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    ICESCO – Sierra Leone: Exploring strengthening educational, scientific, and cultural cooperation

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization received
    His Excellency Mr. Atumannu Dainkeh, ambassador of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the Kingdom of Morocco. They discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between ICESCO and Sierra Leone in the fields of education, sciences, and culture.

    During the meeting, held on Thursday, September 7, 2023, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat in the presence of several heads of Sectors of the Organization, Dr. AlMalik underlined the importance ICESCO attaches to its Member States in the African continent; as evidenced by the implementation of various projects and programs in the areas of modernizing educational systems, capacity-building of youth and women, promoting business leadership in technology and Artificial Intelligence, teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers, and consolidating the values of peace and civilizational dialogue.

    Furthermore, ICESCO Director-General pointed out that the Organization adopts a distinct approach of communication vis-à-vis its Member States. This communication takes place through its National Commissions for Education, Science, and Culture to identify the priorities and needs of each State and design programs and projects that address these needs.

    On his part, the Sierra Leone ambassador commended ICESCO’s efforts geared toward supporting its Member States in its areas of expertise, affirming that his country, which acquired full membership at ICESCO in 1985, is keen to promote cooperation with the Organization.

    ICESCO Director-General receives Guatemalan Ambassador in Rabat

    On Wednesday, September 6, 2023, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Erick Estuardo Escobedo Ayala, Ambassador of Guatemala accredited to Morocco. The two officials discussed prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and Guatemala in areas of common interest.

    During the meeting, which took place at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik stressed that, as part of its vision and strategic orientations, the Organization has adopted an inclusive approach to disseminate the culture and civilization of the Islamic world and the human values it embodies, to promote peace and security in the world and combat extremism and hatred.

    He also pointed out that ICESCO allows non-member states to join the Organization as observers, to serve Muslim communities around the world and strengthen cooperation between these countries and the countries of the Islamic world.

    For his part, the Guatemalan Ambassador praised ICESCO’s role, indicating his willingness to establish fruitful cooperation with the Organization and the countries of the Islamic world.

    The meeting was attended by Mr. Anar Karimov, head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Director of the Legal Affairs and International Standards Department.

    Agreement to strengthen cooperation between ICESCO and Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation in Morocco

    Dr. Salim Al-Malik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Abdellatif Miraoui, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation of the Kingdom of Morocco, held a meeting to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry in the areas of scientific research development, academic exchange and qualifying youth in the field of artificial intelligence.

    Following the bilateral meeting between Dr. Al-Malik and Dr. Miraoui, on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, at ICESCO’s headquarters in Rabat, during which they reaffirmed their keenness to develop the distinguished relations between the two sides, an expanded meeting was held in the presence of Dr. Abdelilah Benarfa, ICESCO Deputy DG, and several heads of Sectors, directors of departments and centers of the Organization, and the delegation accompanying the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation in Morocco.

    During the meeting, the two parties reviewed the results of the existing cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry, and discussed proposals for programs and projects for cooperation in the future, especially in the areas of building youth capabilities, developing their skills to keep pace with developments taking place in the world, and harnessing modern technology and applications of artificial intelligence to achieve sustainable development as part of celebrating ICESCO Year of Youth, which will be officially launched at the end of this September.

    The meeting also touched upon academic cooperation between Moroccan universities and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World, affiliated with ICESCO, and networking with member universities to cooperate in the fields of open education, training teachers, and publishing master and doctoral theses in different languages.

    After the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Al-Malik accompanied Dr. Miraoui on a tour of the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, which is currently hosted at ICESCO Headquarters, as part of the strategic partnership between ICESCO, the Muslim World League, and the Mohammadia League of Scholars. Dr. Miraoui received detailed explanations about the contents of the pavilions and sections of the Exhibition and Museum which uses modern display technologies to tell and document in detail the Seerah of the Prophet, may the best prayers and peace be upon him.

    The Moroccan Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation expressed his admiration for what he saw at the Exhibition, stressing the importance of passing to the youth of the Islamic world this important information about the biography of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the lofty values it carries.

    ICESCO Director General receives Ukrainian Ambassador in Rabat

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Ambassador Saienko Serhii, Ambassador of Ukraine to Morocco, on Tuesday, 5 September 2023, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, to discuss prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and Ukraine in the fields of education, science and culture.

    During the meeting, which took place in the presence of several ICESCO’s heads of sector, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main programs and activities implemented by the Organization as part of its vision and strategic orientations, which are based on openness and cooperation with all, intending to establish partnerships for the benefit of the Member States and Muslim communities worldwide, in its fields of competence.
    The Director General also pointed out that ICESCO allows non-member states to join as observer states, aimed at strengthening cooperation with the countries of the Islamic world in the fields of education, science and culture, and contributing to the promotion of the values of peace, coexistence and civilizational dialogue. The aim is also to capitalize on cultural diversity to bring people closer together, support innovation and benefit from technological advances.

    For his part, the Ukrainian ambassador praised ICESCO’s role in supporting the efforts of its Member States and expressed his willingness to establish a fruitful partnership between Ukraine and the Organization.

    ICESCO Director General meets Mufti of the Republic of Tatarstan

    Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Kamil Samigullin, Mufti of the Republic of Tatarstan, and discussed cooperation between ICESCO and Tatarstan in the field of consolidating the values of coexistence, peace, and civilizational dialogue and countering extremism and hate speech.

    During the meeting, held on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, as part of Dr. Al-Malik’s visit to Tatarstan to participate in the Kazan World Youth Summit 2023, ICESCO DG stressed that the Organization gives priority to disseminating the true and tolerant image of the Islam worldwide, highlighting the Organization’s programs to train youth on leadership for peace and security, and its efforts in the field of civilizational dialogue through its new Center for Civilizational Dialogue, and the “Read it to Understand” initiative, launched in an effort to confront the heinous campaigns to attack the Holy Qur’an, as well as the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, housed at its headquarters, in Rabat, which has attracted more than three million visitors since its inauguration in November 2022.

    For his part, the Mufti of Tatarstan commended the efforts of ICESCO and the importance of cooperation with Muslim countries, noting that his country is a role model for coexistence between followers of different religions.

    ICESCO and Tatarstan Explore Prospects for Cultural Cooperation

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Mintimer Shaimiev, State Councillor of the Republic of Tatarstan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Renaissance Foundation for Historical and Cultural Monuments, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue, on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, to discuss the prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and Tatarstan in the fields of culture, particularly the preservation and promotion of heritage.

    During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik pointed out that ICESCO places the protection, safeguarding and promotion of heritage at the forefront of its strategic orientations, as it represents the identity of peoples, adding that the Organization had inscribed several historic sites and cultural elements on its Islamic world heritage lists.

    ICESCO DG also welcomed the willingness of the Republic of Tatarstan to rebuild historic sites, mosques and churches vandalized in the past, stressing ICESCO’s willingness to cooperate in this area.

    For his part, Mr. Mintimer Shaimiev presented the fields of action of the Renaissance Foundation for Historical and Cultural Monuments, and its role in the restoration of a number of Islamic and Christian historical sites in Tatarstan, within the framework of projects aimed at reviving the ancient city of Bulgar and the city of Sviyazhsk, stressing the importance of cooperation with the Organization to inscribe the Republic’s heritage sites on ICESCO’s lists of heritage in the Islamic world.

    ICESCO Director-General meets with Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan and Mayor of Kazan

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), started his visit to the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, to take part in the Kazan 2023 World Youth Summit, by meeting with Ms. Leyla Fazleeva, Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan, in the presence of Mr. Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan. The meeting focused on prospects for cooperation in areas of common interest.

    During the meeting, held on Monday, August 28, 2023, in Kazan, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the key elements of ICESCO’s new vision and strategic orientations, as well as the main ongoing initiatives, programs and projects aimed at contributing to capacity-building for young people and women, promoting the values of coexistence and civilizational dialogue, and encouraging investment in the fields of technology, innovation, artificial intelligence and space sciences. He also discussed the promotion and preservation of the Islamic world’s heritage, as well as the inscription of historic sites and cultural elements on ICESCO’s tangible and intangible heritage lists.

    The discussions focused on several proposals for collaboration between ICESCO and the Republic of Tatarstan, intending to implement a range of projects and programs in areas of common interest.

    For her part, Ms. Leyla Fazleeva commended ICESCO’s initiatives and efforts in the fields of education, science and culture, underlining the Tatarstan government’s commitment to establishing fruitful cooperation with the Organization.

    The meeting took place in the presence of Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector.
    ICESCO DG and the accompanying delegation visited the Qolsharif Mosque, considered to be the largest mosque in Tatarstan, which was built in the 16th century, destroyed in 1552, and rebuilt in 1996, thanks to contributions from several countries to the construction fund.

    ICESCO at the Kazan Global Youth Summit:Genuine Values are Building Blocks for a Prosperous Global Future

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Organisation for Education, Science, and Culture (ICESCO), emphasized the need to uphold genuine traditional values to build a prosperous global future. “The essence of such values cultivates the qualities of young people’s character, empowering them to overcome the obstacles that impede their progress and allowing them to face arising challenges. Youth plays a key role and education should not only focus on qualifying them for future responsibilities, but also on equipping them with critical thinking skills to discern and reject all forms of violence and extremist discourse,” he added.

    This came in his address, delivered on Monday, August 28, 2023, at the opening session of the Second Edition of Kazan Global Youth Summit 2023, organized by the government of the Republic of Tatarstan, in partnership with the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum, from August 28th to the 30th, 2023, in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan. The event brings together ministers, ambassadors, regional and international organizations, and several youth policymakers from 67 countries.

    In his address, Dr. AlMalik commended the efforts made by the Republic of Tatarstan, in cooperation with the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum, which culminated in selecting Kazan as the Youth Capital of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for 2022, emphasizing the importance of this summit, held under the theme “The Role of Traditional Values in the Education of Children and Youth in the Modern World” which underscores the necessity of instilling traditional values among youth to enable them to have unwavering stance while embracing global diversity.

    Moreover, he reaffirmed the importance of youth as a demographic force representing 16% of the global population and embodying its future, highlighting the challenges that must be overcome and addressed to build a thriving global community.

    Furthermore, ICESCO DG highlighted the Organization’s efforts to promote principles of coexistence and respect for cultural diversity in educational curricula through the organization of sports activities, training educators, and emphasizing the fundamental principles shared among all religions, including values of compassion, solidarity, appreciation, respect, unity, and understanding. “ICESCO looks forward to intensifying international cooperation for the dissemination of human values that are indispensable to overcoming current challenges,” he stressed.

    In conclusion, Dr. AlMalik lauded the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, hosted at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, which has garnered over three million visitors, explaining that the Exhibition embodies the great inherent human virtues and moral values, and indicating that ICESCO strives to ensure the seamless integration of the discourse of the Islamic world’s civilization into the global discourse.

    Addressing the Conference on “Regulating Freedoms”:ICESCO Director-General calls for strengthening the system of values and the principles of freedom

    Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stressed the need for concerted efforts to ensure the right of people to freedom in the same manner they enjoy other rights, calling for countering the risks associated with metaverse and artificial intelligence applications, which threaten the system of values and ethics and the principles of freedom, and warn people against losing their freedoms in favour of machines.

    This statement came in ICESCO DG’s address, delivered on Thursday, August 24, 2023, at the opening session of the International Conference on “Regulating Freedoms in Accordance with Islamic Values and Principles of International Law,” organized by the League of Islamic Universities, at ICESCO Headquarters, in Rabat, which brought together high-level scholars and religious leaders, university presidents, thinkers and researchers in international law.

    In the same vein, ICESCO DG highlighted that Muslims in the early days of Islam fully understood the message of our religion, which calls for liberation from humiliation and subjugation, and, thus, they ruled the world with justice and fairness. “On the other hand, scientific and technical development without taking into consideration people’s cultural and social differences yielded a single story that seeks to standardize civilizational awareness and set the Western experience as a model to follow for all humanity,” he added.

    He also pointed out that in an effort to confront the prejudiced campaign, which allows some ignorant ideological trends to attack the Holy Quran, ICESCO announced its initiative “Read it to understand it,” which is characterized by comprehensiveness, accuracy and seriousness as a positive response in the face of these miserable campaigns, calling for resolute efforts to highlight the true image of the Islamic civilization, the civilization of creativity, sophistication and science.

    In his address, Sheikh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, President of the League of Islamic Universities and chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, stressed that freedoms morally and spiritually cannot remain uncontrolled as Islam guarantees rights and freedoms, indicating that most world countries seek to establish peace and harmony in their societies within the framework of shared commonalities between various groups of society far from ignorance, materialism, grudges and ideologies.

    For his part, Dr. Shawki Allam, Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt, highlighted that the issues of rights and freedoms have become at the core of intellectual, literary and philosophical debates, especially with the great technological development that has provided greater space for communication between peoples, pointing out that the Holy Quran calls upon people to fulfill their duties while enjoying their rights, and that development loses its meaning and deviates from its purpose to serve humanity if stripped from the moral system.

    Dr. Sami al-Sharif, Secretary-General of the League of Islamic Universities, explained that this conference comes within the framework of the relentless efforts to promote rights and freedoms in the Islamic world as the system of religious values in Islam stresses the common human ancestry and the centrality of human rights and freedoms.

    The conference agenda also featured scientific sessions on various themes, including the philosophy of freedom and intellectual trends, the concept of freedom from the Islamic perspective, freedom under the principles of international law, the anarchy of freedom and the fuelling of civilizational clash, and the leading initiatives in regulating the freedom of opinion and expression.

    ICESCO holds the third session of CANSAT Symposium and Workshop in Türkiye

    The third session of the International Symposium on Space Sciences and the Training Workshop on Designing Educational Satellites (CANSAT), held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with Istanbul Technical University, kicked off on Monday, July 31, 2023, in the Republic of Türkiye, under the theme “Building the Global Workforce for the Future,” in the presence of a high-level group of officials, astronauts and international experts in the field of space sciences, and with the participation of university students and researchers from 27 ICESCO Member States.

    The opening session began with an address by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), who expressed his happiness at the large attending audience, which highlights the commitment of the Organization and its Member States to contribute to the development of areas of knowledge, innovation and cooperation in exploring space science.

    Besides, Dr. AlMalik pointed out that ICESCO seeks to strengthen youth capacities through initiatives and programmes, most notably the proclamation of ICESCO’s Year of Youth, under the patronage of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

    ICESCO DG also noted that the Organization seeks through cooperation with leading universities to promote scientific and technological progress in its Member States and raise awareness of the need to sponsor and advance the field of space science, adding that the Organization aims to enrich scientific knowledge and facilitate the prosperity of young people to become future leaders in space science.

    For his part, Dr. İsmail Koyuncu, President of Istanbul Technical University, during his address delivered on his behalf by Dr. Ali Deniz, Vice-President of the University, highlighted the efforts made to develop space science, technology and industry by supporting scientific laboratories and entrepreneurship in the field of space science aimed at contributing to the development of the leading technological innovations in Türkiye.

    In her address, Ms. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former President of the Republic of Mauritius, reviewed a number of the most important discoveries and inventions that transformed the history of humanity throughout the ages, highlighting that it is difficult to prevent man from accessing knowledge, including space exploration, which turned from a race into a journey and a march towards sustainable development.


    Dr. Zahit Mecitoglu, Dean of the Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Istanbul Technical University, welcomed the participants and stressed the University’s willingness to enhance cooperation with ICESCO Member States.

    The first session touched on developing the capacities of the next generation in space science while the second session tackled manpower development in the field of space science applications. The third session discussed the relationship between space science and the goals of sustainable development in addition to a discussion session with a group of astronauts.

    Afterward, the six-day workshop kicked off in Istanbul and Aksaray, aimed at training university students and researchers on designing and manufacturing an educational satellite (CANSAT) and learning its various applications and the importance of space science and its applications to building a better future for all.