System-wide education reform in Member States, including increased gender parity and access to primary and secondary education, review and overhaul of the existing curricula to place greater emphasis on science and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), greater investment on Research and Development (R&D) to reverse brain-drain and inter-agency cooperation to elevate the standards of existing institutions at all levels constitute one of the most comprehensive undertakings of the New Vision to prepare capable leaders for the Muslim Ummah and maximise the potential for socio-economic-political-cultural development.
Despite the Koran designating the education of boys and girls as a high priority area, over 40% of children in 20 OIC Member States do not have access to primary education. The New Vision’s impetus to reverse inequalities in education access took root with the landmark 2005 Ministerial Meeting on Children – a joint undertaking between the OIC, ISESCO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The meeting led to the launch of a major report titled “Investing in Children in the Islamic World” which provides detailed indicators for all OIC Member States that policymakers at the international, national, regional and local level can use to devise appropriate strategies to further children’s empowerment through education.
The impetus of the New Vision to reduce gender disparities has resulted in a number of Member States enacting legislations to provide free secondary education, free school meals, uniforms, books and transportation, subsidies for girls, incentives for households, clean facilities and the creation of a safe school environment for girls. Gender sensitive textbooks are also being promoted and the educational curriculum is being tailored to promote life skills, equality and human rights. These policies are expected to increase the number of OIC Member States (currently 26) that meet the MDG targets of gender parity in primary education.
To shed light on the brain-drain of competent professionals, particularly in the sciences, from the Islamic World to the West and to coordinate actions with Muslim competencies abroad, the IDB released a report in 2006 on the trends and developmental impact of brain drain in Member States. To reverse the flow, the New Vision has set forth the exploration of strategies for the establishment of an International Islamic Centre for Scientific Research and deliberations are currently ongoing to select 20 universities from the Islamic World and promote their advancement to the echelons of the top 500 universities in the world. In this regard, the Islamic Centre for Science and Technology will be strengthened to provide research and training opportunities in hi-tech fields for emigrant and resident scientists.
To promote R&D programs in Member States, the New Vision has outlined a strategy whereby each country will contribute at least 1% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to R&D initiatives. There is also greater emphasis upon public and private national research institutions to invest in technology capacity-building and establish and extend Venture Capital Funds. Leading the way, OIC and the Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) will jointly establish and manage an OIC R&D Fund, while the IDB will explore venues to effectively utilize its annual budget of US $200 million allocated for Science and Technology. Additionally, the OIC will partner with the Government of Qatar which has already designated US $2 billion for scientific research until 2010 and another $200 million for the Well of Knowledge Fund.
Strategies toward the development of biotechnology and the acquisition of nuclear technology for peaceful uses in line with international standards and regulations are currently being explored by the six-member states of the GCC who are conducting a study to formulate a joint program in this regard. A regional conference incorporating the IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency (where the OIC maintains observer status), GCC, Iran and its neighboring states will take place to discuss steps and approaches to achieving safeguards and safety agreements.
In the realm of inter-agency cooperation to improve ICT standards and reduce the digital gap between Developed and Developing States, a series of joint programs and projects are currently underway between OIC entities including the Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Islamic University of Niger (IUN), SESRTCIC and ISESCO and UN entities including the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), United Nations International Development Organization (UNIDO), UNDP, UNESCO and UNIFEM. Such projects incorporate the exchange of ICT related data, cooperation on capacity building and ICT indicators, joint research programs, courses and seminars, tele-education, digitalization of libraries, creation of documentation centres, support for vocational and technical education and the participation of women in ICT.
Additionally, to improve the performance of the four OIC-affiliated universities in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Niger and Uganda, a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between these institutions in 2006 to strengthen collaboration and cooperation on curriculum reform, administration reform and the enhancement of education standards and quality. IUT has additionally singed a joint MoU with universities in Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan to develop human resources in the vocational and technical field and the IDB will provide scholarships to minority students from the Muslim Diaspora to study at the IUT.
