Oman hosts ICESCO Education Ministers Conference

Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman hosted the ICESCO Education Conference which kicked-off on Wednesday under the slogan "Beyond the Transforming Education Summit: From Commitments to Applications”.

The event was held under the patronage of Sheikh Abdulmalik Abdullah Al Khalili, Chairman of the State Council.

As many as 31 experts in the fields of education and artificial intelligence took part in the event.

In a speech, Dr. Madiha Ahmed Al Shaibani, Minister of Education and Chairperson of the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science said that, “This conference comes at a time when the world is going through turning points and crises with repercussions on educational, cultural and economic institutions. Most notably of those is 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.”

She also said, “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.”

She added that “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 youth; given their pivotal role in leading societies towards progress and development, and supporting 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 increase their participation in decision-making, and providing flexible educational paths that enable the youth to invest in the opportunities and capabilities available to them.

The Minister of education pointed out that the youth in the Sultanate of Oman represent half of the population, and they have enjoyed the generous care of His Majesty the Sultan, whose directives emphasized on the importance of listening to the youth, identifying their needs, involving them in policy-making and national decision-making, and supporting them in the fields of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.

She explained that, “The cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and ICESCO resulted in establishing the ICESCO Chair for Artificial Intelligence Ethics at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in January of 2024, 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.”

Dr. Salim Mohammed Al Malik, Director-General of the ICESCO underscored the importance of the conference which relates to the field of education, 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.

Al Malik 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 organisation’s allocation of an annual award for the best educational achievements among member states.

Macky Sall, former President of the Republic of Senegal, underlined the great role undertaken 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.