Category: News update

The training session on the design of a CanSat, held from 18 to 22 July 2022 by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO), in partnership with the International University of Rabat and Cadi Ayyad University of Marrakech, has concluded today.

This training session benefited researchers and students from 20 countries, and was attended by officials, international experts, astronauts and academics.

The closing ceremony of this session, which took place on Friday 22 July 2022 at the headquarters of Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, began with a speech by Dr. Moulay El Hassan Ahbid, President of the said University, who on this occasion stressed the importance of this initiative in building students’ capacities in space industries programs, as well as in promoting entrepreneurship and developing the participation of women and girls in this field.

For his part, Dr. Muhammad Sherif, advisor at ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, extended his thanks to all parties who have contributed to the success of the training, praising the efforts made by the international experts and students during this session, pointing out several related programmes that ICESCO will soon launch in its Member States.

The participants, including academics and space science experts, praised ICESCO’s efforts to enable young people in the Islamic world to keep abreast with the latest developments in space science and its applications, and the importance of using it to develop a workforce that will contribute to building a better future for all.

At the closing ceremony, the participating experts were honored with commemorative shields while the other participants were given certificates of participation in the training session which included a theoretical part, held at ICESCO’s Headquarters in Rabat, to introduce the “CanSat” and the applications used in its design. Afterward, the participants went to the Oukaimeden Astronomical Observatory of the Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, to carry out the CanSat launch test, which was a success.

The Centre of Strategic Foresight at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with the representatives of the office of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to examine the preparations for the organization of the Conference of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Dr. Kais Hammami, Head of the Center of Strategic Foresight, and Ms. Rim Jalloul, from the same Center, represented ICESCO at this meeting that took place on Friday, July 22, 2022, at its headquarters in Rabat, while Ms. Elizabeth Fordham, Advisor for International Relations, and Ms. Lynn Abi Raad, Policy Analyst in Education and Skills, represented the OECD Office in Paris.

During the meeting, both parties stressed the importance of the Conference as a pioneering initiative to highlight PISA’s latest approved data, exchange best practices adopted by developed countries to improve the quality of education systems and extract lessons learned from them to support educational reforms and adopt the PISA assessment in the countries of the Islamic world.

Representatives of both parties emphasized that the Conference’s sessions and recommendations will enable ICESCO Member States to be acquainted with the latest mechanisms for developing educational programs and to benefit from international assessments, which are essential tools for evaluating educational systems and achieving sustainable goals for economic development.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in several sessions of the High-Level International Forum commemorating the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the landmark United Nations Fez Action Plan on the role of religious leaders and actors to prevent incitement to violence that may lead to atrocity crimes, which was held on July 20-21, 2022, in Fez.

In her intervention during the session on “Implementing the Fez Action Plan: Experiences and Best Practices,” Dr. Huda Abdullah Megeirhi, Expert at ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue, highlighted the alignment between the Organization’s new vision and strategic objectives, and the Fez Action Plan, noting that the Center for Civilizational dialogue endeavors to promote peace and respect for human rights, counter extremism and hate speech, and combat incitement to violence. She added that ICESCO’s “Civilizational Diplomacy” Initiative is aimed at curtailing extremism, promoting dialogue, and creating civilizational human communication networks, inviting the participating parties to cooperate in this project.

For her part, Ms. Rana Rana Ezzeddine, Specialist at ICESCO’s Legal Affairs and International Standard Department, presented the Department’s intervention during the session on “How can the implementation of the Fez Action Plan be supported on the international level?,” in which she reviewed ICESCO’s key programmes and projects geared towards spreading values of harmony and peace, and principles of citizenship, human rights and coexistence.

“The Organization seeks to develop scientific guidelines on the protection of personal data, combat against racism and hate speech online, and the ethics of artificial intelligence. It also endeavors to support the activities of various centers working in the field of peace, and cooperate with the parties responsible for developing educational curricula to further integrate human rights and tolerance into the curricula,” explained the Specialist.

A delegation from the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), participated in the 15th session of the coordination meeting between the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held at the UN Office in Geneva from 18 to 20 July 2022, where it held a series of meetings with high-level officials of the UN Organizations to explore ways of strengthening cooperation between ICESCO and these Organizations.

During the meetings, ICESCO’s delegation consisted of Ms. Amira El Fadil, Head of Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, Ms. Rime Jirari, Head of the Department of Organizations and Bodies in the Sector, and Mr. Salem El Habsi, Program Manager at the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences, presented the Organization’s vision and new action strategy aimed at promoting comprehensive and sustainable development in the Islamic world and beyond. They also discussed ICESCO’s wide network of cooperation and the global challenges that require joint action.

ICESCO’s delegation meetings included a meeting with Mr. Musa Omarou, Deputy Director-General of the International Labor Organization (ILO) for Field Operations and Partnerships, at the Organization’s headquarters in Geneva, in the presence of his advisors, Mr. Giovanni Di Cola, and Mr. Claude Kwaku Akpokavie.

The Delegation also held other meetings with Mr. Mohamed Khaled El-Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General in the UN Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, Ms. Nicole El Khoury, Legal Officer at UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, Ms. Alice Mungwa, Chief Regional Support Section, Policy, Knowledge Management and Coordination Branch, UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, Ms. Sahar Al-Jobury, Chief of the Representative Office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Cairo, and Ms. Fadia Nahhas, Community Outreach Officer, United Nations Register of Damage Caused by the Construction of the Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

These meetings included a rich exchange of ideas and proposals for joint action and constituted a basis for strengthening cooperation between ICESCO and these UN Organizations, in various fields, including developing youth skills to keep pace with developments in the labor market and future jobs, vocational training and fighting child labor.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the International University of Rabat (UIR) and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), held the first International Forum on capacity-building in the field of science and technology to enhance science diplomacy, with the participation of several officials, international experts, university presidents, academics and researchers from the Islamic world.

The Forum, which was held on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, at UIR headquarters, aims to introduce the concept of science diplomacy, which is considered a tool of modern soft power, and its role in building international cooperation to address global challenges and to promote coexistence between different peoples and cultures, through joint implementation of scientific strategies that contribute to achieving sustainable development goals.

In his speech during the Forum, Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, noted the importance of the role that science diplomacy can play in strengthening the values of peace and human coexistence, supporting mutual respect and tolerance among peoples and building effective international partnerships to enhance the ability to face common challenges.

For his part, Dr. Adel Smeda, Expert in ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, explained the importance of science diplomacy in supporting scientific cooperation between university institutions and scientific research centers in different countries and facilitating the exchange of experiences and information to achieve scientific development and make use of it in service to mankind.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the International Conference for the Promotion of African Museums, held at the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum in Paris, as part of an international cultural initiative geared towards highlighting the Cameroonian and African cultural heritage, that featured a temporary exhibition of Cameroonian historical collection from April 4 to July 17, 2022.

During the conference, Dr. Mahamat Abba Ousman, Expert at ICESCO’s Culture and Communication Sector, reviewed the Organization’s efforts to valorize the heritage of the Islamic world, in general, and the African region in particular, through the inscription of historical sites and cultural elements on the Islamic World Heritage List, the organization of training sessions for the benefit of heritage professionals in Member States, and the promotion of cultural activities and arts therein.

Dr. Abba Ousman delivered a presentation on the first volume of the Directory of Museums in the Islamic World entitled “Museums in Africa”, which was published by ICESCO in May 2022, noting that the document provides an overview of museums in the sub-Saharan African Member States, and that it is the first publication of the Islamic World Heritage Center in the Organization’s Culture and Communication Sector.

He also pointed out that the 178-page Directory encapsulates information on 194 museums for the benefit of students, researchers, investors and entrepreneurs in the cultural field, and is aimed at promoting cultural tourism by casting light on museums and the countries in which they are located.