In a bid to address the challenges revolving around higher education in the post-Coronavirus Islamic World, a recent international virtual conference has called for the formation of a joint committee that will be formulating the guidelines for remote higher education.

An international scientific virtual conference was organized by the World Muslim Communities Council in collaboration with the Association of Islamic Universities and a number of universities, educational institutions, Islamic colleges, bodies and relevant quality education agencies on higher education. The conference titled "Challenges of Higher Islamic Education after Corona" took place on Saturday with the participation of more than 300 contributors and representatives from at least 50 countries connecting through video conferencing apps.

During the conference, the participants discussed various steps necessary to reform the curricula in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. They also suggested the formation of a committee that will be setting quality standards for new higher education curriculum in view of the pandemic restrictions, along with a legal and constitutional legislation supporting remote higher education.

After thorough discussions on various issues during when almost 53 scientific research studies were shown to the participants, the conference reached a conclusion with various recommendations to facilitate better higher education in the post-pandemic world. Some of the recommendations include: establishment of a global platform for distance learning in higher education, to produce relevant programmes in the field of virtual learning, and facilitate participation of member universities which will exchange their experiences and expertise related to higher education.

Along with these, other recommendations include qualifying university professors and administrative frameworks for higher educations, training them to use the new educational systems efficiently, adopting a set of applications for smartphones that will be used as an approved method for distance learning, and to continuously upgrade the curricula for proficient use in those apps. At the same time, coordination between the Association of Islamic Universities, the Association of Arab Universities and other bodies, with the World Muslim Communities Council will be intensified to serve the future of higher Islamic education in Muslim communities.

Furthermore, restoring the campus’s original stature and leadership role through which graduates who are satiated and aware of the values of tolerance and peace will be produced for the betterment of society.

During the conference, the participants also discussed various unprecedented challenges triggered by the Coronavirus crisis that has become a turning point in the history of educational institutions. In the wake of pandemic lockdown imposed by governments, schools and educational institutions were forced to shut down temporarily and distance education became the only alternative for students to learn.

While a vaccine for COVID-19 is still not available, authorities are considering a new system for higher education in terms of goals, philosophy, methods, systems, curricula, and the global need for higher education. The conference recommendations suggest that "Higher Islamic education is an integral part of this reality and will be subject to changes that will affect education systems throughout the world."

Concluding the conference, the participants extended their gratitude to the United Arab Emirates and its leadership for its continuous efforts in serving humanity and working for global peace and security. They further thanked the World Muslim Communities Council for round-the-clock efforts in serving the issues of Muslim societies and to maintain regular communication with their representatives. They also thanked the Association of Islamic Universities and the Council for organizing the conference to discuss the future of higher education.

WAM