Assalaam alaikum and greetings!

Welcome to the 2013 International Conference on Teacher Education in the Muslim World (ICTEM 2013). This year's conference will be organized by the Institute of education, International Islamic University Malaysia. It will be held on 12th - 14th November 2013 (Tuesday to Thursday) under the theme Redesigning Pedagogy: Transformative Value-Based Education.

It is commonly agreed that education should change for the sake of human development and progress. Yet what is meant by human development and progress is open to debate altogether.

In today's age of technological advancement and knowledge society, human developments and progress are measured by the advancement of knowledge and skills that merely assist in the multiplication of economic and material wealth. This understanding of education ignores the hegemony of the interests and values fed to the society. Its danger lies in the false consciousness that society assumes when it defines progress as material progress alone.

By neglecting the intellectual, moral and spiritual aspects that Islam upholds, such narrow and limited conceptions of human development and progress have failed to promote the real development of humanity. Hence, there is a need for the idea that education should aim to transform rather than reproduce society and perpetuate the 'status quo'.

In Islam, the development of humanity is more important than material progress and success. Islam fixes a close attention on these aspects, since they condition a Muslim's well being and happiness. But first, the kind of interest and values that help to promulgate a transformative education require a close examination. Thus, critique should also be the basis of a pedagogy that could help achieve a transformative value-based education, consequently transforming the society. For it is only through social transformation that social justice can be ensured.

At this year's International Conference on Teacher Education in the Muslim World we are looking forward to dynamic and engaging presentations and discourse on the above theme. We earnestly hope and pray that presenters will help to clarify the kind of teacher education approaches, programs and systems that will foster transformative value-based education needed to realize social justice. It is also an occasion where appropriate pedagogy of critique can be defined and designed to promote the transformative value-based education that we hope to achieve.

We look forward to seeing you at the International Conference on Teacher Education in the Muslim World (ICTEM 2013).