The Education Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in a training workshop held by the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), on “Distance Education and E-Learning in Technical and Vocational Education and Training,” as part of the Vocational Education and Training Programme for Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC-VET).
Mr. Aziz Al-Hajir, Programme Director at ICESCO Education Sector, represented the Organization, via videoconference, at the workshop, on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, during which he delivered a presentation on ICESCO’s orientations, projects and achievements in relation to distance education, e-learning, and open educational resources.
Facilitated by a host of specialized experts from the Vocational Training Corporation in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the two-day workshop is intended for experts and executives from technical and vocational education and training bodies in several OIC Member States. The event is aimed at strengthening the participants’ technical capacities, introducing them to the major terms and concepts relating to distance education and e-learning, and equipping them with the necessary tools to harness information and communication technology for advancing technical and vocational education and training systems.
The Human and Social Sciences Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with the Department of Cooperation, Communication and Legal Studies at the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication in the Kingdom of Morocco, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the Organization and the Ministry in building youth capacities in the fields of peace, social cohesion and development.
During the meeting, held on Tuesday (20 September 2022), at the Ministry’s headquarters in Rabat, each party reviewed its programmes and strategic orientations. They also discussed ways to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry in areas of common interest.
The meeting brought together Ms. Ramata Almami Mbaye, Head of the Human and Social Sciences Sector, and several experts from the Sector, as well as Ms. Nadia Harraq, Head of Cooperation and Partnerships Department at the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in the United Arab Emirates held a meeting to explore cooperation prospects in implementing various programmes and projects in the fields of artificial intelligence and innovation and discuss the scholarships that the University awards to students in engineering and science faculties.
During the meeting, which was held on Monday, September 19, 2022, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, representatives of the Organization reviewed the main thrusts of ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, and its efforts to promote foresight in Member States, as well as its major current programmes and activities in the fields of technology, innovation and artificial intelligence.
For its part, the University’s delegation delivered a presentation on the areas of MBZUAI’s work and its objectives, highlighting its keenness to cooperate with ICESCO.
The two parties agreed on jointly organizing a series of conferences and seminars on issues of common interest, and holding meetings to introduce students to the University’s scholarships.
The meeting brought together Dr. Kais Hammami, Head of ICESCO Center for Strategic Foresight, and the Center’s team, Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Head of the Legal Affairs and International Standards Department, Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), Dr. Adel Smeda, Expert at ICESCO Science and Technology Sector, Dr. Hosni Ghedira, Director of Research Engagement at MBZUAI, Dr. Abdulmotaleb El Saddik, Acting Chair of the Computer Vision Department, and Ms. Reem Al Orfali, Director of Student Affairs.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Moussa Faki Mohamed, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the Organization and the Union in areas of common interest.
During the meeting, held in New York, on Monday (September 19, 2022), on the sidelines of the United Nations Transforming Education Summit, organized in parallel with the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main axes of ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, and its major initiatives, programmes and activities to consolidate the values of peace, coexistence and civilizational dialogue, build the capacities of youth and women, encourage Member States to invest in modern technology, and benefit from their opportunities in developing education, science and culture.
The meeting also touched on the areas of common interest and points of convergence between the priorities of ICESCO and the African Union. The two parties stressed their willingness to build a fruitful partnership and agreed to sign a cooperation agreement, which includes the implementation of joint practical programmes and activities, and the participation in international conferences and forums of each party.
The meeting brought together Dr. Mohamed El-Hassan Ould Labat, President of the Cabinet, Advisor for Strategic and Political Relations; and Ambassador Fatima Kyari, Head of the African Union Mission to the United Nations; as well as Dr. Barry Coumbou, Head of ICESCO Education Sector; Ms. Amira Al-Fadil, Head of ICESCO Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Advisor at ICESCO Science and Technology Sector.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Albert Ouedraogo, Prime Minister of the Republic of Burkina Faso, held a meeting to review the latest developments in cooperation between ICESCO and Burkina Faso and discuss the implementation of several partnership programmes and activities in the future.
The meeting, which was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Education of Burkina Faso, came on the sidelines of the participation of Dr. AlMalik and Dr. Ouedraogo in the United Nations Summit for Transforming Education in New York, where ICESCO and Burkina Faso reviewed the key results of their joint programmes, projects and activities and reaffirmed the continuation of their constructive partnership.
The two parties agreed to cooperate in holding a symposium on space sciences and a training session for youth in Burkina Faso on how to design and manufacture an educational satellite “CanSat,” to implement several projects in the preservation of the environment, inscription of several historical sites and cultural elements in Burkina Faso on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List and organize training sessions for heritage officials in Burkina Faso on preparing inscription files and protecting and maintaining archaeological sites.
The meeting also touched upon the problem of dropping out of school, Burkina Faso’s success in addressing and reducing the effects of this phenomenon and the possibility of transferring this experience to other ICESCO Member States.
For his part, the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso commended ICESCO’s new vision and strategic orientations and expressed his gratitude for the Organization’s interest in cooperating with his country and supporting its efforts in developing education, science and culture, stressing that his government will pay the arrears of Burkina Faso’s contributions to ICESCO’s budget.
The meeting brought together from ICESCO: Dr. Barry Koumbouo, Head of the Education Sector, Ms. Amira El-Fadil, Head of Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Advisor in the Science and Technology Sector, and Dr. Sungbong Kim, Expert at the Education Sector.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), called on the global community to implement several reform policies to usher in a new era of education that meets the world’s needs for inclusive and equitable quality education. He stressed that countries need to raise the share of education in their general budgets, set up a world fund for supporting education during disasters and in conflict zones, and urge global corporates specializing in the field of education to provide technical and technological support to educational sectors in developing countries. He also called on educational organizations to cooperate in conducting studies on the latest educational development and set up a plan for the ensuing needs.
Dr. AlMalik made this statement Monday, September 19, 2022, at the Transforming Education Summit Leaders Day, held by the United Nations at its headquarters in New York, concurrently with the organization of the 77th General Assembly. This major educational event aims to pool efforts, align ambitions and promote solidarity to find solutions to compensate for the hits that struck the education sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reimagine its future. The Summit saw high-caliber participation including heads of states and governments, ministers, leaders, international organizations and world-renowned experts in the field of education.
At the outset, Dr. AlMalik commended the organization of the Transforming Education Summit, which represents the start of a new era in education. He also highlighted the key roles of education in supporting the development and building world peace and security, noting that SDG4 stresses the importance of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality lifelong education. He added that education was one of the fields most impacted by the pandemic repercussions, as its system has become a standard for measuring our success or failure in preventing disasters and overcoming crises.
Moreover, Dr. AlMalik stated that ICESCO places education at the forefront of its priorities, guided by its new and forward-looking vision which focuses on women, children and young people and capitalizes on modern technology to build the youth’s capacities to keep up with the sciences and jobs of tomorrow. He reaffirmed that the educational process goes beyond memorization to reach competencies, talents, intelligence and creativity.
In this regard, the Director-General announced that, in its capacity as an international organization with a civilizational outreach, ICESCO reaffirms its support for sustainable educational development goals, led by the UN, adding that ICESCO is aware of the dire situation of girls’ education and intends to set up digital labs for girls, along with a digital library for children’s education.
Likewise, the Director-General stated that the educational challenges caused by the pandemic necessitate smart and unconventional solutions that make use of modern educational methods, focus on the role of the teacher and highlight the importance of family in the educational process.
The Headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) hosted a meeting to follow up on the latest developments in the third session (2021-2022) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Award for Environmental Management in the Islamic World (KSAAEM). The meeting held by ICESCO, which serves as the Award’s General Secretariat, reviewed the session’s academic report and the initial results of the international jury and determined the date and agenda for the meeting of the Higher Committee of the Award chaired by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The meeting also discussed the number of award nominations for this session, as over 500 submissions were received, with a total of 170 projects from thirty countries within the Islamic world and beyond, pertaining to the four branches of the award: best research, pilot practice in NGOs, women’s leading activities in environmental action, and Islamic green city.
Prizes are due to be awarded during the Conference of Environment Ministers in the Islamic World to be held in Jeddah during 2022.
Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General of ICESCO, chaired the meeting that brought together Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General for Partnerships and International Cooperation, Supervisor of the Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences, Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Advisor at ICESCO Science and Technology Sector, and Dr. Abdelmajid Tribak, Academic Coordinator for the Award.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Ibn Batouta African Institute of the Republic of Benin signed a cooperation agreement to establish a Training Pole for Excellence in the field of Arabic for non-Arabic speakers within the institute, in partnership with Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance.
The agreement was signed, on (September 16, 2022), at ICESCO’s Mishkat Hall, by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General of ICESCO, in the presence of several heads of ICESCO’s sectors and departments, and by Dr. Widade Naibi, Director of Ibn Battuta African Institute, via videoconference.
The Training Pole seeks to help the Republic of Benin build its national capacities in Arabic education through the qualification of Arabic teachers and educational staff. In its first phase, the Center’s programmes will focus on remote training activities through Mishkat Hall.
In his address during the signing ceremony, Dr. Benarafa stressed that the establishment of this Training Pole in Benin falls within the framework of ICESCO’s vision, which aims at promoting interest in major educational projects that meet the needs of Member States, noting that ICESCO’s programme of training poles and academic chairs on teaching Arabic for non-Arabic speakers, which are implemented in cooperation with Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance and the hosting parties, is a successful model of multilateral partnership.
For her part, Dr. Widade Naibi indicated that the establishment of this Training Pole comes under appropriate conditions in the Republic of Benin to be a major contribution to the advancement of the Arabic education system in Benin and other West African countries through educational training and qualification.
The Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with the Moroccan Ministry of Solidarity, Social Integration and the Family and the World Bank Group to examine the prospects of tripartite cooperation between ICESCO, Morocco and the Group in the implementation of programmes and projects in the field of social protection, modern technologies and capacity building for women and youth.
The meeting, held on Thursday, September 15, 2022, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Rabat, was attended by Mrs. Aawatif Hayar, Moroccan Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family, Mrs. Amira El Fadel, Head of ICESCO’s Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Mrs. Rim Jirari, Head of the Organizations and Bodies Section at the same Sector. The World Bank was represented by Mr. Walid Malik, Senior Public Sector Specialist, and Ms. Clara Maghani, Public Sector Specialist for Global Governance Practices.
At the meeting, Ms. Hayar reviewed the strategy of the new “Jisr” concept, an innovative green social renewal mechanism to create a new generation of social services for families and individuals in difficult circumstances. This strategy is a pilot experience to bring services closer to citizens and improve their quality through the rehabilitation of social centers.
For her part, Mrs. Amira El Fadil presented the new vision and strategic orientations of ICESCO, stressing the openness of the Organization to cooperation with civil society institutions and donors, to support the efforts of Member States in promoting social protection, health, education and other fields. Likewise, Mr. Walid Malik praised ICESCO’s programs and the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco and presented concrete proposals to help establish a tripartite partnership.
At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to involve all relevant sectors in the implementation of the agreed programs and proposals, especially those related to social justice.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Dauren Abayev, Minister of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, to discuss ways of improving cooperation between ICESCO and Kazakhstan in the fields of culture.
During the meeting, held on Thursday (September 15, 2022) at the Ministry’s headquarters, in Nur-Sultan, in the presence of the Deputy Minister and the Director of International Relations as well as a number of the ministry officials, Dr. Al-Malik reviewed ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, which contribute to laying the foundations for cultural policies in Muslim countries and ensuring the protection and preservation of heritage, highlighting the Organization’s key initiatives and programmes implemented to valorize the cultural heritage of Muslim countries, promote digital culture, spread awareness about the importance of sport as a driving force for building peace and dialogue between societies, uniting peoples and breaking down barriers of hatred, as well as developing the educational process and maintaining students’ health.
For his part, the Kazakh Minister of Culture and Sports commended ICESCO’s remarkable roles in its areas of competence and the distinguished relations between the Organization and Kazakhstan, stressing his willingness to continue and develop this partnership.
Moreover, the meeting tackled the proposal of organizing cultural weeks by the competent parties in Kazakhstan, Rabat, Cairo, and Yaounde, which are celebrated as Culture Capitals in the Islamic World for 2022 with a view to introducing Kazakh culture and promoting cultural exchange.
The two parties also agreed to strengthen cooperation through many programmes and activities, including Kazakhstan’s submission of files of heritage sites and cultural elements for their inscription on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List, co-organize a training session for young people on the restoration and preservation of cultural property, and an international symposium on Al-Farabi’s contributions to human civilization, and take the necessary measures to sign a memorandum of understanding on the formula of cooperation, at the Organization’s headquarters.
