First, it is necessary to know what the COMSTECH Inter-Islamic Network on Virtual Universities or CINVU International Organization (CINVU) is, so that we can then explain the activities that we do in the education sector. The network of virtual universities of the Islamic world is one of the networks affiliated to - COMSTECH - the permanent committee for scientific and technological cooperation of allied countries in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which is hosted by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This international organization is a base full of knowledge and ability, which strives to expand public higher education based on smart technology with the aim of justice, deepening and reliability of knowledge and thought, and educational, research, cultural and skill empowerment of the Islamic world. Under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation is the management of education, which operates in various fields such as technical and professional, medicine and language.

The management of education and the educational centers in CINVU is the responsibility of me, Dr. Ahmad Pourghasem, and in this article, I have tried to explain my plans related to education.

To elucidate short-term education, it's crucial to grasp the concept of short-term. Short-term education differs from long-term education primarily in the issuance of university degrees. Short-term education also provides various certifications from different institutions, including academic certificates. However, it does not confer academic degrees. The key distinction lies in the approach to educational matters. In short-term education, a different approach to educational topics is adopted.

A curriculum typically comprises four essential elements: the educational approach, educational content, teaching methods, and educational assessment. Each of these elements is indispensable in designing an effective educational system. The educational approach serves as the foundation for the entire educational process, guiding it towards its goals. Subsequently, the educational content aligns with the chosen approach, and teaching methods are designed to cater to this approach. Lastly, educational assessment is conducted to evaluate whether the chosen approach has been successful in achieving its intended objectives.

For example, if the educational approach is focused on workforce development, the curriculum, teaching methods, and assessment will be tailored to produce a skilled workforce. Conversely, if the approach aims to nurture responsible citizens, the entire educational process, from content to teaching methods, will be designed to fulfill this objective.

The educational approach in short-term courses is application. It focuses on delivering courses that are relevant and beneficial to the learners. Therefore, the content and methods of short-term education are designed to impart both knowledge and skills.

In CINVU's short-term courses, a clear distinction is made between knowledge and skill. The curriculum is developed with an emphasis on practical skills, and the teaching methods are aligned to this approach. Additionally, the assessment process aims to evaluate the acquired skills.

An essential goal within CINVU's short-term education system is the application of humanities. Dr. Ahmad Pourghasem, as the head of short-term education programs, emphasizes the practical application of humanities, especially in the field of human sciences. The teaching methods for human sciences, which he has been implementing for five years in Iran, are tailored to achieve this objective.

The perspective that we follow is completely different from what is common in Iranian society (at least as far as I have studied and know). What happens in Iran about humanities is that humanities are taught to students or pupils and after the end of the training period, we face the problem of applying these sciences in their lives. Now that we have faced this fundamental problem, we try to define an application for these sciences. For example, in theology, first the student of these sciences studies at different levels and after these sciences have been taught for years, gradually conferences and sessions are formed about applied theology and we try to consider different applications for theology. I have also seen such examples in other humanities disciplines. This process is not accurate from our point of view. What we try to explain is that all humanities disciplines have two sides of the coin. One side of the coin is declarative knowledge that refers to the content of knowledge and is actually knowledge “about”. Everything we know and learn about a science, everything that is taught to us in books and any description and explanation we have about that science is related to this part of knowledge. But this coin has another side, and that other side is procedural knowledge, which is actually knowledge “how and how”. In other words, this type of knowledge, which, as I said, is the other side of the coin of any science, is the knowledge of how to use the content of that discipline and or the skills hidden behind the content of that science. This division reminds us of the concepts of knowing how and knowing that in Gilbert Ryle’s discussions. Now, when we talk about the application of a science, we mean that we find the procedural knowledge or skills of that science and teach them along with the content of that science. If the student is proficient in the skills that have been discovered and defined in that discipline along with the pure and descriptive content of a discipline throughout his / her education, it is expected that he / she will be able to use that science in his / her life and in other words, move towards the application of that science.

To put it more clearly, we teach and learn every human science from the very beginning with an emphasis on teaching the skills of that science and how to use it. The result of this process will be the transfer of science in a practical way to the next generation. Naturally, when science is transferred to the next generation in a practical way, it is expected that human science scholars in the future will pay special attention to the application of humanities, and this is where humanities have been infrastructured in a practical way.

To offer a course within CINVU, legal entities or individuals in member countries of the OIC must register for the course on the CINVU website. The CINVU Educational Council reviews the course to determine whether it should be implemented based on the criteria and characteristics outlined in the educational approach.

CINVU's focus on a practical approach, attention to skill-based courses, content-based on the practical application of knowledge, teaching methods aligned with the educational approach, and assessment centered on skills evaluation reflect the characteristics found in fifth-generation universities. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation is moving forward with this vision, particularly in the realm of education.

The programs discussed regarding short-term practical and skill-focused courses are like pieces of a puzzle that, when combined with other pieces we will explain in this section, will gradually complete each other. The first piece of this puzzle, which is the easiest part, is offering short-term courses focused on skills and practicality, as I explained. However, this puzzle also has more challenging pieces that will transform the future of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the field of education, and that is the establishment of a system for accrediting international certificates.

The second piece of this educational puzzle within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation is accrediting certificates of educational courses, which is one of the main objectives of the organization in the field of education. In the realm of accreditation, the organization has a specific goal: to create an automation system where every certificate issued for short-term courses by the organization is validated according to the educational criteria and recognized in all Islamic countries after quality control. Individuals who complete the course should know that their certificate is valid in 57 member countries. A notable example of this can be observed in language certificates. When language proficiency tests like IELTS and TOEFL are recognized by institutions like IDP and ETS, they become globally accepted, allowing candidates to confidently take exams. Dr. Pourghasem has defined this task to be accomplished within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. In the Persian language department, in collaboration with the esteemed Saadi Foundation, significant progress has been made, constructive negotiations have taken place, and the goal of the Saadi Foundation is to validate all Persian language certificates issued under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for presentation in all Islamic countries, with the support of CINVU. The same path is followed for the English language, enabling Islamic countries to utilize their internal capacities. In other fields of science, the same approach will be pursued. For example, if someone completes an international accounting course within the organization, they will be able to proudly present their certificate in all Islamic countries, and the organization will support the credibility of their certificate alongside relevant large institutions.

There is significant potential in the member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation that can make this endeavor unique. For instance, in English language education, every related organization in each country strives to establish a universally accepted English proficiency test, which is then executed, and certificates are issued by the respected examination organization. By utilizing the potential of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and CINVU for accrediting and validating a language test developed within the member countries, it can be universally accepted in all member countries and their universities. This would create a highly positive independence. The same approach is to be followed in engineering and humanities sciences. Even though it is a challenging task, it is achievable.

For many years, all language systems have been relying on Western language institutions. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), designed by Europe, is used for all languages. The tests and courses produced for various languages are usually accredited and validated by organizations like EQUALS and OFQUAL, mainly Western institutions affiliated with English-speaking countries. However, Islamic countries have different language requirements. For example, in the Persian language, Iran has the Saadi Foundation, which is highly reliable in teaching, accrediting, and validating language courses and tests. Since the Saadi Foundation is one of CINVU's members, it is considered an accreditation and validation body for Persian language education among the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's member countries. The same approach is sought for other languages required by the member countries, such as Arabic and French, to ensure that all language documents and courses, certified with CINVU's seal under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, are issued in collaboration with the institutions present in this organization.

In the humanities, short-term courses are usually accredited by universities. Certificates issued in humanities usually do not hold much value, and the more abstract the course, the less valuable the certificate. For example, if a short course in Kantian philosophy is offered in Western philosophy, it practically holds no value in terms of the issued certificate. One of the objectives of CINVU's short-term courses is to create a body for accrediting and internationally validating course certificates. By positioning a prominent university in the field of humanities, such as Allameh Tabataba'i University, as a university ready for humanities sciences, we can establish an international accreditation and validation authority for course certificates. With the presence of top-tier universities from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries, this authority can manage the accreditation and validation for humanities courses.

In engineering sciences, there are institutions in the United States that, if an individual receives a certificate bearing their seal, it is considered credible in all organizations requiring engineering qualifications. From shipping to mechanics and computer sciences, you can find such an institution, but an all-encompassing institution within CINVU and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation can provide this opportunity for students and learners of engineering and medical sciences in member countries. It will allow them to use their certificates in these countries. In this field, we expect first-class universities from member countries to participate and shape this institution. For example, in the field of engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology has joined the initiative and can take on the role of managing accreditation and validation.

As we explained in the comprehensive educational program, after the educational approach, the teaching content is of special importance and if the educational content is not well designed and selected as one of the important elements of the educational program, we will not achieve our educational approach. In this area, we are faced with various models of educational content. The traditional model of educational content can be found in textbooks. Then there is online content and various software that are designed in the field of education. In this area, we think at least in 2024 to create the infrastructure of two models of educational content. The first model is interactive educational content, which is the same online content or educational software that is designed interactively between the teacher and the student and the student and the book, the student and the educational system. In this area, creating educational content based on EPUB3 can be a good example, but this model is only one of the various types of interactive educational content. The second part is creating educational content based on simulation systems or Operator Training Simulator(OTS), which although has applications in engineering and medical sciences, but is not fundamentally used in various science education, which is expected with the efforts of the esteemed members of the university and non-university organization of Islamic cooperation, we can achieve this goal.

Teaching method is one of the important pieces of our educational puzzle and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. When you look at the upstream documents of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the discussion of technical and vocational education with the name VET, you will face a word called TOT, meaning the training of trainers. A word that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has rightly considered, and we have also considered for years in designing and implementing modern teaching methods, especially in humanities. To explain the subject, it is necessary to draw your attention again to the elements of the curriculum that I explained at the beginning of this writing. Teaching method as the third element of the curriculum has always been of special importance, which is one of our main programs in this field to develop various teaching methods based on the needs of the audience, learning topics, learning styles and … It should be noted that we have also developed the teaching method of humanities for the first time in Iran during the three years, which we will soon provide to interested parties.

In the third part of CINVU's programs, designed and pursued by Dr. Pourghasem, a paradigm shift in education is considered with the focus on future-generation universities, or the so-called fifth-generation universities. In the prevailing form of education, a learner either attends classes in person or online and offline, receives their certificate after completing the course. It seems that this education model encompasses all that is in education. However, if we envision an educational space where students and professors, instead of attending physical or virtual classes, experience a complete educational system within that space, conduct assessments, and issue certificates, we have introduced a completely different educational landscape, shifting from a real educational space to a fully different meta-university space.

What modern education means for us is paying attention to a space different from real and even different from the virtual space. It's a space that brings a completely different educational experience to us, much like the world of the movie "Avatar," where you experience another world and have an avatar, an office, a book, a room, a professor, and find everything you have experienced. That space is the space of universities and educational institutions in the metaverse.

One of the goals we pursue in CINVU is this paradigm shift. It is a challenging task that naturally requires the creation of many infrastructures, but mentioning this point is not without merit. The Metaverse Academy of Iran, which is a member of the CINVU network, has designed and presented good examples of this model.

With the emergence of education in the light of the Metaversity concept and the establishment of metaverse universities, the education paradigm will change completely. The approach, content, teaching methods, and educational assessment need to be redefined to harness the potential of this university model and its associated education effectively.