ICESCO, IsDB sign MoU for cooperation in education, science and innovation

ICESCO, IsDB sign MoU for cooperation in education, science and innovation

Rabat (UNA-OIC) – The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in implementing a set of programs and projects in Islamic countries.

These programs and projects cover the fields of education, science, technology and innovation, water, sanitation and hygiene services, as well as the legal field to strengthen regional cooperation through the transfer of expertise and knowledge exchange.

ICESCO Director-General Dr. Salim M. AlMalik and IsDB President Dr. Bandar bin Mohammed Hamza Hajjar signed the MoU on Thursday via videoconference, with the participation of the heads of sector, advisors and directors at ICESCO, alongside Chief Advisor to the IsDB President on STI Dr. Hayat Sindi, and other IsDB officials.

In his statement at the signing ceremony, Dr. AlMalik expressed his happiness with this unprecedented strategic partnership between ICESCO and the Jeddah-based IsDB. He pointed out that the projects and programs included in the MoU constitute solid foundations for sustainable development and a real renaissance for Muslim countries.

The ICESCO chief added that the implementation of these projects and programs would contribute to sustainable development in the educational, scientific, cultural, humanitarian, social and legal fields.

AlMalik stressed that the MoU features great initiatives and innovative visions that would contribute to achieving ICESCO’s new vision, and constitute the start of an ambitious, long-term and wide-ranging strategic partnership. He also affirmed that the Organization will ensure the full implementation of the agreement, in coordination with the competent parties in the Member States and the beneficiaries of its programs and projects.

In turn, Hajjar underlined that the MoU aims to enhance fruitful cooperation between ICESCO and IsDB in the fields of technology, women’s rehabilitation, and capacity building. He added that cooperation projects and programs will have an economic, social, and environmental impact on the ground.

The MoU provides for cooperation between ICESCO and IsDB in launching and implementing STI programs, most notably the Vocational and Technical Education and Training Program, which aims to ensure social and economic rehabilitation of women in Africa and build scientific and technological capabilities of Member States.

In the educational field, the agreement seeks to promote cooperation in building the capacity of teachers and rehabilitating their management and planning skills for educational systems resilience to meet challenges, enhance girls’ education and support education in conflict areas. In the field of water, sanitation and hygiene services, the two parties will cooperate in implementing projects aimed at improving infrastructure, sanitation and hygiene services at schools, and facing water scarcity challenges in member countries.

In the legal field, cooperation will focus on publishing a guide on the ethics of artificial intelligence in the Islamic world, to indicate the legal framework for the protection of personal data in AI uses.

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