Category: News update

In the presence of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports of the Arab Republic of Egypt, ICESCO’s pavilion at (COP 27), in Sharm El-Sheikh, held a simulation activity with several children to raise their awareness of the importance of contributing to the efforts to preserve the environment and achieve sustainable development.

During the activity, held on Friday (November 11, 2022), Dr. Sobhi stressed the need to build the capacities of children and youth, promote a culture of environmental protection and address climate change challenges given their role as the builders of the future, pointing out to the importance of intensifying global efforts to enhance preparedness to face disasters and natural crises.

The Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports expressed his thanks and appreciation to ICESCO for its permanent cooperation and commitment to global issues of interest to its Member States.

For his part, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the strategic vision and major priorities of ICESCO in the field of environmental protection, highlighting that the wide geographical scope of the Organization’s action, which includes Asia, Africa and the Arab region, places confronting the threats to biodiversity and the repercussions of climate change among the top priorities for ICESCO in order to preserve a healthy environment and a rich natural heritage for future generations of young men and women and children.

The activity included many interventions by the participating children, who freely and consciously expressed their ideas and asked many questions about the threats of climate change and the future of the planet in light of these changes. Dr. Al-Malik and Dr. Subhi answered their questions.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held the Future Forum, Youth Edition, in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in the Kingdom of Morocco at its headquarters in Rabat.

The Forum saw the participation of 30 international experts and specialists in the field of strategic foresight and 400 young men and women from various universities and institutes.

In his opening remark, Dr. Kais Hammami, Head of the Center of Strategic Foresight, stressed the Forum’s significance as it discusses several pressing issues relevant to the youth and future concepts. He added that the Forum is an opportunity to explore ways to build young people’s capacities to face different crises.

Moreover, the ICESCO official stated that the Forum is held in line with both the plans and programs of the Center and ICESCO geared towards building the capacities of young people and helping them build the future they aspire to.

For his part, Mr. Steffen Krüger, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in the Kingdom of Morocco, highlighted the importance of supporting the youth, disseminating knowledge and exchanging expertise and best practices to nurture creativity among young people. He added that such efforts would address the needs of the future through cooperation with various international organizations, institutions and research centers.

He stressed that ICESCO is one of these institutions given its leading roles and interests in various issues that pertain to the youth, and the achievement of sustainable development goals.

For her part, Ms. Rana Asbahi, from ICESCO’s Department of Legal Affairs and International Standards, highlighted the objectives of the Organization’s Young Professionals Program, which aims to provide young professionals with the opportunity to acquire professional expertise, noting that the first edition of the Program was launched this November and benefited 14 young men and women from 10 ICESCO Member States, who have been selected from among 1177 candidates.

The Forum discussed several themes notably, “Taking control of the future: dialogue or clash of generations”, which focused on finding a common ground for dialogue between generations to understand reality and anticipate the changes of the future.

The Forum also discussed “future ethics and global responsibility: Youth and decision makers for a more resilient world.”

The Mishkat Arabic Hall at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held the second training session of the ICESCO International Programme “Mishkat for Arabic Language” for professional development and continuous training in the Arabic language for the benefit of non-Arabic speakers, implemented by ICESCO in cooperation with the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance.

The session, which was held on November 9-10, 2022 in person and via videoconference, under the theme: “Teaching Arabic to Primary School Students,” saw the participation of 275 educational staff divided into 11 groups of Arabic language teachers in Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Guinea, Cameroon, Malaysia, Indonesia Uzbekistan, Bashkortostan, Vietnam and Morocco, as well as trainees from other countries such as Thailand, Denmark, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, France and Burkina Faso.

During the session, Dr. Khaled Abu Amsha, Educational Training Expert, introduced the participants to the foundations and principles of teaching Arabic to children, the frameworks for practical workshops on the developmental and linguistic characteristics of children as well as ways to invest them in diversifying teaching methods and techniques. The training session also focused on active learning techniques, virtual and real language games in teaching Arabic to children and investing educational strategies in developing their four language skills.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the Misk Global Forum 2022, held by Mohammed Bin Salman Foundation (Misk), in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 9-10 November 2022. The Forum saw high-caliber participation including ministers from several countries, officials, representatives of international and regional organizations, experts, entrepreneurs, innovators and young creators from different parts of the world who gathered to exchange knowledge and experiences and break barriers to create impactful discussion that leads to change and accentuates the role of the youth in societies.

The Forum, which saw the participation of an ICESCO delegation consisting of experts and staff members from different sectors, departments and centers, featured discussion panels chaired by leaders, inspiring youth and innovators, and youth interactive sessions to promote constructive dialogue and exchange ideas and information among participants. It also featured a skills lab to build youth’s capacities and orientation platforms for professional growth to provide advice to young people regarding their careers. Moreover, the Forum was marked by the organization of the Misk Exhibition, which aimed to give an overview of the Misk Foundation and highlight its future projects, all through an interactive and comprehensive experience.

On the sidelines of the Forum, the ICESCO delegation held a meeting with Ms. Alyaa Kabbani, Project Manager at Misk Foundation, where the delegation highlighted ICESCO’s efforts in the fields of education, science and culture, as well as its initiatives and programs geared towards building the capacities of young people, notably the Young Professionals Program, whose first edition was launched this November. For her part, Ms. Kabbani reaffirmed the Foundation’s keenness to promote cooperation and partnership with ICESCO through future coordination to implement a set of programs and projects relevant to building youth’s capacities and supporting them in the fields of innovation and modern technology.

This year’s edition of the Forum falls as part of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Foundation, a non-profit that aims to support young talents and hone their skills through its strategy to foster pioneering ideas and equip young people with the necessary skills to find the best solutions for present and future challenges.

The pavilion of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) at COP27, in Sharm El-Sheikh, continues its various activities. On Thursday (November 10, 2022), ICESCO held several seminars and panel discussions, during which the heads of sectors and experts highlighted the Organization’s efforts and programmes to preserve the environment, achieve sustainable development and build youth capacity.

Dr. Osama Nahas and Dr. Nami Salihi, experts at the Culture and Communication Sector, gave two separate presentations respectively on the applications of remote sensing and artificial intelligence in studies of the impact of climate change on heritage sites and simulation activities, and the impact of natural factors on the diverse heritage of Mesopotamia, which made it a unique civilization worldwide thanks to its rich geographical environment and other natural factors.

For his part, Dr. Foued El-Ayni, expert at the Science and Technology Sector, gave a presentation, through videoconference, on the importance of space science applications and their role in mitigating the repercussions of climate change and the need to make optimal use of modern space technologies in the ICESCO Member States.

Moreover, Dr. Huda Abdullah Megeirhi, expert at ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue, gave a presentation on the importance and role of youth and art in promoting mainstream culture in talks and dialogues between Muslim countries and with other countries.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, held the ICESCO Think Tanks Forum “Towards a New Perception of Time,” which is organized by the ICESCO Center for Strategic Foresight, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, with the presence of a group of experts, researchers and specialists from various Member States.

During his opening remark, on Thursday, November 10, 2022, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, explained that the Forum aims at exchanging experiences between high-caliber groups of thinkers and specialists and to discuss issues related to the present and the future. It is an invitation to think collectively about how to promote constructive dialogue on several important issues inside and outside the Member States.

He pointed out that the great and surprising change that the world is witnessing in technology, along with the influence of the media and artificial intelligence applications compel us to address challenges with a comprehensive and proactive perception and motivate us to take strategic decisions to contribute to achieving a better future, noting the importance of think tanks in scientific research to reach solutions to present challenges and establish a safe world for our future generations.

He stressed that ICESCO is establishing a unified system for the first network of think tanks to unify about 30 think tanks in the countries of the Islamic world, aiming at contributing to the development of their research capabilities to reach optimal efficiency in taking appropriate decisions, promoting exchange between research centers and enhancing their strategic position and influence at the international level, as well as communicating with 20 of the most important experts in the field of strategic foresight.

Dr. AlMalik announced the opening of the Fatima Al-Fihriya Think Tank, which is the first think tank under women’s leadership in the Islamic world, in honor of Mrs. Fatima Al-Fihriya for her immortal contributions to cultural and scientific history, mainly building the Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque in Fez and promoting science, ethics and knowledge. He also noted the importance of women’s role in change and their bright contributions that cannot be overlooked.

For his part, Mr. Stephen Krueger, representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in the Kingdom of Morocco, reviewed the Foundation’s efforts in supporting think tanks and research to find solutions to the challenges of time, commending ICESCO’s role in sponsoring and giving attention to scientific research and strategic thinking as well as its constant support for thinkers and specialists in the Islamic world.

The conference included an institutional session, moderated by Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of ICESCO Center for Strategic Foresight, to present the efforts of the think tanks of the Organization’s Member States, the second session discussed the think tanks “Towards a New Perception of Time”, while the third session focused on the future of governance and think tanks.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Niger, and in cooperation with the General Directorate of Literacy and Non-Formal Education and the Institute of Training in Literacy and Non-Formal Education, launched the pilot project “Empowering women in literacy centers in Niamey region,” which aims to contribute to the sustainability of the achievements of newly literate girls and women, through courses of support in reading and training on income-generating activities for the benefit of fifty beneficiaries in two literacy centers in Niamey region.

The project, launched on Tuesday (November 8, 2022), is part of the programmes of the five-year plan for socio-economic development for 2022-2026 of Niger’s government, where the beneficiaries will receive reading courses during three months, training in sewing and embroidery, and practical workshops on income-generating activities management.

Mr. Aziz Al-Hajir, Programmes Manager at the Education Sector, represented ICESCO in the launch of this project. He delivered a speech in which he highlighted the importance of the project and its socio-economic impact.

The launch ceremony of the pilot project saw the presence of Dr. Ibrahim Natatou, Minister of National Education of the Republic of Niger, several officials and inspectors of literacy and non-formal education, and Mr. Mohamedou Othman, Secretary-General of Niger’s National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO.

During his opening speech, Dr. Natatou expressed his happiness for holding this key event in Niamey, and the trust that ICESCO had placed in him to implement this project, which aims to improve the incomes of newly literate girls and women, and combat unemployment.