Category: News update

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.

The ICESCO Training Pole for Excellence in the Field of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers in Nigeria held a seminar on, “The Arabic Language: Between Authenticity and Renewal,” with the participation of several university professors, researchers and students.
The seminar discussed three themes, namely, the history of the Arabic language in the Barnawi community in Nigeria: gains and challenges, the future of Arabic in Nigerian universities, and constructive cooperation to spread Arab culture in Nigeria.

The seminar was held at the Arabic Language Village Ngala, under the supervision of its Director, Dr. Ibrahim Muhammad. The session by attended by a host of professors, notably, Dr. Sharif Abdelkader Abdullah, Dr. Muhammad M. Abubakar, Dr. Muhammad Saleh Jamal; Dr. Umar Yunus, and Dr. Ali Muhammad Al-Ahmar.

The first international conference on the use of emerging technologies in Arabic language learning and teaching, which was held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Open University of Libya, concluded its proceedings in Tripoli, Libya.

Held under the theme “Creative Ideas – Constructive Vision – Proposals” on October 29-30, 2022, the conference brought together a host of Libyan university rectors and researchers in scientific centers and universities in the fields of artificial intelligence, natural language processing and the application of virtual reality in Arabic language learning and teaching.

The opening session began with an address by Dr. Omran Al-Qeeb, Libyan Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, followed by the address of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), delivered on his behalf by Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to ICESCO DG for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), then an address by Dr. Masouda Al-Aswad, Undersecretary of the Libyan Ministry of Education.A delegation comprised of Dr. Omar Halli, Dr. Majdi Bin Haji Ibrahim, Head of the ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, and Dr. Adel Smeda, Expert at ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, represented the Organization at the conference.

The participants reviewed a range of scientific studies on the optical recognition of Arabic printed characters and its use in teaching the language to people with special needs, Arabic text classification, and the application of virtual reality in Arabic language learning and teaching, as well as ICESCO’s contributions to the development of new technologies in the service of the Arabic language.

On the sidelines of the conference, the ICESCO delegation held a meeting with Mr. Ramadan Almadani, President of the Libyan Academy for Post-Graduate Studies, and members of his team, in the presence of Dr. Said Mhamed Al-Dabib, Libya’s permanent delegate to ICESCO, and together they discussed means to foster cooperation between the Organization and the Academy and expand its scope to include humanities, languages and scientific research.

During the meeting, the two parties stressed the need to adopt practical projects and programmes, after completing the procedures for signing cooperation agreements, and facilitating communication between FUIW and Libyan universities to launch student exchange programmes.

On 31st October of every year, the world observes World Cities Day, which is celebrated this year under the theme “Better City, Better Life.” It is an opportunity to highlight the future challenges facing cities and urban areas and raise awareness of the need to capitalize on modern technologies and the importance of building partnerships and cooperation to achieve sustainable urban development and promote green cities.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) seizes this opportunity to call upon countries, governments, international organizations, bodies and civil society institutions to work jointly towards the preservation of the environment in cities and the promotion of development policies and programmes to support the rapid transformation towards smart, resilient and sustainable cities, and increase investments in this field in such a way as to contribute to ensuring a decent life and providing clean air and usable water for cities’ inhabitants by giving priority to financing the environmental sector.

As a contribution to achieving the eleventh Sustainable Development Goal related to sustainable cities and communities, ICESCO has developed, within the framework of its new vision and strategic orientations, an ambitious action plan for the Programme of Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Cities in the Islamic World to promote these concepts in the Member States, rationalize the use of natural resources and promote the utilization of renewable energies.

Being aware of the importance of developing and transforming cities into smart, flexible and sustainable ones, taking into account the construction of new cities according to the latest specifications to improve living conditions and preserve natural resources, the Organization reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the efforts of its Member States to develop strategies in line with the best practices and contribute to joint action to support the most vulnerable groups within cities by developing and implementing ambitious programmes and projects to help adopt this new concept.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the 2nd Edition of the Scientific Francophonie Meeting, which falls within the framework of the 2nd Edition of the World Scientific Francophonie Week, held by the Francophone University Agency (AUF), in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education, in Cairo, on 25-28 October 2022. It brought together several ministers of higher education and scientific research as well as university rectors, researchers, specialists and a large number of students.

In his intervention during this meeting, Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of ICESCO Center of Strategic Foresight, addressed the topic of “Development of Foresight in Education,” to highlight the importance of strategic foresight in developing education in the Islamic world and beyond.

The meeting also touched on the topics of artificial intelligence through experience and knowledge sharing among the participants, highlighting the progress of AI and its contribution to the development of higher education, health sciences, science and technology, humanities, social sciences and management sciences, and proposing recommendations to AUF to enrich its project on International Academy of Scientific Francophonie.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the international workshop, co-organized by the World Bank and the Institute of Public Administration in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on international best practices and lessons learned in the field of women’s empowerment and gender equality. On this occasion, Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of ICESCO’s Human and Social Sciences Sector reviewed the Organization’s efforts in this area.

During the session devoted to the review of women’s leadership development and the case study project, which took place on Wednesday, October 25, 2022, the ICESCO representative pointed out that women represent about half of the population in the Islamic world, hence the need to strengthen their capacities in order to contribute to the achievement of the expected development goals.

She also stressed that ICESCO is developing innovative multi-sectoral programs to fight poverty, socio-economic marginalization and discrimination, especially as it prioritizes youth and women in its vision and action strategy, and promotes the exchange of inspiring experiences among women and their skills to build the societies we want.

She added that the projects and initiatives that ICESCO launched during the pandemic of COVID-19, based on its forward-looking vision, aim at rethinking the future of the educational, cultural and social fields, as well as the status of the human being as a central element of all programs and policies.

In addition, Ms. Mbaye said in her speech that ICESCO suggests integrating several key issues in education systems, including peacebuilding and psychosocial support for vulnerable women. She also suggested integrating sport as a primary tool for contributing to the promotion of coexistence and the achievement of development as well as benefiting from women’s innovations in entrepreneurship to achieve progress and prosperity in our societies.

New Book: ICESCO’s Third Major Take-Off Confirms that its Future Rests Upon Solid Foundations and Innovative Thinking

A recently published book in the Kingdom of Morocco lauded the development and modernization that the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has witnessed at the level of its management, programmes, action plans, mindset innovation, foresight, and openness. The book noted that this overhaul has enabled the Organization to cleverly handle regional and international changes, and efficiently meet the needs of its Member States, thus pushing it forward in an unprecedented manner, and placing it among the pioneering regional organizations.

In his book entitled: “A Third of a Century at the UNESCO of the Islamic World,” Professor Abdelkader El Idrissi, devoted an entire chapter to the ‘new ICESCO,’ which began with Dr. Salim M. AlMalik assuming the position of Director-General of the Organization, following his election during the Third Extraordinary Session of ICESCO’s General Conference. which was held in King Abdullah Economic City in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on May 9-10, 2019.
“Over the last three years, ICESCO modernized its management, programmes, action plans, major civilizational projects, mindset, innovation, and future planning. Broad horizons then opened up to the Organization, reinforcing its engagement with and integration into the international environment, and enhancing its interaction with human cultures. This enabled ICESCO to handle regional and international changes cleverly and wisely, and meet the needs of its Member States to enhance their capabilities in its areas of competence as part of a three-year action plan. This has pushed ICESCO forward, in an unprecedented manner, and has placed this prestigious and developed Organization among the pioneering, successful and distinguished regional organizations,” stated the author in the chapter entitled “Broad Horizons Opened up to the New ICESCO.”

The author pointed out that: “These tremendous efforts, which were exerted at the beginning of the third phase, have come to fruition with the help of Allah the Almighty and thanks to Dr. AlMalik, who turned his position of ICESCO Director-General into a conscious and wise intellectual leadership for joint Islamic action in the fields of education, science and culture that supports comprehensive sustainable development in all countries of the Islamic world.”

Professor El Idrissi explained that these efforts would not have been fruitful and effective in building and strengthening the capacities of Member States, had it not been for Dr. AlMalik’s finely honed skills in leading implementation and management operations, and his strong know-how in terms of planning, management, problem-solving, and creative thinking. These are the main thrusts of the new vision that he adopted as an approach for action, a basis for building, and a pillar for the practical and concrete strategy. These are the principles that inspired his early steps and are still guiding his work.

In his chapter on the ’new ICESCO,’ which is entitled “Objectives that Keep Pace with Changes,” the author delves into the phases of the overhaul that the Organization has witnessed, emphasizing that the six objectives outlined in ICESCO’s Charter, which was approved by the Executive Council at its fortieth session in Abu Dhabi during in January 2020, draw an accurate road map for the Organization and determine its functions. He also discussed the development of ICESCO’s procedures and measures, which represents a revamp in concepts, terms and visions, and reflects a renewed innovation and creativity in implementation, forward-looking leadership for teamwork, and a qualitative shift in the Organization’s programmes and projects.

The author noted that the Organization’s new name ‘ICESCO’ (Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is in harmony with the new vision that this new take-off is based upon, stressing that this will further its engagement in broader regional and international environments, and will help it access wider human realms.
Under the title: “ICESCO Builds its Future,” Professor El Idrissi wrote: “It would not be an exaggeration to express my certainty that ICESCO’s medium- and long-term future is being built today under the leadership of the Director-General, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, in light of the new vision that he established to advance and bring new momentum to the Organization, and orient it towards renewal, modernization, and development to keep pace with changes.”

“ICESCO’s major take-off, which occurred at the beginning of its third phase, best demonstrates that the future rests upon solid foundations and is built with creativity in the light of the new vision that this Organization has leveraged to elevate its status and position itself at the leading edge of educational, scientific, cultural, technological, communication and media development in the Islamic world, and become a distinguished house of expertise,” added Professor El Idrissi in his book.