Category: Director General

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Organization for Education, Science, and Culture (ICESCO), received Dr. Hervé Ndoum Essingone, Gabonese Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Technological Innovation, President of the Gabonese National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture, to discuss the recent advancements in the partnership between ICESCO and Gabon in areas of mutual interest.

At the outset of the meeting, held on 27 February 2024, Dr. AlMalik warmly welcomed Dr. Essingone to ICESCO headquarters. In attendance were Mr. Sylver Aboubacar Minko Mi Nseme, Ambassador of the Gabonese Republic to Morocco, and the accompanying delegation of the Minister. Dr. AlMalik expressed gratitude for the gracious reception he received during his recent visit to the capital, Libreville. He highlighted the successful meeting he had with General Brice Oligui Nguema, Transitional President of Gabon, which marked a promising start to the cooperation between ICESCO and Gabon in the fields of education, science, and culture.

The Gabonese Minister expressed his appreciation to ICESCO and its Director-General for their keenness to cooperate with his country, stating that his visit to the Organization was in line with the instructions of the President of Gabon to reaffirm the commitment to a fruitful partnership with ICESCO, as previously agreed.

The meeting explored various proposals to enhance the partnership between ICESCO and Gabon, including organizing a meeting for the First Ladies in Libreville, hosting ICESCO’s forthcoming Executive Council meeting in Gabon, and collaborating to prepare for the Summit of the Future scheduled at the United Nations headquarters in New York in September. Additionally, the discussions tackled supporting Gabon’s strategy to promote culture, enhance cultural establishments nationwide, and contribute to the modernization of educational institutions.

At the end of the meeting, both parties agreed to form a joint working team to continue coordinating, developing executive plans, and monitoring the programs and projects of cooperation between ICESCO and Gabon.

Afterwards, an expanded meeting took place involving the Gabonese Minister, his accompanying delegation, and the heads of sectors, centers, and departments at ICESCO. During this meeting, they reviewed the Organization’s ongoing initiatives and programs, as well as ICESCO’s strategic plan for 2024 and 2025. Additionally, they discussed and identified Gabon’s priorities and needs in the areas of education, science, and culture.

Subsequently, Dr. AlMalik accompanied the Gabonese Minister to visit the halls of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently housed at the headquarters of ICESCO in partnership with the Muslim World League (MWL) and the Mohammedia League of Scholars.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General
of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mrs. Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, Mayor of Marrakech, Minister of National Territory and Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy of the Kingdom of Morocco. The two parties reviewed ways of ensuring the success of the celebration of Marrakech as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for the year 2024, under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him.

During the meeting, held this Friday, February 23, 2024, at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Territory and Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik underlined ICESCO’s commitment to implementing a rich and distinctive program highlighting the artistic and cultural elements that distinguish the Red City. This program aims not only to strengthen the city’s cultural capital, but also to contribute to the promotion of its historic status as a global cultural destination, promoting the values of coexistence and dialogue.

The Director General of ICESCO noted that the Organization is working to implement numerous activities and programs, including cultural and artistic competitions, training workshops and symposia on the heritage of Marrakech, as well as international conferences on the values of coexistence, peace and civilizational dialogue.
For her part, Ms. El Mansouri welcomed the celebration of Marrakech as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World, and reaffirmed her full commitment to cooperating in the implementation of the year-long celebration program, in line with the city’s historical and cultural status.

At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to maintain coordination between ICESCO and Marrakech City Council to ensure the success of this major cultural event.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Farid Chourak, Wali of Marrakech-Safi Region. The Officials discussed cooperation between ICESCO and the Wilaya, as part of celebrating Marrakech as a Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2024, under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah assist him.

At the outset of the meeting, held today, Thursday 22 February 2024 at the headquarters of the Wilaya in Marrakech, Dr. AlMalik expressed ICESCO’s appreciation for the support of the Wilaya of Marrakech-Safi in ensuring the successful launch of the celebration of Marrakech as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2024, which will continue throughout the year. ICESCO Director-General further emphasized the Organization’s keenness to cooperate with relevant civil society institutions to implement programs, activities, and launch various competitions highlighting the cultural momentum of the Red City.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik presented the Wali of the Marrakech-Safi Region with a commemorative plate engraved with a poem in Arabic titled “Marrakech of Glories,” which Dr. AlMalik composed himself, on the occasion of the celebration of Marrakech as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2024, and recited at the end of his address during the launch ceremony.

On his part, Dr. Chourak lauded ICESCO’s evolution, and its initiative to select Marrakech as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for this year, commending the success of the official launch of the celebration last month. The Wali of Marrakech-Safi Region particularly expressed his admiration for the poem presented to him, thanking Dr. AlMalik for the words of beauty, praise, and appreciation it contained, and conveyed about the city of joy, its kind people, and its illustrious history.

During the Meeting, both sides agreed to implement a number of activities aimed at involving youth, women, and civil society organizations, and coordinating the participation of delegations from Islamic and non-Islamic countries in these activities, in addition to forming a team from ICESCO to visit the headquarters of the Wilaya of Marrakech-Safi Region to develop executive plans for cooperation between the two sides throughout the year of celebration.

The International Symposium on Media Education: Horizons and Aspirations, kicked off today, Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at ICESCO headquarters and via videoconference. The Symposium is being held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in cooperation with the League of Arab States, represented in its Media and Communication Sector—Department of the Technical Secretariat of the Council of Arab Information Ministers, and the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The Symposium, which brought together high-caliber participation from 16 countries, including ministers, prominent international figures, and experts specializing in the field of media, IT and security education, aims to disseminate and consolidate the concepts and principles of media and IT education and works toward integrating them in school curricula to develop critical thinking skills.

The Symposium opened with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by the Address of Dr. Salim. M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, who stressed the central role of media in all fields, noting that the media sector has the power necessary to design, develop and improve the quality of its mechanisms. Moreover, the Director-General highlighted new web media statistics, which show that more than 4.4 billion people, representing 64.6% of the world population, exchange news, and ideas via social media. He also noted that humans spend 15% of their awake time on social networks, with a total of 10 billion hours spent daily in the virtual world.

In the same vein, the Director-General stated that the unfolding waves of new media and the communication revolutions necessitate a closer look at their implications with regard to personal privacy violations and fake news propaganda, to find ways to fight these phenomena and establish for a media education that upholds the values of equality, justice and citizenship.

Speaking next, Dr. Khaled bin Abdulaziz Alharfash, NAUSS Vice-President for External Relations, reaffirmed that the University’s programs aim to translate its interest in the role of media in fighting and preventing crimes into a tangible reality that contributes to promoting the concept of intellectual security. He added that this interest stems from the University’s mission to implement Arab security strategies and plans and prevent crime, expressing his high hopes that this Symposium serve as a stepping stone towards an Arab strategic plan to mainstream media education.

In his address, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco, stressed Morocco’s commitment to addressing the issues of media and communication to promote critical media literacy among all social groups, especially young people, and empower them to positively use different media tools. The Moroccan Minister also highlighted his country’s efforts to promote media education and integrate it in school curricula.

In a recorded address, Mr. Jean Emmanuel Rimtalba Ouedraogo, Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism of the Republic of Burkina Faso, talked about his country’s great interest in media education, casting light on its efforts in this field, which include raising awareness of the proper way to handle social media.

Dr. Farid El-Bacha, President of Mohamed V University, also gave an address at this key event, on behalf of Dr. Abdelatif Miraoui, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation in the Kingdom of Morocco, where he addressed the theme of the Symposium, in light of the current world changes.

For his part, Mr. Hicham Bellaoui, Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Public Ministry, addressed the Symposium on behalf of Mr. El-Hassan Daki, King’s Attorney General at the Court of Cassation, President of the Public Ministry in the Kingdom of Morocco, stressing the significance of media education in light of a global context characterized by a technological revolution in the field of media. The Secretary-General stated that media education aims to develop people’s abilities to analyze media messages, highlighting the Kingdom’s efforts in this field.

There followed the address of Mr. Boubker Sabik, Police Superintendent General, Spokesperson for the General Directorate of National Security and the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance, on behalf of Mr. Abdellatif Hammouchi, Director of the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), Member of NAUSS Supreme Council, who underscored the need to shield society and raise shared awareness of the importance of media education to prevent crime, noting that the Directorate has exerted significant efforts to integrate development plans and modern approaches to collectively promote security.

Over the course of two days, the Symposium’s working sessions will discuss scientific papers on partnerships between the fields of media and education to build a knowledge society and achieve sustainable development; ethics of the freedom of expression in media legislations and charters; leading Arab and international experiences in disseminating media education; prerequisites of media education in Arab school curricula; and AI and the future of media education.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), affirmed that the Organization adopts a participatory approach with its Member States’ national commissions, recognizing the pivotal roles of these commissions and seeking to achieve integration and solidarity between them and ICESCO. This was clearly evident during the 44th session of the Organization’s Executive Council, hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in mid-January in Jeddah. The session was preceded by a consultative meeting that included brainstorming sessions between ICESCO leaders and the delegations of national commissions regarding future action plans.

Dr. AlMalik made these remarks during his participation in the ordinary session of the General Assembly of the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture, which was held on 16 February 2024, at the headquarters of the Regional Academy of Education and Training in Rabat. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Chakib Benmoussa, Minister of National Education, Vocational Training, and Sports, and President of the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture, and attended by members of the General Assembly of the Commission, its Secretary-General, and representatives of UNESCO and ALECSO in Morocco.

Dr. AlMalik added that the General Assembly meeting of the National Commission is an opportunity for assessment, reviewing achievements, and envisioning ways to enhance cooperation and integration among ICESCO and the Moroccan National Commission, and its partners from international organizations. Moreover, he stressed the support received by the Organization from His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and the Moroccan Government.

Dr. AlMalik also pointed out the celebration of Marrakesh as the capital of culture in the Islamic world 2024, which began last month under the high patronage of His Majesty. ICESCO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication and all relevant ministries, is working to make its program a cultural event worthy of the standing of Marrakesh.

It is worth noting that the ordinary meeting of the General Assembly of the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture featured the distribution of the Commission’s awards in the fields of education, scientific research, vocational training, and culture.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, First Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi House of Representatives, and his accompanying parliamentary delegation, during their visit to ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat.

At the outset of the meeting, held on Friday 6 February 2024, in the presence of Dr. Botan Dizayee, Chargé d’affaires of the Iraqi Embassy in Rabat, and Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General of ICESCO, Dr. Al-Malik reviewed the main axes of the Organization’s vision and strategic directions. His Excellency emphasized that they take root in the Organization’s openness and cooperation with all, for the benefit of its Member States and all Muslim communities worldwide.

Moreover, the Director-General pointed out that ICESCO has become an innovative organization that promotes the culture of foresight, builds the capacities of women and youth in all fields. Dr. AlMalik furthermore noted that the Organization encourages its Member States to invest in space science and its various applications, supports their efforts to benefit from the potential offered by modern technology, and works to anchor the values of coexistence, peace and civilizational dialogue.

On his part, Mr. Al-Mandalawi reaffirmed Iraq’s support for ICESCO’s efforts and the Country’s keenness to develop cooperation with the Organization in its areas of competence, praising the multi-faceted remarkable role in contributing to the development of education, science and culture in its Member States.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Faisal Akif Al-Fayez, President of the Senate of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and his accompanying delegation, who visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently housed at the Organization’s headquarters.

During the meeting, held on Thursday, February 15, 2024, in the presence of Ms. Jumana Ghunaimat, Ambassador of Jordan to Morocco, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the key aspects of ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, which are based on openness and partnerships for the benefit of the countries of the Islamic world and Muslim communities worldwide, highlighting the Organization’s major initiatives, programs and projects that focus on consolidating the values of coexistence and peace, confronting hatred and extremist ideas, building the capacities of youth and women, and promoting the culture of foresight.

Afterward, the ICESCO Director General took the President of the Jordanian Senate and his accompanying delegation on a tour of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, being organized in partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League, and the Mohammadia League of Scholars. The guests listened to detailed explanations about exhibited elements using modern display techniques to virtually showcase the biography of our Messenger, peace and blessing be upon him.

At the close of his tour, Mr. Al-Fayez expressed his happiness at visiting this great museum, which thoroughly narrates the biography of the Prophet in a simplified way and addresses all groups, thanking the three organizing parties.

Dr. Salim M. Almalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Sami bin Abdullah Al-Saleh, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Kingdom of Morocco, to discuss ways to enhance the distinguished relations between ICESCO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the fields of education, science, and culture.

The meeting, which took place today, 7 February 2024, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, was attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General, along with several sector heads and directors of departments within the Organization. Dr. AlMalik expressed his contentment with the partnership between ICESCO and Saudi Arabia, underscored by the recent hosting of the 44th session of the Organization’s Executive Council in Jeddah by the Kingdom, alongside its gracious invitation to host the 15th session of the ICESCO General Conference in 2025.

Furthermore, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the Organization’s vision and highlighted its most important programs and projects aimed at empowering youth and women and nurturing their skills to meet the professions of the future, enhancing their capabilities in strategic foresight, and promoting the values of coexistence, peace, and civilizational dialogue.

Dr. AlMalik commended the mutual cooperation agreements between the Organization and the Saudi Kingdom, highlighting notable initiatives such as the Executive Program for Hajj Routes to Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Historical Mosques Project, as well as the Culture Index in the Islamic World Project. He further expressed appreciation for the Kingdom’s unwavering support for the Organization’s programs and projects.

On his part, the Saudi Ambassador in Rabat commended ICESCO’s development and modernization observed over the past four years, positioning it as a symbol of international cultural prominence. Moreover, he expressed gratitude for ICESCO’s hosting of a group of youth from the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation “Misk” for training across its diverse sectors, who voiced their appreciation for the expertise provided by the Organization’s experts from different nationalities.

Following the meeting, Dr. AlMalik took Dr. Al-Saleh on a tour of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently housed at the ICESCO headquarters in partnership with the Muslim World League (MWL) and the Mohammedia League of Scholars. They were received by Sheikh Dr. Nasser bin Misfer Al-Qurashi Al-Zahrani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Exhibitions and Museums of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in the Kingdom of Morocco signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the fields of innovation, scientific research, foresight, education and young people capacity-building to keep up with the professions of tomorrow and organize joint activities to enhance experience sharing.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Mr. Hicham El Habti, President of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, signed the memorandum, on Tuesday (February 6, 2024), at the Organization’s headquarters, in Rabat.

In his statement during the signing ceremony, Dr. AlMalik commended the outstanding partnership between ICESCO and Mohammed VI University, hailing the position of this university in the academic scene locally and internationally, and its branches inaugurated outside the Kingdom of Morocco, namely in France, Canada and Côte d’Ivoire.

Dr. AlMalik stressed that ICESCO, within its strategic vision, is committed to contributing to the advancement of educational fields in its Member States through a number of initiatives, most notably the establishment of academic chairs in cooperation with many universities in Member States and abroad.

ICESCO Director-General considered that this new agreement with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University reflects a shared vision towards building an innovative and creative future through a number of programs in strategic foresight and artificial intelligence to serve research and education with the view of raising a new generation of leaders capable of building a better tomorrow.

For his part, Mr. El Habti expressed his happiness with the cooperation between Mohammed VI University and ICESCO to support the Organization’s mission aiming at contributing to the development of science and education in its Member States and the Muslim communities worldwide, adding that the university’s new branches inaugurated outside the Kingdom of Morocco have enhanced the feeling of pride as the South is heading North, which affirms our ability to compete in line with the best international standards.

The memorandum of understanding sets forth cooperation between ICESCO and the University in implementing a number of programs and initiatives, including “Skills and Jobs of Tomorrow Project,” which aims to identify the necessary skills for the future workforce, and the “Regional Foresight and Human and Local Development Project,” which aims to anticipate and address development needs at the local and regional levels, as well as the establishment of ICESCO Chair at the University, which will serve as a cooperation platform for intellectual exchange and research between the two institutions.

The memorandum also includes cooperation in implementing the “Peace and Stability Project,” the “Agricultural Value Chain Project,” and organizing the training sessions of specialized master’s, executive master’s and educational programs in foresight and future studies.

The headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) hosted an award ceremony for the winners of the first edition of ICESCO’s competition to develop a process to transform bio-waste into food bars to ensure zero hunger. This initiative aligns with the second goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Organization’s Member States. The Event featured the participation of the five teams qualified for the final round of the competition, who presented their projects to a jury of experts, in a bid to secure their position as one of the top three winning teams.

The Ceremony, attended by a number of Member States’ ambassadors, officials, researchers, and students from international universities, was held today, Thursday, February 1st, 2024. It kicked off with the recitation of some verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a speech by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, in which he commended the awarded projects in a world beset by the two-fold challenge of ensuring food security and managing organic waste.

Moreover, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik praised the qualified teams’ work, emphasizing their innovation and renewal in addressing one of the most pressing issues of our time, i.e., food insecurity. Dr. AlMalik also acknowledged the teams’ wise contributions to achieving the second SDG, which aims to achieve zero hunger, not merely through ending hunger itself, but also by confronting the environmental challenges posed by waste proliferation.

The Director-General highlighted that the winning teams’ work embodies the focus of ICESCO’s vision and its belief in the power of education, science, and culture to bring about positive change and sustainability, considering the selected youth projects as a testament to the transformative power of modern science and technology when aligned with the human vision to combat food waste.

In his speech, Dr. Raheel Qamar, Head of ICESCO’s Science and Environment Sector, highlighted the importance of ensuring food security in light of the current challenges that the world is witnessing, which perpetuate the suffering or a significant portion of the world’s population from hunger and malnutrition-related issues, stressing the need to provide solutions likely to help in eradicating this scourge, which is the goal of ICESCO’s organization of this competition.

On his part, Dr. Ismaila Diallo, expert at ICESCO’s Science and Environment sector, gave a recap presentation of the award, highlighting its broad outlines and objectives. The presentation also included the various stages of submitting nominations, the participating countries, the number of nominations received by ICESCO, project eligibility criteria, ending it with details surrounding the selection of the five qualified teams.

The jury deliberations resulted in the project “Organic and Secondary Food Waste as a Mechanism for Ensuring Food Security” from Egypt winning the first place, thus receiving $22,500 in prize money. The second place was secured by the project “Borneo” project for food bar production from Malaysia, earning its team $12,500 in prize money, while the third place went to the project bio-waste sourced food bar production from Brunei Darussalam, with the team receiving $5,000 in prize money.

The jury then decided to award the Pakistani fourth-place team $2,500 in winnings, for their project on producing food bars from chickpeas. At the same 4th place, the team from Malaysia was equally awarded $2,500 for their project “Beco Food Bars’ Healthy Snacks.”