Category: News

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Edi Irwan bin Mahmud, Ambassador-designate of Malaysia to the Kingdom of Morocco, on Monday, 19 October 2026, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in education, culture, and science.

At the outset of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik congratulated Ambassador Edi Irwan on his accreditation as his country’s Ambassador to Rabat and wished him every success in his mission. The Director-General offered an overview of ICESCO’s history, its Strategic Vision 2025–2029, and its key programs and initiatives in youth and women’s capacity building, scientific research, space sciences and their applications, the promotion of peace and civilizational dialogue, and the advancement of the Arabic language internationally.

Dr. AlMalik commended Malaysia’s continued support for the Organization’s programs and activities, as well as its consistent fulfillment of all annual contributions to ICESCO’s general budget, expressing his aspiration to build a strategic partnership between the two sides in the coming period.

The ICESCO Director-General referred to his invitation to attend the 27th session of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), scheduled to be held in Malaysia next November. Both sides emphasized the importance of using the occasion to hold a number of high-level meetings on strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Dr. AlMalik also expressed ICESCO’s readiness to receive a group of outstanding Malaysian young people for training across the Organization’s sectors, centers, and divisions, enabling them to gain first-hand insight into the working environment of international organizations.

For his part, Ambassador Edi Irwan affirmed his commitment to strengthening bilateral relations between ICESCO and Malaysia. He highlighted Malaysia’s approach of supporting all forms of cooperation among countries of the Islamic world, particularly through ICESCO, which plays a distinguished role in its fields of competence.

The meeting also explored ways to enhance cooperation in education, higher education, and scientific research; the hosting and organization of several ICESCO ministerial conferences in Malaysia; and the latest developments in the project to establish the ICESCO–Hamdan bin Rashid Center for Arabic Language Teaching, with support from the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector; Dr. Yergaliyev Kuanysh, Head of the Science and Environment Sector; and Dr. Majdi Hajj Ibrahim, Head of the Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, representing ICESCO.

In celebration of World Novel Week, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held an international symposium titled “The Poetics of the Novel: The Dialectic of Story and Language” at its headquarters in Rabat on Monday, 19 October 2026. The event brought together a distinguished group of writers, thinkers, and literary critics from across the Islamic world and featured the announcement of the winners of the second edition of ICESCO’s “Cities of Poems” contest.

The Symposium opened with verses from the Holy Quran, followed by an address by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, in which he described the novel as an art form that has been able to tell the story of humanity since its very beginning, preserving aspects of human life that history has failed to capture or overlooked in its records. He added that the novel turns its attention to ordinary people whom passing glances overlook, transforming them into protagonists through their human stories.

Dr. AlMalik explained that ICESCO’s celebration of World Novel Week underscores the place of the arts, literature, and culture in its vision and programs. It also reflects a deliberate commitment to the power of creativity as one of the means through which people can reconnect with their humanity. He noted that, despite the transformations of the modern age, the novel has remained engaged with societal issues and retained its ability to expose points of failure and give voice to what has remained unspoken. He further called for greater synergy among the arts, stressing that humanity needs more than ever the spiritual depth, beauty, and meaning they offer.

The Symposium, moderated by Dr. Ahmed Lahrichi, Moroccan poet and media professional, featured a video titled “The Story of the Novel”, honoring leading novelists from across the Islamic world.

Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of ICESCO’s Center for Civilizational Dialogue and Chair of the Jury, announced the winners of the second edition of the contest, organized by ICESCO’s Center for Poetry and Literature. This edition was dedicated to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in celebration of its designation as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2025.

The Jury Chair highlighted the contest’s aim of celebrating the cities of civilizations. He noted that the jury had received 600 poems, of which 174 were shortlisted for an intensive judging process. The final results saw three poets win the top prizes in the “Samarkand Poems” category: Mohammed Darwich Hassan Maqsai of Yemen took first place, Ahmed Yousri Hassan Al-Khattab of Palestine came second, and Mohammed Ismail Abdallah Sweilam of Egypt placed third. Seven poets also received commendation awards: Mbarek Alabany (Morocco), Mohammed Ziad Shodab (Syria), Abdullah Sarmad Aljamil (Iraq), Abderrahmane Bouzerba (Algeria), Lassed Al-Houcine Guesmi (Tunisia), Naheda Shbeb (Syria), and Sidi Mohammed Mohammed El Mahdi (Mauritania).

The Symposium then proceeded to a discussion session moderated by Rawda El-Haj, Head of ICESCO’s Center for Poetry and Literature, who welcomed four distinguished literary figures: Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghathami of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Said Yaktine of Morocco, Dr. Hatem Fatnassi of Tunisia, and Dr. Zohor Gourram of Morocco.

The discussion explored the significance of the novel and the aesthetic qualities that distinguish it from other narrative forms. Participants also examined the challenge of genuine renewal, which requires more than changing the novel’s form; it entails generating innovative narrative values that transcend conventional patterns and reconstruct the relationship between the text, heritage, and reality. The Symposium further highlighted the novel’s flexibility and its continued openness to revision, as it draws on modern techniques and social media to develop narrative discourse, enrich its language, and broaden the horizons of interpretation.

On Friday, 16 October 2026, the 5th International Aerospace Symposium and the 5th edition of the training workshop on the design of an educational satellite (CanSat) kicked off in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) holds the two events in partnership with the Uzbek Space Research and Technology Agency (Uzcosmos) and Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent, under the theme “Building Tomorrow’s Global Workforce”.

The Symposium and workshop bring together 250 trainees from Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Gabon, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, alongside experts and specialists in space sciences, to design, develop, and launch educational satellite models.

The opening ceremony of the seven-day event began with a recorded address by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General. He called on participants to strengthen their scientific capabilities and harness their knowledge to develop solutions that make a tangible difference in their communities. He stressed that building practical skills in space sciences enables young people to turn knowledge into concrete achievements while fostering the creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills required in the future labour market.

The ICESCO Director-General also reviewed the Organization’s efforts to promote equal opportunities in space science and technology and build the capacities of young people in the countries of the Islamic world to contribute to scientific progress and sustainable development.

For his part, Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Advisor at ICESCO’s Science and Environment Sector, described the Symposium and training workshop as a platform for strengthening student engagement in satellite technology and its applications.

The opening ceremony also featured remarks by Mr. Mukhiddin Ibragimov, Deputy Director of the Uzbek Space Research and Technology Agency “Uzcosmos”; Mr. OlimjonTuychiev, Rector of Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent; Ms. Shelli Brunswick, Chief Executive Officer of SB Global; and Dr. Alim Rüstem Aslan, Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. They underscored the importance of international partnerships and hands-on training involving universities, the private sector, and stakeholders in the space industry to prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The workshop programme provides participants with intensive hands-on training in designing, assembling, programming, and launching miniature educational satellites using microcontrollers, sensors, cameras, and ground stations.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) released the eighth issue of its comprehensive quarterly cultural magazine. The new issue features a diverse selection of intellectual, literary, and cultural topics that open new avenues for dialogue on identity, civilizational coexistence, shifts in literary creativity, ways to safeguard heritage, and the transformation of cultural memory into a source of contemporary knowledge and creativity.

The issue, published under the supervision of ICESCO’s Center for Poetry and Literature, opens with an interview with Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars. He discussed the role of dialogue in promoting understanding among religions and cultures, consolidating the values of moderation and coexistence, and the responsibility of educational and media institutions to counter extremism and hate speech.

The thematic special of this issue is devoted to “Poetics of the Novel: The Dialectic of Narrative and Language,” with contributions from leading critics and researchers, foremost among them Dr. Said Yaktine, Dr. Hatem Fattnassi, Dr. Zohour Karam, and Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Ali. Their contributions form part of ICESCO’s celebration of World Novel Week. The thematic special sheds light on transformations in the Arab novel, its aesthetic and intellectual questions, its relationship with reality and modernity, and its capacity to renew narrative through language.

The issue also includes an interview with Moroccan poet Dr. Mohammed Bennis, conducted by Dr. Abderrahmane Ghanimi, tracing key stages in his poetic and intellectual journey and exploring his views on modernity and writing. Other articles examine the shaping of meaning through Moroccan heritage architecture, as well as the aesthetics and the reframing of the aesthetic question in Islamic thought.

As part of its focus on heritage as a living memory and a source of knowledge, the issue highlights the city of Sidi Bou Said and its inscription on the ICESCO List of Heritage in the Islamic World. It also explores the presence of women in Arabic calligraphy and food in Islamic heritage as part of social and cultural memory, alongside other literary and cultural materials reflecting the diversity of experiences and the richness of the Islamic world’s civilizational heritage.

ICESCO invites all interested readers to explore the contents of the magazine’s eighth issue at the following link: https://icesco.org/xznk

To access the archive of previous issues, please visit: https://icesco.org/aec9

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Marco Lucchesi, President of the National Library of Brazil, to explore ways and mechanisms for cooperation in promoting dialogue among civilizations between the Islamic world and Latin American countries, translating and publishing books and other works, protecting and promoting heritage and manuscripts, building youth’s capacities in the cultural field, and fostering a culture of peace.

The meeting, held on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat, was attended by Mr. Alexandre Guido Lopes Parola, Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the Kingdom of Morocco. Dr. AlMalik highlighted ICESCO’s efforts to facilitate the exchange of expertise among its Member States and underscored the importance the Organization attaches to cooperation with Brazil, an Observer Member of ICESCO, in the fields of culture, literature, and academic exchange. This cooperation reflects ICESCO’s approach of openness and engagement with all.

Dr. AlMalik affirmed ICESCO’s willingness to cooperate in developing programs and projects to promote reading among children in the most underserved countries and raise young people’s awareness of their cultural identity and strengthen their pride in it. He also proposed jointly organizing seminars and workshops to foster civilizational exchange and peace between the Islamic world and Latin America, with the participation of thinkers and philosophers from both sides.

For his part, Dr. Marco Lucchesi outlined the history of the National Library of Brazil, one of the world’s leading libraries, which houses 10 million books. He expressed the Library’s willingness to exchange expertise and books on the history and civilization of the Islamic world with ICESCO’s Sultan Qaboos Library, collaborate on translating a range of books and other works, and support ICESCO’s digital library.

Following the meeting, the Brazilian delegation toured the Sultan Qaboos Library, where its members viewed the Library’s modern facilities, books, and cultural and knowledge resources. They also visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Ahmed Albanyan, Head of the Education Sector and Supervisor of the Translation and Publishing Center; Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector; Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Culture Sector; Dr. Webber Ndoro, Head of the Islamic World Heritage Center; and Dr. Hani Albalawi, Expert at the Center for Civilizational Dialogue.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), reaffirmed the Organization’s full support for Palestinian students’ right to learn, innovate, and contribute to shaping the future. He also emphasized the importance of harnessing artificial intelligence to help Palestinian youth continue their education in ways adapted to the resources available to schools and universities, expressing ICESCO’s willingness to provide Palestinian institutions with the necessary support.

Dr. AlMalik made these remarks in a recorded address delivered during the Third International Conference on Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence, held under the theme “From Vision to Implementation: Enhancing AI Adoption in Education in Palestine.” The conference was organized by the Palestinian National Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence Center, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, on 14 October 2026 in Ramallah, under the patronage of H.E. President Mahmoud Abbas.

Dr. AlMalik explained that artificial intelligence is the language of the future, emphasizing that Muslim countries must help shape and guide its development for the benefit of society. He added that the value of digital transformation lies in its impact on people and the opportunities it creates. This requires universities to provide connectivity tools, develop skills, and prepare graduates for lifelong learning. He also commended universities for their role as hubs of innovation and critical thinking.

The ICESCO Director-General reviewed the Organization’s efforts to support its Member States in disseminating knowledge through several initiatives. Foremost among these are the Riyadh Charter on Artificial Intelligence for the Islamic World, launched in partnership with the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA); the ICESCO AI Index for the Islamic World, developed in cooperation with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Science and Education; the announcement of the 10K AI Leaders Training Program, in partnership with the International Center for AI Research and Ethics (ICAIRE); and the release of the enriched third edition of the Multilingual Glossary of Data and Artificial Intelligence.

Dr. AlMalik concluded his address by calling for an assessment of Palestinian institutions’ readiness to employ artificial intelligence technologies in education and the identification of requirements related to digital infrastructure, training, and governance. He also called for encouraging students to harness their creative potential.