Rabat, Morocco - 20 April 2015. In recognition of the significant set of shared values, missions, goals and constituencies of their respective organizations, The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GESCI) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The purpose of this MoU is to leverage the complementarity between ISESCO and GESCI in three key ways:

1. To advance leadership skills for Knowledge Society development and
2. To accelerate the integration of ICT in the education and training systems of relevant countries in order to enhance the quality of teaching and learning
3. Agreeing to partner on research projects and innovative practice to show how relevant and effective ICT integration can transform education and training in target regions/countries to better serve their sustainable development.

The MoU was signed by H.E Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, ISESCO Director General and Jerome Morrissey, GESCI Chief Executive Officer, at the ISESCO offices in Rabat, Morocco. Mr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri welcomed the opportunity to partner with GESCI and acknowledged GESCI’s contribution in equipping African leaders with a commanding understanding of the key elements in the development of knowledge societies. “The development of an ISESCO contextualized version in Arabic, English and French of GESCI’s Leadership in ICT course for Knowledge Society advancement will position ISESCO staff to develop and implement policies to advance national and regional sustainable socio-economic development. We very well foresee this course being a part of an ISESCO Leadership Academy Initiative,” he said. The CEO of GESCI, Jerome Morrissey said; “This MOU affirms the desire of GESCI to work together with ISESCO in promoting leadership development initiatives and in supporting Knowledge Society development across Arabic and Francophone countries. We will also work towards ensuring that effective ICT –based implementation strategies can significantly enhance the quality and relevance of education and training provision for our young people. This MOU comes at a time when GESCI is launching into Francophone West Africa with the Leadership African dans les TIC (LATIC) course, the first offering of the African Leadership Development in ICT and The Knowledge Society (ALICT) programme in Morocco, Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire. Mr. Jerome Morrissey emphasized that the signing of the MOU is the first step towards capitalizing on the complementarity between ISESCO and GESCI in order to consolidate and further promote collaboration aimed at developing leadership skills of knowledge society-related ministry officials. “From here we can accelerate integration of ICT in education and training systems of countries covered by the activities of both organizations to enhance the quality of their education and training systems and teaching and learning at all levels of education, and to contribute to equality of access and reduction of gender imbalances,” he said. The MOU commits ISESCO and GESCI to recognize the significant set of shared values, missions, goals and constituencies of their organizations and in particular for the development of knowledge societies that are economically, socially and ecologically sustainable.