tareqqayet
04-14-2010, 12:22 PM
Higher Education Excellence for Development in the Islamic World *
*Message of His Highness Prince El Hassen Ibn Talal of Jordan,Founding Patron of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences.
The first word of the Holy Qur'an, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH), As can be seen on the very logo of the Islamic World Academy of Science, is "Iqra!" "Read!" - a seminal exhortation to learn if ever there was one - and a famous hadith instructs his followers to " seek knowledge, even unto China, " which was a lot harder in the age of camels than that of transcontinental tourism!
It has long been recognised that education is, without exception, the most important tool for the development of civilization, empowerment and, ultimately, for liberty. It is also the greatest gift that we can bestow upon our younger generations. By educating children at the primary level, we can introduce moral and ethical principles to new minds at the earliest popportunity;and by educating teenagers at the secondary level; we should sustain the acceptance of these ideas throughout the formative years. However, it is only by offering the chance of tertiary education to young adults, that we can train those that we will follow us to analyse problems, tp accept and improve methods of governance: in essence, to think for themselves. Education is not only a method for moral and ethical instruction but can be used to nurture every aspect of the younger generation : to support the human being, as a whole, throughout the transition into adulthood.
The second of the UN's Millennium Development Goals is to "Achieve Universal Primary Education" (by 2015). But this cannot be the end result. I would also like to see unanimous secondary education. as well as universal opportunities for higher education, by 2050. Education is not only about imparting knowlegde to younger generation , but it carries the utmost responsibility and the greatest opportunity for eliminating prejudice , promoting tolerance and mutual understanding, and demonstrating a model for cohabitation to be emulated in the future. Irresponsible pedagogy, on the other hand, is an enormous risk that must be avoided at all costs.
The Islamic World is part of a global village that grows smaller and closer every day, and quality, higher education must became more-readily obtainable to prevent isolation and estrangement from our ever changing world.Isolation leads to marginalisation, which, in turn, can have tragic and often disastrous consequences. Abusing education to promote religious prejudice must be prevented and replaced with open-minded teaching and the tools to accommodate others, and accept their differences. After all, it ia from the east that the idea of 'illumination' arose, centuries before the concept of 'enlightenment' was recognised by Europe.
Reconciliation between conflicting ideas, such as modernising traditional values whilst recognising tradition (alongside modernity) must be attempted in all fields. Although when reconciliation is impossible, we must learn to peacefully agree to disagree. Meanwhile, we should re-examine our own, as well as each other's texts, heritage and history to establish universal shared values,because learing about the other can teach us volumes about ourselves.
Such learning by analogy, and by putting ourselves "in the shoes of another", is an invaluable experience . Exchange programmes such as Socrates,Minerva and Erasmus afford students the opprtunity to learn about each other from each other.
My friend, Ihsan Dogramaci, is a true ally to education, not to mention the valuable contributions made by him and his wife to youth education, and the work of Bilkent University. The nascent Centre of Mediterranean Humanities in Bilkent, should incloude a graduate facility to further exchange and mutual education opportunities in the higher education of the region,and beyond.
West Asia-North Africa is the poorest,most dangerous, and most populous region in the world (even more so China) and it is my wish that Jordan,and all other countries in the region, might have the oppertunity for education at all levels, in even the poorest and least accessible segments. Investment is sorely needed in the educational sector: in research, development , teacher-training and practices and, particularly, focusing upon science and technology. Ther is great wealth in the region, and great poverty . As the chasm between rich and poor widens, so too does the regional human dignity divide. It is projected that the number of Arab students enrolled in higher education will rise from 3.6 million to 5.6 million in the next decade. A further 250,000 university teachers will be needed, and we must utilise the very best minds that we have to teach future generations. This is an issu that needs to be addressed without delay.
It is manifest that a strategy for education and communicationis long overdue in our region, and we would surely benefit from the international input and experience of other regions. Six OIC Organisation of the Islamic Conference countries are currently at the very bottom of the list of 177 countries, in the UN's Human Development Index (HDI), with an alarming seventeen Islamic countries in the low HDI category. Increased south/south cooperation among the Islamic countries, especially in the training of researchers at the post-doctorate level, should be utilised in a creative and innovative manner.
The Islamic World Academy Sciences (IAS) provides an umbrella for the scientist of the Islamic countries to meet annually, in this conference . Let us Prioritise what is desirable, What is needed and what must be immediately dealt with. Many of our commonalities lie within these priorities and to share ideas and practices among scientists and research & development centres can only be beneficial . Let us deliver the outcome of our conference to the decision makers. Academia should not exclude itself from society to only talk to each other, but also to "the other" , particularly the polcy and decision makers in order to introduce change in the Muslim Ummah.
Not only is education the best way of working through our regional problems from the grass-roots up, it is also a long -term solution that will secure the future of our region and the future of generations unto whom we will bestow this world, when our time is done .
*Message of His Highness Prince El Hassen Ibn Talal of Jordan,Founding Patron of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences.
The first word of the Holy Qur'an, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH), As can be seen on the very logo of the Islamic World Academy of Science, is "Iqra!" "Read!" - a seminal exhortation to learn if ever there was one - and a famous hadith instructs his followers to " seek knowledge, even unto China, " which was a lot harder in the age of camels than that of transcontinental tourism!
It has long been recognised that education is, without exception, the most important tool for the development of civilization, empowerment and, ultimately, for liberty. It is also the greatest gift that we can bestow upon our younger generations. By educating children at the primary level, we can introduce moral and ethical principles to new minds at the earliest popportunity;and by educating teenagers at the secondary level; we should sustain the acceptance of these ideas throughout the formative years. However, it is only by offering the chance of tertiary education to young adults, that we can train those that we will follow us to analyse problems, tp accept and improve methods of governance: in essence, to think for themselves. Education is not only a method for moral and ethical instruction but can be used to nurture every aspect of the younger generation : to support the human being, as a whole, throughout the transition into adulthood.
The second of the UN's Millennium Development Goals is to "Achieve Universal Primary Education" (by 2015). But this cannot be the end result. I would also like to see unanimous secondary education. as well as universal opportunities for higher education, by 2050. Education is not only about imparting knowlegde to younger generation , but it carries the utmost responsibility and the greatest opportunity for eliminating prejudice , promoting tolerance and mutual understanding, and demonstrating a model for cohabitation to be emulated in the future. Irresponsible pedagogy, on the other hand, is an enormous risk that must be avoided at all costs.
The Islamic World is part of a global village that grows smaller and closer every day, and quality, higher education must became more-readily obtainable to prevent isolation and estrangement from our ever changing world.Isolation leads to marginalisation, which, in turn, can have tragic and often disastrous consequences. Abusing education to promote religious prejudice must be prevented and replaced with open-minded teaching and the tools to accommodate others, and accept their differences. After all, it ia from the east that the idea of 'illumination' arose, centuries before the concept of 'enlightenment' was recognised by Europe.
Reconciliation between conflicting ideas, such as modernising traditional values whilst recognising tradition (alongside modernity) must be attempted in all fields. Although when reconciliation is impossible, we must learn to peacefully agree to disagree. Meanwhile, we should re-examine our own, as well as each other's texts, heritage and history to establish universal shared values,because learing about the other can teach us volumes about ourselves.
Such learning by analogy, and by putting ourselves "in the shoes of another", is an invaluable experience . Exchange programmes such as Socrates,Minerva and Erasmus afford students the opprtunity to learn about each other from each other.
My friend, Ihsan Dogramaci, is a true ally to education, not to mention the valuable contributions made by him and his wife to youth education, and the work of Bilkent University. The nascent Centre of Mediterranean Humanities in Bilkent, should incloude a graduate facility to further exchange and mutual education opportunities in the higher education of the region,and beyond.
West Asia-North Africa is the poorest,most dangerous, and most populous region in the world (even more so China) and it is my wish that Jordan,and all other countries in the region, might have the oppertunity for education at all levels, in even the poorest and least accessible segments. Investment is sorely needed in the educational sector: in research, development , teacher-training and practices and, particularly, focusing upon science and technology. Ther is great wealth in the region, and great poverty . As the chasm between rich and poor widens, so too does the regional human dignity divide. It is projected that the number of Arab students enrolled in higher education will rise from 3.6 million to 5.6 million in the next decade. A further 250,000 university teachers will be needed, and we must utilise the very best minds that we have to teach future generations. This is an issu that needs to be addressed without delay.
It is manifest that a strategy for education and communicationis long overdue in our region, and we would surely benefit from the international input and experience of other regions. Six OIC Organisation of the Islamic Conference countries are currently at the very bottom of the list of 177 countries, in the UN's Human Development Index (HDI), with an alarming seventeen Islamic countries in the low HDI category. Increased south/south cooperation among the Islamic countries, especially in the training of researchers at the post-doctorate level, should be utilised in a creative and innovative manner.
The Islamic World Academy Sciences (IAS) provides an umbrella for the scientist of the Islamic countries to meet annually, in this conference . Let us Prioritise what is desirable, What is needed and what must be immediately dealt with. Many of our commonalities lie within these priorities and to share ideas and practices among scientists and research & development centres can only be beneficial . Let us deliver the outcome of our conference to the decision makers. Academia should not exclude itself from society to only talk to each other, but also to "the other" , particularly the polcy and decision makers in order to introduce change in the Muslim Ummah.
Not only is education the best way of working through our regional problems from the grass-roots up, it is also a long -term solution that will secure the future of our region and the future of generations unto whom we will bestow this world, when our time is done .