H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK paid a courtesy visit to Prof. Dr. Necdet ÜNÜVAR, Rector of Ankara University. The meeting focused on exploring potential collaborations between SESRIC and Ankara University in the realm of socio-economic research and other areas of mutual interest.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Amb. Aftab Ahmad KHOKHER, the newly appointed Assistant Secretary-General for Science & Technology of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). H.E. SELÇUK congratulated H.E. KHOKHER on assuming his new role, which officially commenced on 1 July 2024.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Amb. Saleh Bin Hamad AL SUHAIBANI, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in Jeddah. The meeting underlined SESRIC's continuous commitment to fostering cooperation among OIC countries through its diverse capacity-building programs.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK met with H.E. Prof. Dato Dr. Koutoub MOUSTAPHA, Secretary General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), at the IIFA Headquarters in Jeddah. This high-level meeting marked a significant step in fostering collaboration between SESRIC and IIFA.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK and H.E. Amb. Salim Mohamed Khalifa AL BUSAIDI, Permanent Representative of Oman to the OIC, engaged in a fruitful discussion in Jeddah. The meeting highlighted the robust partnership between SESRIC and various Omani institutions, focusing on statistical activities and future cooperation in statistics, research, and training.

Within the framework of the SESRIC Tourism Capacity Building Programme (Tourism-CaB), SESRIC, in collaboration with the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), organised a Webinar on “Developing Effective Digital Marketing Tourism Strategies in the OIC Member Countries”.

Within the framework of the Vocational Education and Training Programme for the Member Countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC-VET) and in line with the OIC-TVET Strategic Roadmap 2020-2025, SESRIC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (MoECRT) of the Republic of Indonesia, organised a Webinar on “Vocational Education in Business and Industry”.

SESRIC participated in the Symposium on “Jerusalem and the Gaza War: Palestinian Identity and Existence under Threat of Erasure” in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Symposium was organised by the OIC in collaboration with the United Nations’ Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP).

SESRIC participated in the 23^rd Regular Session of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) held at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As part of this session, the OIC IPHRC organised a thematic debate on the “Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Human Rights: Challenges and Opportunities”. The main objectives of the debate were to foster awareness among OIC countries about the effects of AI on human rights by engaging with various subject-matter experts and stakeholders in this field, sharing views, and identifying challenges related to human rights in this context.

SESRIC’s delegation convened with the FAO Sub-regional Office for Central Asia (FAO-SEC) at their headquarters to discuss potential collaboration, focusing on agriculture and food security. The FAO Subregional Office for Central Asia (FAO-SEC) in Ankara, Türkiye, was established in 2006 to better address the priority needs of Central Asian countries-Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. 

SESRIC participated in the OIC International Youth Forum on 27-28 June 2024, hosted by the Youth Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Samarkand. The forum aimed to provide a platform for exchanging innovative ideas and engaging in meaningful discussions, fostering unity among youth from OIC countries in pursuit of common goals for peace, brotherhood, and progress.

Mr. Deodat MAHARAJ, Director of the United Nations Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries, paid a visit to SESRIC to explore potential collaborative opportunities between the two institutions and enhance capacity building and sustainable development within the OIC region.

Dr. Ahmet Abdullah ANTALYALI, President of the Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution (TKDK/ARDSI), paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK to explore joint initiatives in agriculture and rural development between the two institutions.

SESRIC held a follow-up meeting with the Central Bank of the Republic of The Gambia to explore opportunities for collaboration in banking, finance, and related areas. This meeting followed a bilateral meeting that took place on 3 May 2024 in Banjul, The Gambia, between H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC, and H.E. Buah SAIDY, Governor of the Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG).

Within the framework of the Vocational Education and Training Programme for the Member Countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC-VET) and in line with the OIC-TVET Strategic Roadmap 2020-2025, SESRIC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Malaysia, TVET Division, organised a Webinar on “Fostering Collaboration between Private and Public Sectors towards Efficient TVET Systems”.

Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised a Training Course on “SDG 1 (No Poverty) Indicators” on 25-27 June 2024 with the participation of 14 experts from the National Statistical Offices (NSOs) and relevant national authorities of 10 Arabic-speaking countries of the OIC through an online video conferencing platform.

H.E. Amb. Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol KILIÇ, Director General of the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK at the SESRIC Headquarters.

SESRIC hosted a group of 32 students from 14 OIC countries, currently studying at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli (AHBV) University, at its headquarters. The Centre regularly welcomes students from esteemed universities in member countries to enrich their understanding of SESRIC’s activities in the areas of statistics, research, and training, and its contribution to the development of OIC countries.

SESRIC and the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster enhanced cooperation in Istanbul, Türkiye. Signed by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK and H.E. Dr. Ahmed AL SHAIKH, Chief Executive Officer of BIBF, this MoU aims to establish a framework for cooperation and enhance collaboration between the parties in areas of mutual interest.

H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Salih TANRIKULU to congratulate him on his recent appointment as the Chairman of the State Supervisory Council of the Republic of Türkiye. H.E. TANRIKULU also serves as a distinguished member of the Board of Directors of SESRIC.