Higher education is the apex of the education pyramid and the culmination of the educational process. It is entrusted with the task of upgrading the society and supplying it with intellectual, cultural, professional, artistic, organizational and administrative leaders. In all nations, civilizations and cultures, higher education has, over the ages, been the most influencing institution in the march of human civilization thanks to its outstanding achievements. It has also been highly instrumental in demystifying the secrets of the universe, comprehending its laws and utilizing its resources. Besides, higher education, being an instrument of change and advancement, has undergone major mutations whose scope has not been limited to the elaboration of curricula, plans and strategies, but it has also encompassed the development of visions and ideas and the identification of objectives. Therefore, the draft Action Plan for the years 2010-2012 which is presented by the Secretary General seeks to keep abreast of the world educational trends which assign the educational sphere with the mission of learning, qualification, research, change and Man’s elevation.

The strategic orientations of this action plan draw on a number of pointers such as: establishing the civilizational origin of higher education and improving its situation in terms of objectives, contents, organization, management, scientific methodology and the critical vision. In this regard, it seeks to harness these factors for the acquisition and development of knowledge with a view to channelling it towards servicing society and achieving its interests and objectives. Other orientations include the drawing up of a comprehensive educational vision which considers the educational process as a fully integrated system where the improvement of quality standards hinges on the cohesion of all its components. In this sense, the educational process is an integrated structure in which education is linked to knowledge and action is associated with the society; its various patterns and the components of its specificity and universality cohere with each other and its scope of action includes man’s spiritual, physical, cognitive and social aspects.

The strategic orientations equally embody awareness about the civilizational challenges that tend to cast doubts about sacred values and to depart from the ethics of human and civilizational difference by following an extremist course and despising religions and cultures. This calls for devising an educational system which has greater awareness of these challenges and risks and stands on a firm base of fundamentals, trust, common human values and the meticulous objective approach. This plan also tends to modernize and develop the educational system in such a way as to enhance its quality to the levels of international competitiveness. This includes a set of procedures, namely renewing educational patterns; introducing learning technology; qualifying educational, administrative and human resources; enhancing performance standards; upgrading plans, curricula and teaching methods; aligning outputs to the requirements of the labour market; and making an optimum use of resources and expenditure.

Lastly, in a bid to exchange expertise, benefit by competencies and experiences, and step up joint efforts and successful initiatives, this plan sets cooperation and integration among the universities of the Islamic world as one of the Federation’s top priorities, based on the Quranic verses, “Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwâ (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression.” (Al Maida, 2) and “Truly! This, your Ummah [Shari‘ah or religion (Islamic Monotheism)] is one religion, and I am your Lord, therefore worship Me (Alone).” (Al-Anbiya, 92).

The three-year action plan, through its projects, programmes and activities, aims at achieving a set of objectives as follows:

• To qualify human capacities as well as university resources at the pedagogical, administrative and academic levels;
• To enable university education to contribute to addressing contemporary problems and the issues of the Islamic Ummah;
• To establish the origin of higher education and to link it to its civilizational and cultural sources;
• To ensure academic integration among natural, social and human sciences;
• To promote the values of innovation and renewing in order to produce authentic and modern knowledge;
• To link university education to the labour market and sustainable development;
• To upgrade the level of university education to ensure its quality and productivity;
• To promote the human values establishing the channels of coexistence among societies, civilizations, cultures and religions;
• To establish firm foundations for the relations of cooperation and integration among universities and their educational patterns.

Summary of the Budget and Action Plan For the Years 2010-2012

The activities scheduled under this axis feature holding the sessions of the Federation’s Executive Council and General Conference in addition to the activities of the Federation’s Secretary General as well as tasks of implementation and coordination assigned to the FUIW General Secretariat. This axis aims at outlining the Federation’s major strategic orientations; examining plans, projects and activities as well as their implementation mechanisms and budgets, and reports on the General Secretariat’s efforts; adopting laws and regulations in order to ensure the quality of the educational, scientific and cultural services extended by the Federation and energizing the Federation’s mission in accordance with the orientations and objectives enshrined in its Charter; and highlighting the Secretary General’s efforts to implement the FUIW’s programmes and increase the number of its members. Besides, this axis seeks to set up a university observatory within the Federation’s General Secretariat to follow up the changes and challenges having negative or positive impact on university education system in the Islamic world and put forward immediate and future solutions. Under this axis, the Federation’s General Secretariat will actively participate in the international meetings, conferences and symposia concerned with the issues of university education in order to exchange expertise and experiences and to upgrade resources and capacities.

This axis includes the following programmes :

Programme 1.1.1.1: (Fifth session of the General Conference)

Objectives :

• To outline the Federation’s general policy in the light of changes and challenges;
• To examine and endorse the reports, projects, plans and programmes;
• To draw up regulations and propose the mechanisms and procedures defining the action of the Federation.

General description :

The General Conference meets in a regular session once every three years. It draws up the general policies for its action in accordance with the projects, plans, programmes, studies and proposals put forward either in the Secretary General’s report between the two sessions or in separate documents together with the resolutions and recommendations of the previous session which have been implemented.

Programme 1.1.1.2: (The three sessions of the Executive Council, 15th-16th-17th)

Objectives :

• To examine the Secretary General’s progress reports on the programmes and activities and submit them to the General Conference for adoption;
• To examine the Secretary General’s financial reports, adopt them and submit them to the General Conference for adoption;
• To consider the draft budgets and submit them to the General Conference for adoption;
• To take all necessary measures to ensure that the Secretary General implement efficiently the programmes of the Federation, in accordance with the resolutions of the General Conference.

General description :

The Executive Council meets once a year. It examines the academic and financial reports in order to submit them to the General Conference for adoption. In this regard, the Secretary General prepares a draft agenda for each Council session and sends it out to the Council members within the time set forth in the Rules of Procedure of the Council, along with all relevant documents, reports, projects and proposals.

Programme 1.1.1.3: (Meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Virtual University and meetings of the Boards of Trustees of Member Universities)

Objectives :

• To follow up the progress of the project of the Islamic Virtual University, achieve its objectives, ensure its functioning means and expand its outreach;
• To follow up the management of Member Universities’ programmes with a view to harnessing their development to servicing Muslim societies.

General description :

It is an ongoing programme concerned with following up the project of the Islamic Virtual University, preparing the meetings of its board of trustees, preparing progress reports on the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the previous meetings and putting forward proposals for the finalization of this project. It is also concerned with following up the functioning of Islamic universities, taking stock of their plans and projects, the extent of impact of the programmes being devised by the Federation to develop scientific research and higher education curricula, and the standards of academic quality and accreditation.

Programme 1.1.1.4: (Carrying out and expanding the activities of the General Secretariat)

Objectives :

• To increase the number of Member Universities within the Federation taking into consideration the Ummah’s civilizational objectives;
• To benefit from all experiences which can activate the mission of the Federation and develop scientific research in Member Universities;
• To support the creation of Islamic governmental and non-governmental universities in ISESCO Member States and in non-Muslim countries.

General description :

This programme is concerned with considering the applications for membership submitted by universities, examining the validity of their documents and programmes and their compliance with the conditions and regulations set forth by the Federation, and submitting report thereon to the Executive Council.

Programme 1.1.1.5: (The FUIW Strategic Observatory for Islamic University Education)

Objectives :

• To shed light upon the references and curricula of higher education and scientific research in world universities and cooperate with the latter in redressing stereotypical judgements and conceptions against the culture of Muslim peoples, and to upgrade the quality level of educational outputs within Member Universities in the area of cultural security;
• To study the sources and references of Islamic culture in non-Muslim universities as well as their inaccurate translations of Islamic heritage books, and to caution against the confusing of legislation, history and the rulers’ conduct;
• To detect offenses against Islam and Muslims and to prevent their spread with a view to preserving cultural security and countering extremism;
• To prepare studies redressing biased stereotypes in higher education curricula in non-Muslim countries, and to hold symposia and meetings to this end in cooperation with Member Universities.

General description :

It is a new programme prepared by the General Secretariat following the academic works offending the culture of Muslim peoples and causing harm to the course of dialogue among religions and cultures. These works include the studies, lectures and artistic works being or to be later presented in a number of scientific and media institutions. In implementing this programme, the General Secretariat is seeking the expertise of Muslim emigrant teachers in non-Muslim countries. This programme also focuses on studying university education curricula as well as literary and artistic works in non-member universities, evaluating their impact on higher education and scientific research in the universities of Muslim countries, and submitting fully documented reports thereon to the Executive Council to take the necessary decisions and recommendations.

Programme 1.1.1.6: (Participation in the conferences, symposia and meetings of similar federations and bodies)

Objectives :

• To ensure the active participation of the Federation in the international conferences on higher education;
• To take part in the academic symposia to which the Federation is invited to attend;
• To participate in the meetings of the federations and bodies having cooperation agreements or joint action programmes with the Federation.

General description :

It is an ongoing programme geared to participating in the conferences organized by the Federation and the regional academic symposia held by Member Universities; responding to the invitations of the federations with common interests and the governmental and non-governmental institutions concerned with university education and scientific research; and fostering cooperation relations among each other.

Programme 1.1.1.7: (Information and publishing)

Objectives :

• To publish a journal specialized in the issues of higher education in the Islamic world;
• To publish intellectual, scientific and educational university researches and studies;
• To publicize Member Universities and their staff;
• To enhance mutual acquaintance and integration between Member Universities;
• To coordinate intellectual, scientific, educational and methodological approaches to higher education and bring them closer together.

General description :

This programme aims at publicizing Member Universities and the efforts of university researchers and highlighting their academic contributions and expertise by publishing their research papers in “AL JAMIA”, the journal specialized in all aspects of university education issues. The programme also seeks to publish the researches and studies prepared as part of the activities of the General Secretariat with the aim of bringing methodological, educational, scientific and intellectual approaches closer together in the areas of higher education and disseminating university books as tools of intellectual unity. Besides, the programme aims at activating the Federation’s website on internet, following the activities of the Federation and Member Universities and displaying the new guide to Member Universities on the Federation’s website to ensure larger benefit and facilitate improved communication.

The progress of nations and civilizations hinges on the clear vision and effective objectives they seek to materialize, based on the strategic planning which draws on facts and data and explores future prospects in order to fulfil the requirements of the civilizational edifice of the Islamic Ummah. This cannot be achieved without defining the fundamentals, objectives and challenges, outlining the ways leading to a bright future of civilizational resurgence, away from corrupt means and unknown paths, and adopting a prospective vision enabling university education to occupy a leading position. The axis also aims at defining such major functions of university education as upgrading the quality of education in terms of qualification of human resources and preparation of intellectual and professional leaders to perform their civilizational role. Other objectives include upgrading the level of scientific researches, improving teaching methods and curricula, introducing learning technology into educational patterns in order to reach the highest levels of quality and efficiency that nurture the learners’ awareness about the needs of society and the living reality.

Therefore, the meticulous care given by the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World to strategic plans and studies and documentary references constitutes the inevitable prelude to upgrading the quality of university education, developing its curricula and programmes, qualifying its human resources and capacities, and innovating its planning, improvement and evaluation processes.

Programme 2.1.1.1: (Modernizing curricula and teaching methods)

Objectives :

• To enhance the qualitative performance of university education system;
• To develop university education programmes and curricula;
• To modernize university education teaching methods;
• To provide technical counsel to raise the standard of university education.

General description :

This programme aims at modernizing curricula and teaching methods, introducing learning technology into the various educational patterns in order to reach the highest levels of quality and efficiency that nurture the learners’ awareness about the needs of society and the living reality. Under this programme, symposia and seminars will be held for experts to tackle the various issues of university education; studies will also be conducted to address university education problems. Drawing on the extensive expertise in Member Universities, the Federation will provide technical counsel in order to develop and modernize the components of the university educational process.

Programme 2.1.1.2: (Qualification of educational and administrative human resources)

Objectives :

• To raise the professional skills of university administrative staff;
• To raise the educational competencies of the faculty;
• To take advantage of educational pedagogy and the latest scientific innovations in developing human resources.

General description :

Feeling the need of universities for professionally and pedagogically competent human resources, the Federation intends to organize sessions in educational and professional qualification for the administrative and educational staff in the Member Universities, in order to derive benefit from the latest educational theories and curricula as well as from scientific and technological advances in this field.

Programme 2.1.1.3: (Enhancing and encouraging scientific research in university education)

Objectives :

• To encourage researchers to conduct university studies keeping abreast of scientific progress;
• To develop the strategic awareness and the critical vision, and to foster scientific experiences to benefit university researchers;
• To link university researches to the actual needs of Muslim societies.

General description :

Recent times have been witness to an unprecedented upswing in knowledge and technology production, both at the theoretical and practical levels. This puts weighty responsibilities on universities as they should keep up with the pace of knowledge through promoting scientific research and researchers’ continuous qualification, keeping abreast of the new knowledge subjects emerging as a result of the information revolution, developing the curricula and methods in knowledge acquisition, granting incentive prizes in these fields, and publishing outstanding researches and studies.

Programme 2.1.1.4: (Quality, accreditation, renewal, innovation, planning and evaluation)

Objectives :

• To upgrade the academic, administrative and financial performance of Member Universities;
• To define the specificity of Islamic criteria for the notions of quality and accreditation;
• To exchange expertise and experience among officials in charge of university education in the Islamic world;
• To study the challenges facing quality and accreditation systems in university education;
• To evaluate international experiences adopting the values of quality and accreditation;
• To develop university education system based on strategic planning;
• To assess university education outputs.

General description :

This programme aims at developing university education system and devising a set of plans to concretize its reform visions according to the available means and taking into consideration the local and international fundamentals and changes affecting educational issues. This can be done through adopting the outcomes assessment process (or the outcome achieved in comparison with the inputs; or the impact of curricula, faculty, educational means and learning environment in university education on researchers and students as well as on the shaping of their knowledge input and their capacity to use it).

This programme is also scheduled based on the objectives of the “Strategy for Developing University Education in the Islamic World” which was adopted by the 3rd Islamic Conference of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research (Kuwait: 19-21 November 2006), and following the adoption by the Federation’s Fourth General Conference of the draft “Guide to Quality and Accreditation” which was prepared by the General Secretariat. Besides, the programme draws on the objectives enshrined in the Federation’s Charter calling for upgrading and developing the level of higher education in such a way as to protect the cultural identity and address development requirements. Also, the programme reflects the Federation’s awareness about the challenges Islamic university education is facing at the beginning of the third millennium, making a great number of its institutions incapable of fulfilling the requirements for the civilizational edifice of the Islamic world on the one side, and for aligning to world standards on the other. On the whole, the programme seeks to upgrade the academic, administrative and financial performance of Member Universities in order to attain the highest levels of excellence and competitiveness at the international level.

Other objectives of the programme includes the development of university education system and the continuous renewing of the structure of university education systems so that they can fulfil the requirements of the society and keep abreast of its advances. This draws on constructive strategic planning which founds its reform visions on the studies based on facts, fundamentals and needs, and sets its priorities taking into consideration the challenges and changes affecting educational issues. Indeed, the feasibility and efficiency of strategic planning cannot be confirmed unless the outcomes of university education inputs are adequately assessed. Therefore, the importance attached to planning is closely related to the assessment of the outcomes reached as sound planning brings about the expected results. Accordingly, awareness about the importance of planning is coupled with assessment in university education.

Programme 2.1.1.5: (Enhancing the contribution of Member Universities to the project of “Islamic Encyclopaedia”)

Objectives :

• To highlight the specificity of Islamic culture and to introduce its prominent figures, notions, issues and landmarks;
• To present, from an Islamic perspective, a comprehensive reference frame on the various aspects of Islamic culture which would introduce the correct and comprehensive objective image on Islam and Muslims;
• To redress false ideas on Islam and Muslims through introducing a valid alternative giving an accurate idea about the information contained in biased encyclopaedias;
• To provide scientists, researchers and interested parties with an integrated sound scientific tool which fully assimilates all aspects of Islamic civilization.

General description :

Advanced countries have entered the gate of modern history through encyclopaedias which serve as a scientific indicator to this progress. The Islamic Ummah was lagging behind despite the emergence of some Islamic encyclopaedias which bore local imprints or were, in most cases, translations of foreign encyclopaedias. It is worth pointing that the progress of nations has often been coupled with the compilation of comprehensive encyclopaedias which preserve their heritage and reflect their future aspirations. Muslims were lagging behind in spite of the fact that their heritage is replete with experiences in this field. In fact, some capitals of the Islamic world have published a set of good Islamic encyclopaedias. However, they were incapable of transcending geography or sectarian and political affiliations.

This programme aims at fostering coordination between parties active in the areas of editing and supporting Islamic encyclopaedias, and orienting them towards the improvement of encyclopaedic work. This draws on the preliminary steps undertaken by ISESCO when it outlined the general frame of the encyclopaedia and set up a committee for study and follow-up. Besides, ISESCO drew up the table of contents of this encyclopaedia and prepared a list of experts from the Islamic world who were contacted to start editing the material of this work.

The General Secretariat will seek to involve Member Universities as major and active partners in editing the contents of this encyclopaedia and bearing the costs of the editing experts.

Programme 2.1.1.6: (Academic integration between scientific contents in Member Universities)

Objectives :

• To contribute to developing the modern Islamic perspective on knowledge and to link it to the various subjects, knowledge and sciences as well as societal and academic issues;
• To further methodological awareness in the field of social and natural sciences and to establish its Islamic origin;
• To build the capacities of creative thinking based on the Islamic vision in all scientific subjects and areas.

General description :

This programme seeks to ensure academic integration between the various sciences in general, and between natural, social and human sciences in particular, the ultimate aim being to confirm the Islamic comprehensive vision of knowledge, to rehabilitate the human sciences protecting the moral and social values as well as cultural and civilizational specificities, particularly in the current era which is characterized by rapid scientific and technological breakthroughs based on intellectual visions, thus making the human mind the sole source of truth and the end goal of happiness.

Therefore, this axis aims at addressing the epistemic crisis resulting from the artificial separation between knowledge and religion and the stripping of science of religious values and contents and of philosophical insights. It also seeks to further understanding of Islam along with its intellectual and philosophical trends, and to take stock of human expertise in the different fields of knowledge and assimilate it in the structure of Islamic thought in a sound and reasonable way. Other aims include asserting the importance of integration and creative coexistence between natural, human and social sciences on the one hand, and between copying, reasoning and education on the other. The ultimate goal is to build the well-balanced Muslim personality which draws in its thinking, methods and behaviour on harmony between rational, spiritual and scientific knowledge.

Cooperation among Member Universities is a religious obligation which is highly recommended by Islam’s teachings in order to forge unity in Muslim ranks, as echoed by the Quranic verse, “and help one another in goodness and piety, and do not help one another in sin and aggression”.

Seeking to further cohesion in Muslim society and unity in the Ummah as in the verse “Verily, this Ummah of yours is a single Ummah, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me (and no other)”, Islam’s call was not limited to its borders. Rather, it called on humanity at large to promote cooperation and mutual acquaintance for the general benefit as in the Quranic verse, “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other)” (The Inner Apartments, 13). Thus, cooperation both in its internal and external levels constitutes one of the characteristics of Quranic methodology. Therefore, this axis will seek to foster cooperation and integration among universities. It will also aim at activating cooperation and integration mechanisms among Member Universities, exchanging their expertise and benefiting by their pilot experiences. This can be done through exchanging visits between their heads, faculty and students, participating in discussing their dissertations and acknowledging their degrees, granting certificates to their excellent elements and benefiting by their plans, curricula and publications.

This axis features the following programmes :

Programme 2.1.1.6: (Exchanging information, programmes, studies and visits)

Objectives :

• To promote cooperation and partnership among Member Universities;
• To exchange unique expertise and leading experiences;
• To jointly utilize knowledge-related capacities and energies.

General description :

In a bid to consolidate the bridges of cooperation, the Federation will reinforce the forms of cooperation and partnership, by bringing into action the project of “the twinning of universities”, holding meetings and organizing visits among Member Universities. It will also endeavour to put forward new modes for this cooperation through exchanging views concerning programmes and studies, expanding the scope of this cooperation so that it encompasses administrative and technical executives in university education. In addition, it will seek to take stock of the various university expertise and experiences, organize lectures and participate in intellectual and scientific meetings and forums.

Programme 3.1.1.2: (Integration between university education and the private sector)

Objectives :

• To coordinate educational strategy and efforts among the leaders of public and private higher education for training educational leaders;
• To cooperate in assuming funding burdens, removing administrative and technical obstacles and facilitating academic integration between public and private university education;
• To take stock of leading experiences in this field through organizing visits for senior officials to Member States.

General description :

Modern economic trends have encouraged the emergence of the private sector in various fields. Indeed, the private sector has firmly established its presence in the beginning of the third millennium. One of the positive results private higher education has brought about is that it has taken on some financial and educational burdens which were placed on the economies of governments and promoted the spirit of fair and constructive competition.

In a bid to make integrated efforts and coordinate educational policies between the two sectors with a view to ensuring productive and quality-oriented higher education, the two sectors are required to coordinate their efforts, strategies and plans starting from sharing educational responsibilities and subjects in order to prevent any undesirable duplicity of work and provide a higher education with an economic added value that advances the supreme national interests.

In this connection, the Federation will hold meetings on integrated plans between public and private higher education and training sessions for educational and administrative leaders to pool efforts and share training subjects and funding requirements. It will also organize visits for the senior officials in charge of these two sectors to take stock of the successful experiences of some countries in this area.

Programme 3.1.1.3: (Exchange of university visits for lecturing)

Objectives :

• To enhance mutual acquaintance among members of faculty in Member Universities;
• To spread pilot experiences and curricula in Member Universities;
• To devise appropriate means to develop scientific research;
• To rehabilitate comprehensive Islamic curricula based on correlation and exchange among sciences in academic policies, considering its positive impact on intellectual, theoretical, scientific, applied and technical university action;
• To upgrade academic competencies in Member Universities;
• To implement the recommendations of the Strategy for Developing University Education in the Islamic World.

General description :

It is an ongoing programme whereby the General Secretariat seeks to link the faculty in higher education to each other and to publicize the geography, history and culture of the Islamic world with a view to promoting the unity of the Ummah.

Programme 3.1.1.4: (Project of the Islamic Universities Business Network)

Objectives :

• To draw up a new model for higher education in Muslim countries;
• To create a world Islamic business market for university graduates;
• To set up a business network for education markets;
• To devise programmes for the improvement of educational systems;
• To set up a unique common business education system in the Islamic world;
• To develop a system for providing the labour market in Muslim countries with highly competent professionals.

General description :

This programme aims at setting up an Islamic universities business network for Member Universities to serve as a legal body at the international level. The main goal of this network is to link academia to business in order to improve higher education quality, and to create a common space for professionals and staff with high competence.

In this regard, the programme seeks to create an organized structure with equipments and programmes at the headquarters of the Islamic Universities Business Network. The scope of the network activities can be expanded to cover the Islamic world as a whole. The goals are manifold, namely to bring about a complete change in the system of providing graduates with high skills, to upgrade education level, to improve curricula quality, to establish close relations among universities, to conduct joint researches, to grant all Member Universities access to this network, to extend services to universities, and to enhance their business-based partnerships throughout the world.

With the advent of the third millennium, the world has become home to a myriad of challenges that threaten civilizational identities. Phenomena such as extremism, violence and hegemony, brain drain, and the sweeping trend of globalization which undermines specificities, have gained considerably in importance in the past few years. All these changes have been accompanied by ideologies emphasizing the fatalism of clash of civilizations; they have also been paralleled by false allegations directed against Islamic faith and civilization whose aim is to cast doubts about Islam’s capacity to take up leading civilizational roles, as well as to shape an elite and leaderships severed from their civilizational roots, cultural visions and affective belonging.

Against this backdrop, the need within the Islamic world has increased for localizing university education and linking it to its civilizational and cultural sources, and furthering its renewing and active contribution to the sought civilizational resurgence of the Ummah. In this way, university education can perform its role in qualifying individuals capable of undertaking the mission of the civilizational edifice, devising an educational system and furthering a scientific methodology and a critical vision which can accommodate the major progress in knowledge and sciences, preserve the cultural components of the Islamic Ummah, and come up to developmental and civilizational aspirations. Such system ought also to draw on firm foundations in civilizational dialogue and should be able to address the problems of poverty, illiteracy, the environment and health as well as the needs of special categories.

The axis aims at fostering the values of religious, civilizational and cultural belonging of Muslims through publicizing their heritage and contribution to human civilization at various levels. This would help preserve their specificities away from rigidity and imitation, and foster openness to modernity without subordination and dependence. Other objectives include entrenching the culture of dialogue among Muslims themselves and with other civilizations and cultures, fostering the bonds of solidarity and integration, addressing the challenges associated with globalization, and upholding cultural specificities and diversity and the ethics of difference. Also, the axis seeks to link university education to the issues of Islam and Muslims in the West as well as to comprehensive and sustainable development in order to address the needs of the labour market, material prosperity and social elevation, while drawing on the facts of reality and aspiring to future prospects.

Programme 4.1.1.1: (University education and comprehensive sustainable development)

Objectives :

• To link university education to the environment and the productive sector;
• To channel university education into fulfilling the needs of the society and achieving comprehensive development;
• To advance university systems to address current challenges and to keep up with the rapid technological and scientific progress.

General description :

This programme draws on the comprehensive vision of Islamic thought which addresses all aspects of life and calls for adopting moderation and middle position and the principle of “no harm and no reciprocated harm”. It also advocates the principle of man’s vicegerency on earth and the rational use of its resources in such a way as to keep the right of future generations to decent life and prosperity and, accordingly, address the challenges facing this vision such as environment degradation, demographic growth, rise of poverty, unemployment and unequal employment opportunities.

Programme 4.1.1.2: (University education and the issues of globalization, cultural specificities and diversity, the ethics of difference and human rights)

Objectives :

• To address the challenges of cultural globalization in its tendency to standardize visions, behaviour and thinking;
• To activate Islamic bases and principles calling for understanding and coexistence with the other;
• To counter the trends of seclusion and the elimination of the other;
• To activate the universal values shared by peoples and civilizations.

General description :

This programme is concerned with cultural globalization and its tendency to impose a unique mode of thinking, perception and behaviour. It also seeks to show that this trend is opposite to the Islamic vision with regard to Man and the universe as well as international conventions and instruments which recognize the cultural specificities and diversity of peoples and nations. Besides, the programme aims at highlighting the Islamic historical experience in this regard which stresses the possibility to effect coexistence and understanding amidst sectarian, social, racial and religious differences. Therefore, the programme seeks to energize the vision calling for understanding and coexistence with the other based on our common human origin, religious brotherhood and common denominators, and to harness university education through its curricula, programmes and plans to expound this Islamic vision.

Programme 4.1.1.3: (University chairs)

Objectives :

• To improve the quality and performance of higher education in Member Universities;
• To develop and modernize higher education so as to address development issues in the Islamic world;
• To prepare studies addressing current issues;
• To immunize higher education against seclusion and alienation;
• To publicize Islam’s civilizational contribution and its far-outreaching human values;
• To redress stereotypes against Islam and Muslims.

General description :

This programme builds on the contents of the Federation’s Three-year Action Plan (2004-2006) on “Setting up Specialized Chairs to Address Issues of Higher Education in the Islamic World”, the resolution of the General Conference in its third session (Sharjah: 9-11 March 2004) which approved the setting up of the Federation chairs in Member Universities. It also draws on the civilizational and developmental role which these chairs can perform as they are considered as new academic tools to develop higher education and address the issues of the Muslim Ummah. Besides, the programme refers to the Federation’s experience in the two previous action plans during which a number of specialized chairs were established in some Member Universities and in the various fields related to the promotion of the values of dialogue and the culture of peace.