Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, and Mr. Mehmet Fatih Serenli, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department, visited State Ministry of Research and Technology (RISTEK) of the Republic of Indonesia on 6 April 2011 to discuss issues of mutual interest of cooperation between the two institutions.

The visit took place at the Headquarters of RISTEK in Jakarta, where Prof. Dr. Syamsa Ardisasmita, Deputy Minister for Science and Technology Network, and some senior staff at the RISTEK and Indonesian Institute of Science, Ministry of National Education received Dr. Alpay and Mr. Serenli.

At the outset of the meeting, Prof. Syamsa welcomed the SESRIC delegation, and then, made a comprehensive presentation on the various activities of the RISTEK, particularly the recent initiative on preparing the national STI system of Indonesia.

On his part Dr. Alpay, expressed his thanks to Prof. Syamsa, Deputy Minister for Science and Technology Network, and informed him on the Atlas of Islamic World Science and Innovation project, an international project that aims to provide an insightful overview of science and science-based innovation across the Islamic-world, an independent and authoritative assessment of how these capabilities are changing, and analysis of the opportunities and barriers to further progress across the selected fifteen countries of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.

Mr. Serenli also made a presentation on Atlas of Islamic World Science and Innovation Project where he emphasised that detailed country studies are a key output of the project, as well as building capacity and catalysing new partnerships and collaborations. As part of the analysis, a priority of the country reports will also be to consider the changes that need to be made in the light of international best practices so that the country’s current policies to promote science, technology and innovation can be modified and enhanced, where relevant.

The two delegations then discussed various technical issues pertaining to science and technology, including the in-country data collection and research process and division of roles and responsibilities within the Atlas framework.

At the end of the meeting, Prof. Syamsa expressed his thanks to the SESRIC delegation for their visit, and expressed the readiness of his Ministry to involve in the Atlas project and cooperate with the prospective research team to conduct the in-country case study in the earliest convenience.