Mohammed Al-Issa Receives Bridge Builder Award

Muhammed Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, at the Vatican on Sept. 20, 2017. (AP)
Muhammed Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, at the Vatican on Sept. 20, 2017. (AP)
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Mohammed Al-Issa Receives Bridge Builder Award

Muhammed Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, at the Vatican on Sept. 20, 2017. (AP)
Muhammed Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, at the Vatican on Sept. 20, 2017. (AP)

Dr. Mohammed Bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL) and chairman of the Muslim Scholars Association, has received the Norwegian Bridge Builder Award.

The Oslo-based award committee said Al-Issa has made exceptional efforts to build bridges between people with different religious and cultural backgrounds, and described him as "a leading global force for peace and cooperation between nations and religions, and combating extremist ideologies."

The award distribution ceremony was held at Oslo's Opera Hall, in the presence of a large number of international figures, including religious leaders, scholars, heads of major international organizations, and a wide spectrum of Norwegian political, religious and community leaders including former Prime Minister Kjell Bondevik.

Al-Issa received a cable of congratulations from a number of European officials, saying that he is a clear and distinct voice for peace and cooperation between nations and religions. "This accolade is a recognition and encouragement to continue his great efforts in promoting tolerance, respect and love," they added.

In his speech after receiving the award, Al-Issa said that "building bridges … are the gateway to understanding and cooperation, leading to the peace of our world and the harmony of our societies around the world.”

On conflicts resulting from religious, cultural, political and other divides, Al-Issa said: "Distancing ourselves from each other builds walls of fear, suspicion and misunderstanding. This will raise anxiety, and hatred, and then lead to conflicts, and this has happened around the world unfortunately."

Al-Issa called upon the followers of religions and civilizations to join forces, discarding accusations and combating hate speech and acts of violence and terrorism.

"Nothing is better than recognizing that the difference among humans is a natural aspect of our life, and that hatred and exclusion based on cultural, religious, or political differences cannot be justified."

"Sincere love in its full sense is the greatest peacemaker, and teaching it is the responsibility of the family and education, from childhood to the early stages of youth. The educational process needs to focus on teaching shared values in an interactive way. The world learned how to make weapons of mass destruction but did not learn values," he concluded.

In past editions, the Bridge Builder Award was introduced to many prominent international figures including former US President Barack Obama, King of Norway, and the current head of the World Health Organization. The annual ceremony is attended by the royal family in Norway, prime minister, and a number of ministers and members of parliament.



Saudi-US Partnership to Advance Arabic and English Education

Photo from the Saudi-US Higher Education Partnership Forum in Riyadh (Ministry of Education)
Photo from the Saudi-US Higher Education Partnership Forum in Riyadh (Ministry of Education)
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Saudi-US Partnership to Advance Arabic and English Education

Photo from the Saudi-US Higher Education Partnership Forum in Riyadh (Ministry of Education)
Photo from the Saudi-US Higher Education Partnership Forum in Riyadh (Ministry of Education)

The Saudi-US Higher Education Partnership Forum kicked off in Riyadh, bringing together leaders from Saudi and US institutions to strengthen knowledge exchange and establish long-term collaborations between universities in both countries. The forum seeks to implement innovative projects aligned with national priorities and strategic goals.

The event saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding to enhance educational exchange, foster new academic and scientific partnerships, and facilitate the mobility of students and researchers between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Michael Ratney, the US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, stated that the forum is the fruit of a year-long collaboration between the US Embassy and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education, and aim is to expand and deepen bilateral educational exchange.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ratney noted that while hundreds of thousands of Saudi nationals have studied in the US over the years, the forum aspires to establish a reciprocal relationship, including bringing American students and educators to Saudi Arabia.

The forum explored areas for collaboration and identified opportunities through discussions between the participating universities.

Asked about plans to open US university branches in the Kingdom, Ratney noted that educational exchange can take various forms, such as student mobility, faculty exchanges, joint research projects, and the establishment of shared research centers.

He highlighted a recent agreement between Saudi Arabia and Arizona State University, one of the largest universities in the US, to establish a joint campus in the Kingdom in collaboration with a local university. The campus will offer degrees recognized in both countries, reflecting an innovative approach to educational cooperation and the expansion of bilateral ties.

The forum featured sessions on opportunities for student and researcher exchange, the objectives of the King Salman Scholarship Program, the transformation of Saudi cultural missions, mechanisms for developing joint academic programs, and the establishment of international university branches in Saudi Arabia.

Rafik Mansour, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Education and Culture, emphasized the strong historical ties between the two nations. He noted that approximately 700,000 Saudi students have studied at American universities over the past decades, making Saudi Arabia the largest source of students from the Middle East studying in the US.

Looking to the future, Mansour stressed the importance of enhancing educational exchanges to meet critical needs in fields such as artificial intelligence, arts, and medicine. He expressed optimism that the agreements reached through the forum would accelerate collaboration and further strengthen the Saudi-US educational partnership.