Category: News update

The Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in a virtual scientific symposium on the history of the Arabic language in Malaysia, which was held by the King Salman International Complex for the Arabic Language in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday (October 11, 2022) via videoconference.

Dr. Majdi Haji Ibrahim, Head of the Center, who represented ICESCO in the symposium, showed the influence of Arabic on the Malay language and Malaysian society over centuries, starting from the date of Islam’s entry to the Malay Archipelago until today, and the fundamental changes it has brought about in the religious, social, political and cultural life of the Malay nation.

The symposium touched upon four main themes: the history of the arrival of the Arabic language to Malaysia, the influence of the Arabic language on Malaysian culture, Arabic in the Malaysian language policy, and Arabic in contemporary Malaysian reality.

The debate also reviewed the most important gains made by Arabic in Malaysia and highlighted the contribution of Malaysian governmental and private institutions and individuals in spreading and promoting Arabic in Malaysian culture.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) is taking part in the third edition of the Oman Science Festival themed: “Together We Live the Passion of Science,” which kicked off on October 10, 2022, in Muscat. The event, aimed at raising awareness of the importance of integrating students into the fields of technology, science and innovation, is organized by the Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman and saw the presence of a host of education and science ministers, officials and experts from specialized international organizations and universities.

Dr. Salim Al Habsi, Programme Director at the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences, and Dr. Foued El Ayni and Dr. Adel Smeda, Experts in ICESCO’s Science and Technology Sector, represent the Organization at the six-day festival. Dr. Smeda will present a scientific paper on “Cybersecurity: Insights, Resources, and Best Practices,” while Dr. El Ayni will present a scientific paper on green transformation and climate action.

The ICESCO delegation reviews the Organization’s efforts contributing to the development of science and innovation, enhancement of young people’s role in modern technology and their engagement in environmental protection in order to achieve sustainable development in the Islamic world, as well as the key relevant programmes and projects that ICESCO is implementing in cooperation with the competent authorities in its Member States.

A delegation from the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Science and Culture to discuss the implementation mechanisms of the programs and projects included in the joint action plan between ICESCO and the Commission, and to review the projects launched in partnership with a set of Saudi bodies, ministries and government institutions.

During the meeting, which took place on Thursday 6 October 2022 at the headquarters of the Saudi Ministry of Culture, the two parties reviewed the main outcomes of the meetings held in August 2022 at ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat by Mr. Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Alblihed, Secretary General of the Saudi National Commission, and members of the Commission, with Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and several heads of sectors and departments of the Organization.

The meeting reviewed the projects launched with partners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including the International Professional Certification in Education Project in cooperation with King Saud University, and the “Ataa Digital” initiative in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

At the end of the meeting, the Commission members hailed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ICESCO and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to set a practical framework for partnership and cooperation between the two organizations and reaffirmed their support for bilateral action.

0ICESCO’s delegation included Dr. Sally Mabrouk, Director of the Office of the Director General, and Mr. Mohamed Hedi Sehili, Director of the Legal Affairs and International Standards Department.

The ICESCO Regional Educational Center in Chad is holding two training sessions on teaching Arabic for the benefit of 50 French-speaking students in the National School of Magistrates. The session will be held for three months, from October to December 2022.

This training session is part of the cooperation agreement between ICESCO’s Center and the National School of Magistrates in Chad and aims to introduce students to the basics of the Arabic language, including phonetics, listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.

It also aims at introducing them to legal terms in Arabic and the principles of teaching Arabic for special purposes.The session will cover 720 hours of training for each class, with a rate of six hours a day, from Monday to Saturday.

The students were divided into two groups, with 25 students per class.The session is taught by Mr. Soulaymane Ali Hamida, and Dr. Jabal Muhammad Jabal, two teachers specialized in teaching Arabic for non-Arabic speakers.

Dr. Ali Muhammad Qamar, Director of ICESCO’s Center in Chad is overseeing the implementation of the session.In another vein, the Center concluded the proceedings of the training session on teaching Arabic, which benefitted 75 staff members from the Ministry of Women, Family and Childhood Protection and the Ministry of Public Health and National Solidarity.

The session also benefitted 60 students from La Liberté High School and Lycée Diguel Est de Ndjaména.The closing ceremony was attended by Mr. Said Farah, Secretary-General of the Ministry of National Education of Chad, who commended the outcomes of the training session and stressed the importance of bilingualism, which is upheld by the Chadian educational system.

The official also thanked ICESCO for its support to Chad, through its Center and to the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) for funding the session. At the end of the ceremony, participation certificates were distributed.

Within the framework of the celebration of Rabat, Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022, the Embassy of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau in Rabat, in cooperation with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco and in partnership with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), organized a cultural evening to introduce the cultural heritage of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and promote economic and tourism activities.At the opening of the evening, held on Friday (September 30, 2022), Ms. Philomena Mendes Mascarenhas Tibouti, Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau in Morocco, commended ICESCO’s continuous support to youth in Guinea-Bissau through training and scholarship programmes, noting that this is an opportunity to highlight the cultural diversity of her country.

For his part, the Secretary General of the Communication Sector at the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, congratulated the Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau for this initiative.

He also thanked ICESCO, which helped revitalize the diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau through the celebration of Rabat, Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2022.For her part, Ms. Ramata Almami Mbaye, Head of ICESCO Social and Human Sciences Sector, delivered an address, wherein she commended the efforts made by the Ambassador of Guinea-Bissau in Rabat to introduce and develop the rich cultural heritage of her country, stressing that the Organization seeks, through its programmes targeting youth, women and vulnerable groups, to contribute to the promotion and development of cultural heritage in the Islamic world, which helps build bridges between peoples and promote the values of peace, harmony and coexistence.

The evening witnessed artistic performances by traditional Guinean bands, traditional dances, an exhibition of artworks, and the presentation of the culinary arts of Guinea-Bissau.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the Scientific Chairs Forum, which was held by the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture under the slogan: “Artificial Intelligence as a Lever for Digital Revolution and an Instrument in the Service of Humanity.” The event is aimed at reviewing the experiences of Moroccan scientific chairs, exploring their importance in universities and higher education institutions, and discussing issues related to artificial intelligence and its legal, technological, social and ethical aspects.

Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to ICESCO Director-General for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), represented the Organization at the Forum on Thursday, October 6, 2022, at the headquarters of the Commission’s General Secretariat in Rabat. During the event, the representative emphasized the importance of linking artificial intelligence with scientific chairs to contribute to achieving progress and development in various areas and create a distinct space for scientific research.

The participants stressed that it is important to be mindful of legal and ethical considerations in artificial intelligence, control its social, economic and cultural impacts, and improve its ethics, underscoring the importance of national and international networking in promoting scientific chairs, and enhancing their performance and their presence in the scientific arena.

The Education Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the Continental Symposium on Research and Innovation in Education under the theme: Reimagining Education for a Better Impact on Learning Commutes in Sub-Saharan Africa, which was held by the Center for Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) Africa, in cooperation with the Organization of the Global Partnership for Education’s (GPE) and the International Organisation of la Francophonie, at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the participation of several ministers of education, researchers and specialists in the field in Africa, to discuss innovative way to address the challenges related to education in the post-Covid 19 world.

Dr. Barry Koumbou, Head of the Education Sector, represented ICESCO in the Symposium, on October 6, 2022, via videoconference, where she reviewed in her address ICESCO’s guide prepared during the Covid-19 pandemic on the reopening of educational institutions in Member States, which was introduced during the Extraordinary Virtual Conference of Education Ministers of ICESCO Member States, held in May 2020, to serve as a road map for the Member States in developing educational systems.

She also highlighted the importance of a holistic approach to reopening schools after the pandemic, in addition to the need to create a space for dialogue with all partner researchers, teachers’ network and civil society, mainly the five pillars of reopening schools, which are: acceptability, accessibility, adaptation, availability and appropriateness, and mental health and well-being.

The Symposium highlighted recent research, innovations and good practices to improve student learning outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa and encourage the use of research in developing educational systems, along with investing in opportunities to improve educational outcomes, improve teacher training, curricula and assessment, as well as development strategies.

The Science and Technology Sector of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the jury meeting to select three winners out of ten (10) participating teams in the competition of the ICESCO Youth Training Programme on how to develop small businesses in the field of technology and innovation in the Republic of Uzbekistan, implemented in cooperation with ‘New Innovation Space Foundation’ and the business incubator ‘Savana.’

During the hybrid meeting, held on Wednesday (October 5, 2022), in Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan, and via videoconference, the participating teams made presentations on their businesses before the jury composed of Dr. Muhammad Sharrif, Advisor at the Science and Technology Sector, and his work team, as well as several experts and specialists in the field of entrepreneurship and start-up financing.

At the end of the meeting, the jury announced the winning teams in the Republic of Uzbekistan. These winners are “Beautify” team, which presented a digital platform that connects service providers to their clients in the field of aesthetics; “Coozin,” which presented a digital platform for the delivery of home-cooked meals; and “Mento,” which won the third place for its platform on enhancing the educational experience and preparing for university entrance exams in developing countries.

It is noteworthy that this programme targets Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Nigeria. It will be launched in 10 Member States of ICESCO by the end of 2022. It is part of ICESCO’s strategy and action plan, which aims to support more than 150 start-ups in the field of innovation and technology by 2025.

The jury will select the best three teams from each country to compete in the final stage, which will be held at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, to present their businesses before a number of donor institutions and investors to obtain the necessary funding for their implementation.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the opening ceremony of the Annual Religious Moussem of the Assa-Zag Zaouia, in Assa, Kingdom of Morocco, organized by the Assa-Zag Foundation for Development, Thought and Culture, in cooperation with several institutions. The Moussem is held concurrently with the announcement of the inscription of the Moussem on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List.

Mr. Najib Rhiati, Cultural Advisor of the Director-General, represented ICESCO in the six-day Moussem, which kicked off today, Tuesday, October 4, 2022. Mr. Rhiati gave an address reaffirming the significance of the inscription of this religious event and its role in safeguarding its spiritual, cultural, artistic, and socio-economic elements. He added that this inscription will enable the competent parties to benefit from the Organization’s extensive expertise and technical support in order to prepare the relevant sector-specific plans and consolidate the components of this cultural heritage, with the ultimate goal of achieving socio-economic and touristic development of the region.

For his part, Dr. Taleb Bouya Maelainin Laatik, Regional Director of Culture for the Gulemim Ouad Noun Region, hailed the inscription of the Moussem on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List, stressing the importance of such a step to safeguard its elements and preserve the region’s cultural heritage.

At the close of the ceremony, which was attended by the Governor of Assa-Zag, Mr. Youssef Khayer, two documentaries highlighting the Moussem were screened, followed by a cultural symposium on “Literary Works in the Sahraoui Community”, which brought together a host of intellectuals and literary figures.