The Social and Human Sciences Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication in the Kingdom of Morocco, the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation, and the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region to finalize the “ICESCO Marathon for Social Cohesion and Resilience,” due to be held on November 27, 2022, in Rabat.
During the meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the Moroccan National Commission, and coordinated by Mr. Jamal Eddine El Aloua, Secretary-General of the Commission, Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of ICESCO’s Human and Social Sciences Sector, reviewed the Organization’s vision for sports as a powerful and effective tool for promoting the values of coexistence, tolerance, dialogue, resilience, and sustainable development.
The marathon will take place in Rabat on the sidelines of the launch of the Youth for Peace Incubator, as part of the launch of the Leadership Training in Peace and Security (LTIPS) 2022, on November 24-26, 2022, in Tangier. Through this initiative, ICESCO and its partners affirm their commitment to pursue efforts to foster social cohesion and community resilience and contribute to enhancing mental health and well-being in the Member States through physical activities.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received the two prominent plastic artists, Dr. Rashid Diab and Mr. Khalid Al-Saei, and together they discussed ways to promote Arabic calligraphy and raise awareness of its importance at the international level.
During the meeting, held today, Thursday, November 3, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters, Dr. AlMalik stated that ICESCO accords great attention to promoting the civilizational aspects of visual arts, especially Arabic calligraphy and Islamic patterns, which are two key components of international art awareness.
The meeting also focused on the possible contribution of prominent plastic artists from the Member States in the project ICESCO is planning to launch aiming to promote Arabic calligraphy through participation that draws inspiration from renewal trends of this art and organizing seminars and contests in the Islamic world.
For their parts, the two artists commended the attention ICESCO gives to Arabic calligraphy and expressed their keenness to cooperate with the Organization to support this field.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General, Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Sector of Culture and Communication, and Amb. Khaled Fathalrahman, Head of the Center for Civilizational Dialogue.
The participants in ICESCO International Forum on the Future of Teaching Strategies in the Light of Current Developments made several recommendations, including the call for promoting the use of scientific and technological developments in the educational process, building a new model for the school of the future, reducing the risks of the digital and knowledge gap, investing in teachers and meeting their needs, promoting the values of citizenship and volunteering in school life and mobilizing sustainable resources to finance education.
The second and last day of the Forum, held via videoconference, featured three working sessions, which saw the participation of a number of experts and academics. The first session tackled the experiences of several schools, colleges and research centers in using modern teaching strategies through an approach that combines creativity, innovation and gender equality in education. The second session focused on the new trends in teaching strategies while the third session explored the future visions of modern teaching strategies.
During the closing session, Dr. Koumbou Polly Barry, Head of ICESCO’s Education Sector, thanked all the ministers and experts, who participated in the Forum and identified the new challenges facing the future of teaching strategies to ensure the integration of educational technologies in Member States’ educational systems.
She also highlighted the results and recommendations of the Forum, including the adoption of modern teaching methods within the cultural context of each educational system, the enhancement of teachers’ capabilities through the use of technological means and the integration of the values of citizenship to ensure the right to equal education, calling for the need to adopt these recommendations to enhance the role of modern teaching strategies to develop the educational process.
It is worth mentioning that the first day of the Forum witnessed the participation of a group of ministers of education from many ICESCO Member States as well as experts and prominent international figures, who enriched discussions with their experiences, visions and ideas for developing teaching strategies in light of the current technological developments.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Abdelmalek Hibaoui, Professor of Higher Education at the University of Tübingen and President of the German-Moroccan Council in Germany, on the occasion of the publication of the new book of the Centre for Civilizational Dialogue entitled, “German Orientalism.”
During the meeting, held on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at ICESCO’s Headquarters in Rabat, the two parties discussed the book’s overall academic and philosophical vision, its focus on the German orientalist path and its distinctive elements which set it apart from other European orientalist studies, thus constituting a distinguished academic breakthrough that greatly enriches human thought.
The meeting also discussed the leading roles that Muslim communities can play in Europe, in a spirit of a civilizational will that highlights the values of Islamic tolerance and moderation. It also shed light on the efforts undertaken by ICESCO in this regard within the framework of its new vision, which embraces openness and strategic orientations.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General, and Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of the Civilizational Dialogue Centre.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) declares its solidarity with the State of Qatar and affirms its unwavering support to the country in facing the suspicious campaign against it for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Organization underlines that Qatar has provided all the resources and conditions required for the success of the World Cup, and has ensured absolute compliance with all requirements for organizing this major international event as testified by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
In this regard, ICESCO calls upon all its Member States and other peace-loving countries to condemn this unprecedented campaign that no host country has ever faced, and stand alongside the State of Qatar in these circumstances that require equitable support, given that this campaign affects the peoples’ cultural rights and specificities and does not respect the cultural diversity which various international conventions and treaties preserve and which falls within the areas of competence of multiple international organizations, namely ICESCO.
The Organization calls for detaching this global football event from all polarizations that could affect its course to serve narrow interests aimed at diverting the world’s attention to minor issues that dissent from international consensus. It is worth stressing that Qatar has met all the necessary requirements for hosting the 2022 World Cup in an atmosphere imbued with authentic Arab hospitality, animated by the country’s pride in its Gulf and Arab neighbors, and reflective of the human dimension in such endeavors, making Qatar a worthy host that deserves all support and appreciation.
The Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers of ICESCO is holding a training session on writing African languages in the Arabic script, in cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Yusuf Al-Khalifa Center for Writing Languages in Arabic Script at the International University of Africa (IUA) in the Sudan and Khartoum International Institute for the Arabic Language, for the benefit of a number of participants speaking different African languages.
The training session, which kicked off on Monday (October 31, 2022), at Khartoum International Institute for the Arabic Language in Sudan, aims to enhance the participants’ skills in the fields of linguistics, language computing and educational sciences using the latest developments in modern technologies, identify educational strategies and procedural steps for computing the oral languages in the Arabic script, and present research projects in local languages in the Arabic script on various topics.
The three-week training will be supervised by Dr. Boubaker Hassan Qadrmari, Director of Yusuf Al-Khalifa Center, and Dr. Saber Abdullah Mohamed, Head of the Training Department at the International University of Africa, in addition to experts specialized in the field of education, linguistics and media. At the end of this training, the participants will present their projects on writing local languages in the standard Arabic script.
The International Forum held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) on the future of teaching strategies in light of current developments, kicked off on Tuesday, November 1st, 2022, with the participation of a host of education ministers, experts and prominent figures from several countries, to cast light on the importance of adopting modern teaching strategies and explore the new trends in the field.
During the inaugural session of the two-day virtual forum, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), delivered an address, in which he noted that the Organization is particularly keen to bring excellence and creativity to the educational process in order to keep pace with developments to achieve the sustainable development goal 4 (SDG 4).
Dr. AlMalik emphasized that we must draw upon the recommendations emanating from the ‘Transforming Education Summit,’ held last September at the United Nations Headquarters, in aligning teaching strategies with current developments mainly by digitizing education, integrating creative skills into school curricula and affording greater attention to distance learning.
“Building a robust educational system requires the decentralization of education and its association with cultural influences to keep pace with developments in society. This should be coupled with the generation of funding means with greater responsiveness to local and global economic fluctuations,” added ICESCO DG.
He concluded his address by noting that ICESCO endeavors to play its part in forging effective partnerships between educational institutions in Member States and donor institutions and providing the desired expertise in developing forward-looking teaching strategies and enabling the exchange of experiences between educational systems in Member and Non-Member States.
For his part, Mr. Marwan Awartani, Palestinian Minister of Education, underlined that school is a second home for students, therefore, it is paramount to invest in teachers, understand the students’ perception of school and develop education strategies accordingly.
In her address, Ms. Mariatou Koné, Minister for National Education and Literacy of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, stated that it has become imperative to rethink the future of education after the COVID-19 pandemic and advance education in African countries through the establishment of open educational institutions that use modern teaching methods.
The ministerial session on teaching strategies for quality and inclusive education subsequently began, featuring the intervention of Cheikh Oumar Anne, Senegalese National Education Minister, who detailed the major steps to be followed to develop education, and those of Mr. Kouaro Yves Chabi, Minister of Secondary, Technical and Vocational Education in Benin, and Mr. Flávio Arns, Brazilian Senator, who reviewed their countries’ adopted strategies for reforming education and keeping pace with current developments.
In an address delivered on his behalf by the Ministry’s Secretary-General, Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa, Cameroonian Minister of Basic Education, praised the role of advanced educational methods in integrating students and providing the basic requirements for learning national languages and cultures. For his part, Mr. Ibrahim Natatou, Nigerian Minister of National Education, noted that countries have different educational systems and that crises contribute to creating inequalities in education, underscoring his country’s efforts to align education with current challenges.
The second session then started, featuring presentations in which various experts and professors tackled the different applications of modern teaching strategies and the challenges they raise.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the Arab SMEs, held by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in cooperation with the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), in Amman, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The summit, held on October 30 – November 1, 2022, under the theme “Opportunities Beyond Borders,” witnessed the attendance of 600 participants and 50 speakers representing ministers of economy, ambassadors of Arab countries, economic bodies, intergovernmental organizations and civil society institutions, as well as entrepreneurs and investors. It aimed at exchanging experiences and knowledge to help Arab small and medium enterprises to access regional and international markets and deal with various funding sources.
In his intervention, Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of ICESCO Center of Strategic Foresight, highlighted the Organization’s efforts to provide guidance, spread knowledge and share good practices aimed at developing Muslim countries and meeting the needs of its Member States, especially youth and women, underlining the Organization’s programmes to promote the establishment and development of small and medium enterprises in the field of technology and innovation in the OIC Member States.
Dr. Hammami also reviewed ICESCO’s initiatives to promote women’s entrepreneurship, digital entrepreneurship and the culture of foresight, and raise awareness of tomorrow’s professions.
The headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) saw the launch of the first edition of the Young Professionals Programme 2022, which is the opportunity for young people from the Islamic world to spend a 24-month period of professional qualification at ICESCO’s sectors, departments and specialized centers. It comes within the framework of the Organization’s vision and strategic orientations, and aims to build young people’s capacities and provide them with new professional skills that keep pace with the current technological development.
In his welcoming speech, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, announced the launch of the first edition of the programme, which include 13 participants from 10 Member States of ICESCO, who were selected from among 1,177 candidates. He also congratulated the selected participants in the programme, which is a training opportunity for young people, stressing that ICESCO is keen to provide quality professional qualification to meet the aspirations of young people and provide them with the necessary project management skills to fulfil their roles in building a bright future.
ICESCO Director-General gave pieces of advice to the young professionals to achieve success in their practical lives, including hard work and proposing initiatives that reflect their aspirations, expressing his conviction that they will represent an addition to the Organization.
Afterwards, the young professionals presented themselves and their educational career and aspirations. During their first week at ICESCO, the young professionals will get acquainted with the work of ICESCO’s sectors, departments and centers, as well as its major initiatives in the fields of education, science and culture, through various meetings with the heads of sector and experts in addition to other activities.
It is noteworthy that the Young Professionals Programme was approved by the 14th Session of the General Conference of ICESCO, upon the recommendation of the Executive Council. The selection process included many phases, including tests and interviews conducted by a specialized committee.
The programme will enrich the participants’ experiences in the areas of international leadership through various training activities, including project management and visits to various international organizations, participation in high-level international events, and the organization of innovative participatory programmes in ICESCO’s areas of action.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Korea-Africa Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding for the implementation of several joint programmes and projects on youth training and capacity-building to further understand cultural and educational issues in the African continent, enhance cooperation on information and experience sharing and conduct joint research projects and studies.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Mr. Lim Jae-hoon, Vice President of the Korea-Africa Foundation, signed the memorandum of understanding, on Monday (October 31, 2022), at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, in the presence of the delegation of the Korean Foundation and a number of heads of sector and department of ICESCO.
Afterward, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed that this agreement comes within the framework of ICESCO’s new vision and strategic orientations, which are based on cooperation with all parties for the benefit of the Member States and Muslim communities around the world, adding that cooperation and partnership agreements should include specific programmes and projects likely to achieve the best-desired results.
ICESCO Director-General pointed out that this agreement will be the start of great cooperation with many Korean institutions, especially in the fields of education and scientific research, in which Korea has made outstanding achievements.
He also explained that ICESCO prioritizes youth and women capacity-building, particularly in the neediest Member States, most notably African countries, in coordination and cooperation with their National Commissions for Education, Science and Culture.
For his part, Mr. Lim Jae-hoon expressed his happiness at the signing of the memorandum of understanding, which is the result of a continuous work effort between the two parties to enhance knowledge sharing in youth capacity-building and expand the scope of cooperation between ICESCO and the Korea-Africa Foundation, adding that ICESCO is one of the major organizations working in Africa.
