Category: Partnerships

Today at ISESCO’s headquarters, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), received Mr. Valerian Vladimirovitch Shuvaev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Morocco. The two parties discussed ways to develop cooperation between the Organization and the Russian Federation, as an observer state of ISESCO, in the fields of common interest.

The two parties agreed to open up new prospects of cooperation between ISESCO and Russian institutions operating in educational, cultural, and social fields and strategic studies; promote partnership in development initiatives and relations between Russia and ISESCO Member States under ISESCO’s new strategy and vision.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik and Mr. Shuvaev agreed to arrange a coordination meeting between the representatives of both ISESCO and the specialized Institutions in Russia, and prepare a joint executive programme.

The meeting was attended from ISESCO by Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Director of External Relations and Cooperation, Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Director of Human and Social Sciences, and Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of the Strategic Prospective Centre.

It is worth mentioning that the Russian Federation became an observer member of ISESCO as of 10 January 2007, by virtue of its status as an observer in the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and in accordance with Article 7 (a) of ISESCO’s Charter.

The Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, and Mr. Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the Organization for Economic, Cooperation and Development (OECD), explored ways to promote cooperation and joint action between ISESCO and the OECD.

During a working lunch in Paris, Dr. AlMalik and Mr. Schleicher explored ways of bolstering ties between the two organizations, through mutually agreed action programmes provided for in the cooperation agreement, which will be signed between ISESCO and the OECD by mid next year.

Moreover, the two parties agreed on the participation of the OECD in the Islamic Conference of Ministers of Education, due to be held in 2020, to present a forward-looking vision on education in Islamic countries.

It is worth mentioning that ISESCO and the OECD have finally agreed to organize a number of joint workshops and symposia in 2020 and 2021, in the field of the reform of school curricula; improvement of national educational data quality in ISESCO Member States and their optimization; and provision for assistance in educational policy development.

By the same token, ISESCO and OECD agreed to knowledge sharing, whereby ISESCO will allow Member States a larger interaction and wider access to the OECD’s research, data, and analyses likely to boost the endeavors of education reform, through various practical means.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), and Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), signed a cooperation agreement between the two organizations on capacity-building, development, and technical assistance.

The agreement, which ushers cooperation between ISESCO and UNESCO into a new phase of joint action, includes five programmes on capacity-building, development, technical assistance, particularly in the fields of girls and women education, Artificial Intelligence, the social transformations management programmes (MOST), natural and water resources, conservation of cultural heritage in the Islamic world and Africa, as the latter, particularly poor African countries, constitutes a priority for UNESCO and includes many of ISESCO Member States.

The agreement provides for the sharing of information in the fields of common interest, holding periodical meetings between the representatives of the two organizations both in Paris and Rabat, and the exchange of mutual invitations to participate in their respective gatherings and conferences such as Dubai Expo 2020 and the World Water Forum ‘Dakar 2021’, to provide opportunities for strengthening mutual partnership.

Prior to the signing ceremony, Dr. AlMalik and Ms. Azoulay held a meeting during which they explored ways to promote cooperation and potential partnership between the two organizations in many programmes and activities within the framework of their action, namely conducting joint foresight studies, joining UNESCO Programme on adopting international conventions in the fields of education, particularly the Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, and facilitating higher education students mobility.

In this regard, Dr. AlMalik stressed that ISESCO’s new vision adopts the principle of openness to and cooperation with international organizations and non-Member States to work jointly and entrench the foundations of complementarity based on respect and accomplishment of commitments in such a way as to serve all world peoples.

On the occasion of the official reopening of its Office at UNESCO headquarters, ISESCO made a big reception during which Dr. AlMalik gave an address welcoming over 250 participants of the delegations of the participating countries in UNESCO General Conference. He also touched upon ISESCO’s new vision, ISESCO and UNESCO cooperation programmes, new cooperation avenues with other organizations, and praised the good organization and success of UNESCO General Conference.

The reception was attended by ISESCO high-level delegation accompanying ISESCO Director General at the 40^th UNESCO General Conference.

Today in Paris, the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, met Mr. Ludger Schuknecht, Deputy Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and together they agreed to launch Joint workshops and Seminars between ISESCO and OECD over the period 2020-2021.

During the meeting, which is part of ISESCO Director General’s current visit to France to attend the 40^th General Conference of UNESCO, the two parties agreed on signing a cooperation agreement next year, and they stressed the need to sustain joint action between ISESCO and the OECD, encourage investment in the various fields of education, ensure gender equality in educational opportunities, and facilitate the integration of migrants through specialized educational programmes.

The first workshop to be held at ISESCO headquarters in Rabat during the first quarter of 2020 to develop ISESCO’s future work programmes so as to promote its support to Member States in reforming the educational curricula. ISESCO aims through this workshop to develop high-quality work programmes based on good international research works and expertise while the OECD seeks to involve a larger number of countries in the OECD Education 2030 Project.

Another workshop to be held in one of ISESCO Member States during the third quarter of 2020, aims to improve the quality and use of national data in the field of education as the OECD has a considerable experience in this field through the development of indicators, data collection methodologies, policies and strategies likely to help transfer such expertise to ISESCO Member States.

The third activity focuses on reviewing the national educational policies of ISESCO Member States over the period 2020-2021. Many of ISESCO Member States participate in the data collection with the OECD, but their use of such data in developing their own national educational policies is very limited. Thus, this workshop is very important to benefit from the OECD 20-year long experience in drawing education policies.

Through the fourth activity, to be implemented over the period 2020-2021, the work programme aims to exchange knowledge. ISESCO will provide its Member States with a greater interaction and an ample knowledge of the research works, data and analyses of the OECD so as to boost the efforts of education reform through various practical means.

It is worth mentioning that the OECD is an international organization established in 1961 to replace the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC), established in 1948 to help managing Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II. It aims to achieve economic development and refresh trade exchange.