News & Event

The ICESCO Education Conference kicked-off start under the patronage of HE Sheikh Abdulmalik bin Abdullah Al-Khalili, Chairman of the State Council, yesterday morning (Wednesday) with the slogan: "Beyond the Transforming Education Summit: From Commitments to Applications", at Al Bustan Palace Hotel, in the presence of HE Dr. Madiha bint Ahmed Al-Shaibaniya, Minister of Education and Chairperson of the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, HE Dr. Salim bin Mohammed AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and (32) of Their Excellencies the Ministers and Their Excellencies the Undersecretaries, Heads of Delegations of the Ministries of Education of the Islamic World, Directors-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), a number of experts and representatives of organizations and agencies affiliated with the United Nations and international and regional organizations concerned with the education sector, and a number of decision-makers and academics in this field.

The opening ceremony of the conference began with a speech by HE Dr. Madiha bint Ahmed Al Shaibani, Minister of Education, in which she said:“This conference comes at a time when the Islamic world is going through turning points and crises that are sweeping Arab and Islamic societies and their repercussions on educational, cultural and economic institutions, especially the aggression and systematic destruction of the infrastructure of facilities, educational, health and scientific institutions, and heritage and cultural sites in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon. We affirm the Sultanate of Oman’s firm position in supporting the Palestinian cause, calling on the international community to shoulder its moral and humanitarian responsibility in finding a just solution to this issue on the basis of international legitimacy, United Nations resolutions and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and to take practical steps and measures to preserve security and peace, respect human rights and peaceful coexistence among peoples in accordance with the principles of international humanitarian law.”

HE also added “We appreciate the ICESCO organization’s dedication of the current year 2024 as the Year of Youth, which comes in the context of the global interest in them; given their pivotal role in leading societies towards progress and development, and supporting the wheel of the economy to face future challenges, praising the organization’s efforts in encouraging countries to invest in youth, and creating platforms for them to express their opinions, and their participation in decision-making, and providing flexible educational paths that enable them to invest in the opportunities and capabilities available to them; to be more prepared and able to deal with future changes and developments. The youth in the Sultanate of Oman represent half of the population, and they have enjoyed the generous care of His Majesty the Sultan, who directed the importance of listening to them, identifying their needs, involving them in policy-making and national decision-making, and supporting them in the fields of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.”

HE explained: “The cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and ICESCO in establishing the ICESCO Chair for Artificial Intelligence Ethics at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in January of this year, as well as preparing the organization’s charter for artificial intelligence ethics. The ministry also participated in the Digital Learning Week held in Paris last September, which resulted in the launch of the framework for artificial intelligence competencies for school students, and another framework for teachers’ competencies.”

HE Macky Sall, former President of the Republic of Senegal, expressed his thanks to the Sultanate of Oman for hosting this conference, and the Director-General of ICESCO for inviting them to participate in this conference. HE also referred to the great role played by Muslim scholars in spreading knowledge and science in various parts of the world, and that everyone should follow in their footsteps in benefiting from these sciences, as well as benefiting from artificial intelligence, as it is a way to progress and spread peace among the peoples of the world.

HE Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former President of the Republic of Mauritius, delivered a speech in which she said: “Two years ago, the Secretary-General convened the Transforming Education Summit in New York, which succeeded in elevating education on the global agenda, mobilizing greater commitment to achieving the fourth Sustainable Development Goal at the national level, and expanding the global movement for reimagined education. It resulted in initiatives and calls to action focused on basic learning, lifelong learning, digital education, the teaching profession, greening education, inclusion, and education financing. It led to 140 Member States committing to transform their education environments, the African Union designating 2024 as the African Year of Education, and the SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee meeting in Paris to assess progress since the Summit.”

HE Dr. Salim bin Mohammed AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), delivered the organization’s speech in which he stressed that ISESCO has mobilized its efforts for this conference for three reasons: the organization’s interest in the field of education, which is at the forefront of its activities, the challenges facing the education system in the countries of the Islamic world, and the extent of commitment to the demands of the Transforming Education Summit. He also called for the need to bring about structural change in education curricula and mechanisms for raising future generations in line with the requirements of the future. He also stressed the need to benefit from the communication revolution in a positive way and not to overuse it, which could lead to a reduction in the traditional vitality of students and limit the interactive relationship between them and their teachers. He concluded his speech by announcing the organization’s allocation of an annual award for the best educational achievements among member states.

Then, Mohammed Al Shibli, trainer at Outward Bound program, and Buthaina Al Badi, a graduate of the program, gave a presentation titled “The Sultanate of Oman and the Future” presenting their experience in the program which contributed in developing personal and professional skills of the program participants, focusing on future skills, and highlighting the role of experiential education in preparing young people to become entrepreneurs, and their understanding of artificial intelligence.

A short film was shown entitled: “Transforming Education in the Sultanate of Oman: Commitment and Achievement” addressing the efforts made by the Sultanate of Oman to transform education in line with national policies and global aspirations to ensure good, equitable and inclusive education for all, and to build teachers’ capabilities in line with the national framework for the teaching profession and the priorities of Oman Vision (2040).

Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, indicated in her speech that the results of this conference will influence important upcoming international meetings, such as the Global Education Meeting in Brazil in 2025 and the Financing for Development Conference in Spain, which in turn will pave the way for the Global Meeting Summit in 2025, which will determine the future of education and its sustainability.

The patronage of the event and Their Excellencies and Highnesses toured the accompanying exhibition, which includes a number of universities and international private sector institutions, and their role in supporting governments to transform education systems, develop and manage tests, provide innovative digital educational solutions for education, educational experiences using virtual reality, produce high-quality educational content and digital learning tools, and educational programs directed for children and youth.

The first day of the conference included five sessions, the first of which came under the title: “Global Education Perspective: International Organizations” and was moderated by HE Dr. Jokha Al Shukaili, CEO of the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority and Quality Assurance of Education. Participated in this session are HE Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Virtually), Director-General at World Health Organization, HE Dr. Mohammed OuldAmer, Director-General of Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), HE Dr. Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Asmi, Director-General of Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS), Dr. Luis Benveniste, Global Director for Education at the World Bank and Ms. Min Jeong Kim, Director of Education 2030 at UNESCO.

The second session was titled “Unlocking Potential: Best Practices in Leveraging AI and Digital Tools for Education System Transformation” and was moderated by Stavros N. Yiannouka, CEO of WISE Qatar Foundation. Participated in the second session are HE Mohammed Ahmed Abdullatif Ramadhan Saad, Minister of Education in Egypt, HE Mrs. Fadhlina Sadiq, Minister of Education in Malaysia, Dr. Nasser bin Mohammed Al Fannah, Director of the Office of Technical Programs at the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology and Academic at University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Dr. Luis Benveniste, Global Director for Education at the World Bank, Mr. David Fairbairn-Day, Head of Education Strategy at Aventis Education, and Me. Mohammed Suhail Al Madani, CEO of Classera.

The third session of the first day came under the title “Multi-stakeholders Partnership for Transforming Education” and was moderated by HE Dr. Marwan Awartani, Senior Advisor at the ICESCO. Participated in this session are HE Yusuf Abdullah Al Banyan, Minister of Education at Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HE Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, HE Edil Baisalov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers in Kyrgyz Republic, Dr. Shannon May, CEO of New Globe Education, Dr. Wendy Kopp, CEO and Co-Founder of Teach for All, and Mr. Patrick C. Kyllonen, Distinguished Presidential Appointee at ETS.

The fourth session was titled “Greening Education: A Sustainable Future for All” and was moderated by Mrs. Chirstine Ozden, Global Director of Climate Education at Cambridge. Participated in the fourth session are HE Dr. Azmi Mahmoud, Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Scientific Research, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, HE Prof. Pierre Gomez, Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, Republic of Gambia, Min Jeong Kim, Director of Education 2030 at the UNESCO, Jan Mann, Managing Director of the Education Partnership, University of Cambridge, HE Dr. Abdullah Khamis Ambosaidi, Undersecretary for Education at the Ministry of Education, and Dr. Aisha Al-Yammahi, Strategic Advisor at Alef Education in the United Arab Emirates.

The final session of the first day was titled “United for Education in Times of Crisis” and was moderated by Mrs. Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of "Education Cannot Wait." (ECW). Participated in the final session are HE Dr. Amjad Saad Suleiman Dababat, Minister of Education and Higher Educationin Palestine, HE Dr. Tareq Salem Saleh Al-Akbari, Minister of Education in Yemen, Dr. Mohamed Al-Shiriakah, Chaiman of Gulf Arab States for Educational Research Center, Adele Khodr, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the UNICEF, Fahad Al-Sulaiti, CEO of Education Above All (EAA), and Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Medaries, Director-General at the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education (RCQE).

It is worth noting that the two-day conference aims to urge the countries of the Islamic world to fulfill their commitments towards transforming education through effective practices, develop mechanisms to disseminate and generalize best practices that have proven successful in accelerating the implementation of commitments in transforming education, exchange experiences and cooperate among them in joint work programs, build partnerships with funding and donor agencies, develop mechanisms to follow up on the procedures for implementing the outcomes of the Transforming Education Summit in member states, create programs to support the efforts of less fortunate countries in their quest to transform education, and highlight the value and ethical references for the various implications of transforming education in the cultural heritage of the Islamic world.