The International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signalling their intention to collaborate long term on promoting quality education across ICESCO’s 53 member states.
The agreement was signed during an official visit by IB Director General Olli-Pekka Heinonen to ICESCO's headquarters in Rabat, Morocco, where he was warmly welcomed by Dr Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of ICESCO. Following the official signing, the Directors General held a bilateral meeting to discuss future initiatives.
Under the MoU, the organisations will collaborate to support the development of ICESCO member states' education systems, build and strengthen government capacity in line with IB educational approaches, and engage in wider sectoral dialogue – all in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The signing builds on a collaboration that began at ICESCO's third conference of education ministers in Muscat, Oman in October 2024, where the IB was invited to co-author a joint policy paper on developing teaching quality. Set to be adopted by all member states with flexibility for local implementation, the paper highlights the IB's evidence-based approach to professional learning as a transferable model for national systems.
Olli-Pekka Heinonen, IB Director General, said: "We are committed to a long-term partnership where the ultimate beneficiaries are the students, teachers, and governments of ICESCO member countries. Our organisations share the idea of engaging younger generations in creating a meaningful and future-ready education that serves them for life.
Providing teachers with the right approach to teaching and learning is the focal point of improving the quality of an education system."
The IB currently operates 981 programmes across 529 schools in 38 ICESCO member states. Since 2025, the organisation has strengthened its presence across the Islamic world through partnerships in Bahrain, Egypt, and Indonesia, as part of its mission to create a better, more peaceful world through rigorous and holistic education.
 and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signalling their intention to collaborate long term on promoting quality education across ICESCO’s 53 member states.){kind=icon}