Yemeni National Commission, in the presence of Dr. Mohammed Omar Basalim, Undersecretary of the Yemeni Ministry of Education for Projects, while in the third meeting he received Ms. Amna Al-Balushi, Secretary-General of the Omani National Commission.

ICESCO DG also met with Mr. Muzaffar Kamilov, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Mr. Abdulai Pate Jalo, ICESCO National Correspondent in the Republic of Guinea Bissau; and Dr. Abdulkarim Sadegh Doust, President of the Irani National Commission, in the presence of Mr. Mahdi Fayyazi, Commission Secretary-General. Likewise, the Director-General held meetings with Mr. Syed Junaid Akhlaq, Secretary-General of the Pakistani National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO, in the presence of Dr. Ikram Ali Malik, Director-General of the Federal Department of Education in Pakistan; and Mr. Aibek Artykbaev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.

During these meetings, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed ICESCO’s sustained support for its Member States’ efforts in the fields of education, science and culture, as part of its new vision and strategic orientations, and in coordination with each country’s National Commission.

On the closing day of the First Consultative Meeting on “Strategic Indicators for Development in the Islamic World: Knowledge Index as a Model,” held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the participants discussed innovative ideas and proposals to develop practical initiatives that will contribute to the improvement of the knowledge economy. The meeting also explored the Global Knowledge Index over two days to measure the knowledge performance of Muslim countries and understand the relevant transformations and challenges.

At the outset of the second day, (Thursday, December 22, 2022), in the presence of Dr. Mohamed Ayman Ashour, Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, delegations of ICESCO Member States and the representatives of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation and UNDP, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), welcomed all the participants, pointing out that the second day’s agenda features brainstorming sessions to outline proposals to help Muslim countries have knowledge-based economies and reach advanced ranks in the knowledge index.

During the brainstorming session on pre-university education issues, Dr. Najwa Grace, an expert at UNDP, indicated that the knowledge index hinges upon knowledge capital and the enabling environment. Dr. Bari Bolly Koumbou, Head of ICESCO Education Sector, presented the Organization’s initiatives to ensure quality education for all through a comprehensive vision that stems from the perspective that human values are the basis of education. Ms. Ramata Almami, Head of ICESCO Social and Human Sciences Sector, indicated that we should understand the social variables, contribute to improving individual behaviors, and pay attention to mental health to build knowledge societies.

During the second session on developing proposals on higher education issues, Dr. Hany Torky, UNDP Chief Technical Advisor of the Knowledge Project, presented the latest statistics related to the knowledge index, explaining that the percentage of missing data on higher education in the ICESCO Member States exceeds the data related to pre-university education.

r. Omar Helli, Advisor to ICESCO DG for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), said that the sources of knowledge have become diverse and numerous, but universities are considered major spaces for supporting knowledge through innovation and scientific research. Dr. Driss Aouicha, former delegate minister in charge of higher education and scientific research of the Kingdom of Morocco, reaffirmed that measuring the knowledge index through data collection is key to improving the knowledge index in Muslim countries.

In the third session on developing proposals for technical education issues, Dr. Yusuf Sediq, an expert at UNDP, stressed that it is necessary to explore the professions of tomorrow and anticipate the future of the labor market to formulate proposals for improving the knowledge index in the Islamic world, explaining the sub-index of technical education and professional training. For his part, Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of ICESCO Science and Technology Sector, reviewed the sector’s initiatives to keep pace with the rapid technological developments through critical thinking and innovation.

After each session, the participants were divided into three working groups to generate ideas and outline proposals that would envision initiatives related to the addressed issues. Each workshop was followed by a presentation of the most prominent proposals to be included in the recommendations of the meeting.

A consultative working session was held with the Secretaries-General of the National Commissions for Education, Science and Culture of ICESCO Member States to enhance the participation of Muslim countries in the global development index. The closing session presented the most prominent outcomes of the consultative meeting.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Republic of Gabon signed a partnership agreement to promote cooperation in the fields of education, science and culture. An agreement between ICESCO and Omar Bongo University in Gabon was also signed to set up the ICESCO Chair for Women, Girls and Societies at the University.

The signing ceremony was held on Wednesday, December 21, 2022. The two agreements were signed for ICESCO by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), while Dr. Patrick Mouguiama-Daouda, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, Technology Transfer and National Education, President of the Gabonese National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, signed the partnership agreement. Dr. Mesmin Noel Soumaho, Rector of Omar Bongo University, signed the Chair agreement.

During his address at the signing ceremony, held as part of the proceedings of the First Consultative Meeting on Strategic Indicators for Development in the Islamic World: Global Knowledge Index as a Model, the Director-General reaffirmed ICESCO’s keenness to implement all the provisions of the partnership program, commending the close cooperation between ICESCO and Gabon.

For his part, Dr. Mouguiama-Daouda commended ICESCO’s initiatives and efforts in its capacity as an engine for peace, expressing his delight at the signing of the two agreements which is the fruit of a year and a half of work that started with the DG’s visit to Gabon where he was received by H.E. President Ali Bongo at the Presidential Palace in Libreville. The Gabonese Minister also invited ICESCO to create a center for teaching Arabic in Gabon.

The partnership program covers the period between 2023 and 2027 and provides for promoting and fostering cooperation between the two parties, while giving priority to young people and women, under the theme, “Involving women and the Youth for Building peace, fostering comprehensive and civil education and promoting cultural heritage to achieve sustainable development”.

The program also sets out the tools and mechanisms to implement initiatives and activities, hold capacity-building training programs and workshops, and organize seminars. It also provides for communication between the two parties to devise and follow up the implementation of action plans and provide facilitations to overcome challenges and obstacles.

The Chair is part of the cooperation program between ICESCO and Gabon and aims to strengthen scientific and education research in gender and women’s rights issues, contribute to building women’s and girls’ capacities, and build equitable and peaceful societies.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the German Institute for Dialogue and Understanding “Mwatana” held a meeting to discuss cooperation prospects and forge a partnership to disseminate the values of coexistence, peace and civilizational dialogue through the joint implementation of various programmes and projects.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), received the German Institute’s delegation comprised of Dr. Abdul Samad Al-Yazidi, the Director-General of the German Institute, and Dr. Abdelmalek Hibaoui, the Head of Interfaith Dialogue Department at the Institute. During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik noted that ICESCO adopts an approach of openness to all to serve the Islamic world and Muslim communities around the world.

The meeting, which was held on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, examined means to cooperate on enhancing the prominence of the Arabic language and leverage ICESCO’s initiatives and activities geared towards promoting civilizational dialogue and anchoring coexistence among Muslim communities in Germany through the joint organization of seminars, workshops, training sessions and conferences.

The delegation held a meeting with Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy DG of ICESCO, and a host of heads of sectors and directors of departments at ICESCO, and together they explored avenues for cooperation that fall within the Organization’s areas of competence.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed on translating a set of ICESCO’s documents on civilizational dialogue and coexistence into German, most notably the “Towards a Global Moral Solidarity” Declaration issued by ICESCO’s 2020 International Religious Leadership Forum.

he two parties also agreed on sustaining coordination to prepare a cooperation agreement to be signed between ICESCO and the Institute, which sets out specific programmes, projects and action plans.

The headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) hosted a ministerial roundtable to discuss the broad lines and agree on the implementation mechanisms of the initiative of launching the Support Fund for Talents in the Islamic World, as proposed by H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt, during the 14th Session of the General Conference in Cairo. The Roundtable discussed the various aspects of the initiative to ensure the best outcomes.

The Roundtable, held on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, saw high-level participation, including Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and scientific Research, President of the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture of the Arab Republic of Egypt; Dr. Younes Skouri, Minister of Economic Integration, Small Enterprises, Employment and Competencies of the Kingdom of Morocco; Dr. Patrick Mouguiama-Daouda, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, Technology Transfer and National Education, the Gabonese Republic; Ms. Amna bint Salim Al Balushi, Secretary-General of the Omani National Commission for Education, Science and Culture; and a representative of the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education.

At the beginning of the event, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, reiterated his thanks and appreciation for H.E. President El-Sisi for proposing the creation of this fund, noting that ICESCO had held multiple talks with the Member States which welcomed this initiative, which is in harmony with ICESCO’s new vision and strategic orientations to support innovation in the Islamic world.

In his address, Dr. Ayman Ashour expressed his thanks to the Director-General and the Organization’s working team for the achievements scored over the course of the past three years. He then gave a presentation on the Fund Initiative, stating that Egypt is eager to share its experience in setting up such funds with the Islamic world. He noted that the Republic established a fund in 2019 for sponsoring innovators and talented people by virtue of a presidential decision, a fund which has achieved great success.

Moreover, the Egyptian Minister stated that the initiative of President El-Sisi also includes offering 100 scholarships to the Islamic world students to study in Egyptian universities that are affiliated with the Ministry of Higher Education, 100 scholarships from Al-Azhar University and 50 scholarships from private universities.

For his part, Dr. Younes Skouri, welcomed the initiative which he described as pioneering, reaffirming the support of the Kingdom of Morocco for such a work, given that it targets a category with no dedicated programs. Dr. Patrick Mouguiama-Daouda commended the Fund’s areas of action, which include promoting gender equality and supporting talented people in the field of innovation in relation to issues of climate change. Likewise, Dr. Amna Al-Balushi stated that this initiative is in line with the interest the Sultanate of Oman accords to talented people, siezing the opportunity to give an overview of the “Tharwa” program, overseen by the Omani Ministry of Education. The Representative of the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education presented a number of proposals to enrich the initiative.

At the close of the Roundtable, the Director-General underlines that all ideas and proposals put forth during the roundtable will be elaborated before submitting this initiative to the Executive Council. He added that following that, ICESCO will prepare the final version of the Fund, set out its legal and administrative framework and finalize its working mechanism along with all the relevant matters prior to submitting them to the 2023 session of the Executive Council.

With high-level participation including ministers, officials and representatives of the ICESCO Member States and international organizations and institutions, the Headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) saw the opening of the First Consultative Meeting on “Strategic Indicators for Development in the Islamic World: Global Knowledge Index as a Model,” held by ICESCO, in partnership with Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The two-day event aims to discuss the Global Knowledge Index as a standard for measuring the knowledge performance of world countries and understanding the changes they undergo and the challenges they face.

The Meeting opened with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by an address by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, who highlighted the benefits of living in this era of knowledge advancement, noting that the power of states is now measured by their achievements in the field of technology and scientific research and their abilities to keep up with knowledge trends.

The Director-General added that the sustainability of development hinges upon people’s ability to grow continuously, which calls for introducing changes to the mechanisms of scientific research and building capacities capable of producing knowledge. He stated that several countries in the Islamic world have made major strides in the fields of the knowledge index, while others have still not provided the desired statistics and data.

The Director-General concluded his address by presenting a number of recommendations for promoting the Knowledge Index in the Islamic World, setting up a general framework for the Index likely to encompass accurately all its dimensions, and working towards building effective partnerships in this field. Dr. AlMalik also reiterated ICESCO’s intention to be the focal point between the Member States and global indexes.

For his part, Mr. Jamal bin Huwairib, CEO of Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, reaffirmed his Foundation’s eagerness to develop and widen the scope of cooperation with ICESCO to include new fields, notably promoting the status of Arabic, supporting knowledge paths and involving the youth in the process of building knowledge societies.

Speaking next was Dr. Hany Torky, Chief Technical Advisor and Knowledge Project Director at the UNDP, who commended ICESCO’s efforts to support cultural and knowledge development in its Member States. The UNDP official also highlighted the importance of the Global Knowledge Index, which includes 37 ICESCO Member States.

Following the opening session, the Ministerial session was held, which focused on the knowledge challenges in the Islamic World. The session was moderated by Ms. Amira Al-Fadil, Head of the Sector of partnerships and International Cooperation at ICESCO, and featured the statements of some ministers. Dr. Ayman Ashour, Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, stressed the importance of knowledge advancements and their positive impact on all forms of life, highlighting Egyptian efforts to invest in human capital and the country’s achievements in the field of scientific research in Egypt in 2022

For his part, H.E. Dr. Patrick Mouguiama-Daouda, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, Technology Transfer and National Education, the Gabonese Republic, underlined the need to work towards disseminating knowledge and promoting the exchange of expertise to reach the youth, women and the most vulnerable groups. Dr. Abdellatif Miraoui, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation of the Kingdom of Morocco, also gave an address where he highlighted the importance of keeping up with modern technology, capitalizing on young talents, attracting capacities and giving due attention to social and human sciences.

At the end of the session, a discussion session was held where several secretaries general of Member States’ National Commissions asked many questions and put forth some proposals that enriched the theme of the session.