Conference highlights role of Islam in science and research

Islam has played a distinguished role in the field of applied science and research, especially in the early centuries coinciding with the golden era of Islam, said Prince Turki Al-Faisal on Saturday at the First Saudi International Conference for Scientific Culture (SICSC-2013).
“During that golden era, Muslim scientists contributed to the development of science, algebra, arithmetic, geometry and medicine,” said Prince Turki.
The conference was organized jointly by the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS) at the KACST headquarters.
Prince Turki, KFCRIS chairman, said that there is a strong desire to return to science in the Kingdom, marking an increasing trend in the number of scientific disciplines taught at universities.
He underscored the role of the King Faisal Center in maintaining Arab and Muslim scientific heritage by restoring manuscripts and setting up archives for preserving their contributions.
Prince Turki added that the goal of the center as part of the dissemination of scientific culture is to publish books and literature in scientific journals, exhibitions and scientific workshops, publishing simplified articles in science and technology through a periodic independent scientific magazine (Al-Faisal).
The digital world plays a role in the dissemination of scientific culture in the human renaissance. It contributes to reducing the scientific gap in human societies. Building such bridges is done through providing easy access to valuable information, said Mohamed Jamil Mulla, minister of Communication and Information Technology. He said this has helped educate the community and understand the various discoveries and scientific achievements.
The ministry promotes digital culture through the launch of several initiatives and events. Mulla also referred to the orientations of the National Plan for Communication and Information Technology and its quest to have all segments of society gain access to CIT.
He outlined a plan that includes a number of projects, initiatives and policies to encourage the community to absorb information and communication technologies, in the context of the strategic vision that seeks to develop a knowledge-based economy.
Deputy Minister of Education for Boys Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh outlined the initiatives the ministry adopted in the field of dissemination of scientific culture by developing curricula of science and mathematics, the professional development of teachers, and scientific solutions like e-learning through partnerships with global partners in this area, such as Khan Academy.
The ministry, he said, has built a number of scientific centers in various regions of the Kingdom to act as an incubator of scientific and creative talent for both students and teachers.