Chairman of Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World addresses media at Dubai Press Club

The Executive Council Session was hosted at the University of Sharjah from 27th - 29th May, 2006 under the patronage of HH Sheikh Dr.Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah and Supreme President of the Universities of Sharjah.

Dr. Jasbi said that the session offered new avenues for promoting education in the Islamic world and strengthening contact among the universities of the Islamic world. He said this can only be achieved through granting scholarships as well as working plans to develop education curricula, bridging the divide separating the industrialised countries and the Islamic countries and enhancing exchange of information among universities.

The merger project between the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World and the League of Islamic Universities was also announced by Dr. Jasbi during the Press Conference. The new body will bear the name of 'Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World' and will be headquartered in Sharjah. He said that the Executive Council members also agreed that the Federation will continue to act under the banner of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. This agreement will be submitted during the next General Conference for final approval.

Talking about the implementation of the 'Virtual Islamic University' project, Dr.Jasbi said that the Executive Council was satisfied with the progress made. He said that the Executive Council called for setting up a special fund to implement the project under the supervision of the Federation and welcomed the initiative taken by Islamic Azad University in contributing a sum of US$ 10,000.

Also a committee including President of the third General Conference of the FUIW, Prof. Ismail Al-Bashri, Dr.Abdullah Jassbi, Chairman of Executive Council of FUIW, Director of the General Secretariat, Dr. Mustapha Zabbakh and member of Executive Council, Dr.Ahmed Sengendo, Rector of the Islamic university in Uganda, is fully authorized by the Council to follow up the implementation of the project.

As regards applications for membership in the FUIW, he said that the Executive Council took stock of the efforts made by the General Secretariat to bring other universities to join the FUIW. Dr. Jasbi said that the Federation approved the membership of 16 universities.

Dr. Jasbi announced that in response to the invitation by Kuwait University to play host to the fourth session of the FUIW General Conference in 2007, the Executive Council welcomed the conveneing of the 12th session of the Executive Council of the FIUW during the fourth session of the General Conference at Kuwait University in the State of Kuwait.

The Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), is a body working within the framework of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), that seeks to strengthen cooperation among the higher education institutions of the Islamic world, and develop their scientific research works. More than 190 universities are members of this federation.