MBRF signs collaboration agreement with ICESCO to promote knowledge development
15, March, 2023: The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) signed a collaboration agreement with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) to align efforts of both parties and leverage their expertise in improving the performance of ICESCO member countries in the Global Knowledge Index (GKI).
The agreement was signed by His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of MBRF, and Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, in the presence of Dr. Hany Torky, Chief Technical Advisor, Knowledge Project – the UNDP; members of the MBRF; and managers from several departments of ICESCO. Both parties welcomed the agreement, which was signed during a meeting held in Cairo on 11 March 2023, as it marks a great step towards fostering more partnerships in the future.
H.E. Bin Huwaireb said, “We are honored to collaborate with ICESCO, and we look forward to further boosting bilateral relations with the organization. With this agreement, we aim to promote knowledge development and performance of ICESCO’s member countries in the GKI, which constitutes a road map for indicators, research, and knowledge studies on a global level, and a robust base for strategies and plans to bridge knowledge gaps and enhance development.”
“We are committed to participate in ICESCO’s efforts and initiatives, which have left a remarkable footprint in knowledge and scientific fields across the Islamic world. We, at MBRF, consider the promotion of knowledge innovation, the empowerment of youth, improving the prominence of the Arabic language, and ensuring inclusiveness and sustainability of development as major pillars of our strategies,” he added.
Dr. AlMalik said, “At ICESCO, we constantly strive to mobilize and coordinate efforts of Islamic countries in areas of education, knowledge, and technology. Through these efforts, we seek to lay the foundations for development and encourage openness towards developed countries to support other members, as well as fostering innovation, creativity, and cutting-edge technologies to develop advanced educational policies based on collaboration and partnerships among countries. The partnership with the MBRF represents a significant step forward in our pursuit of achieving these goals. We look forward to working together on various knowledge initiatives and implementing strategies that would enhance the performance of our member countries in GKI.”
“The agreement comes in line with our unwavering commitment to promoting knowledge development of our member states and coordinating with national entities and committees to initiate programs and projects that keep up with the priorities of the countries and their goals to enhance fields of education, science, and culture,” Dr. AlMalik concluded.
The 5-year agreement involves the joint organization of annual consultative meetings, conferences, symposiums, workshops, and devising strategies to improve the performance of Islamic countries and raise their ranking in the GKI. Under the partnership, both parties will further create platforms to share knowledge and best practices in learning and growing capabilities, as well as launching initiatives to boost sharing knowledge among the member countries by utilizing the expertise of advanced nations.
The bilateral partnership agreement and collaborative work plans are a continuation of the first consultative meeting on ‘Strategic Indicators for Development in the Islamic World: Global Knowledge Index as a Model’ conducted between the two parties at the ICESCO headquarters in December 2022.