The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held on Thursday, December 17, a consultative meeting with several officials from prominent universities and institutions in China and Pakistan. Talks focused on discussing the proposal to create ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue and exploring ways of cooperation in the field of intercultural and interfaith dialogue.

Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of the Department of Dialogue and Cultural Diversity, and Dr. Sidra Tariq Jamil, Communication Expert at the Department, represented ICESCO in the videoconference. Dr. Fang Zhaohui from the School of Humanities at Tsinghua University; Dr. Muhammad Naeem Khan, Vice-Chancellor of University of Baltistan- Shardu- Pakistan; and Dr. Naeem Omar Tarar Executive Director of the Center for Culture and Development – Islamabad, attended the talks.

The meeting also saw the participation of Dr. Jin Qiang, Professor and Postgraduate Supervisor of the Department of Editing and Publishing at the School of Journalism and Communication at Hebei University- China; Mr. Mansoor Shams, Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States of America; Dr. Zhang Yang, CEO of Nanchang Yiguan Information Consulting Service Co., and Professor at Nanchang University- China.

 Other participants included Dr. Rosen Wang, Director of New Media at China Cultural Exchange Network, Director of Global Silk Road Cultural Association and Director of AI Development Workshop of Tsinghua University- China; and Dr. Zakir Husain, Director of Academics, University of Baltisan.

Dr. Sidra presented to participants an overview of its current direction and achievements, before giving the floor to Ambassador Fathalrahman.  The Ambassador briefed the participants about the ICESCO Center for Civilizational Dialogue and explain its vision, goals, and areas of focus. The ICESCO official stated that the Center adopts the open-door policy that ICESCO embraced in its new vision and will include international experts specializing in the field.       

The participants discussed possible areas of cooperation with ICESCO and exchanged ideas and suggestions. They also reaffirmed the pivotal strategic role that the Center for Civilizational Dialogue could assume.