The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) and the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Türkiye (YÖK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The signing ceremony, marked by the presence of distinguished delegates and officials of both institutions as well as media representatives, underscores the commitment to advancing education, research, and developing science & technology in the OIC Member Countries.

The MoU was signed by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC, and Prof. Dr. Erol ÖZVAR, President of YÖK, at YÖK Headquarters in Ankara, Türkiye.

During the ceremony, H.E. SELÇUK, emphasized the importance of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as the second-largest international organisation globally, comprising 57 member countries with a collective population of over 2 billion people. In particular, she stressed that about 52% of this population is made up of children and young people between the ages of 0 and 24. Furthermore, she highlighted the crucial role of education, particularly higher education, as a key to building the present and future of youth.

In this respect, she added, “Countries investing in higher education essentially invest in their own future”. Hence, SESRIC works in close collaboration with Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation of the OIC (COMSTECH), as the responsible OIC Institutions for the planning and coordination of activities in the fields of education, science and technology.

H.E. SELÇUK indicated SESRIC's commitment to further enhancing intra-OIC technical cooperation in the areas of education, science and technology as well as youth empowerment as focal areas of attention for both SESRIC and YÖK.

Recognizing the expertise and continuous efforts of YÖK in these domains, she expressed confidence in the collaboration's potential to achieve substantial progress.

In his turn, Prof. Dr. Erol ÖZVAR expressed his appreciation for the efforts put by SESRIC through its various initiatives and activities, including the newly launched Emerging Talents Capacity Building Programme (SET-CAB), which aims to train young people as future leaders by providing students from member countries with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience at an international setting.

In closing, H.E. SELÇUK thanked H.E. ÖZVAR and the dedicated teams at SESRIC and YÖK for their meticulous efforts in developing the MoU, encouraging them to ensure timely and pertinent coordination toward successful and fruitful implementation of future joint activities.

The Council for Higher Education (YÖK) is an autonomous institution responsible for the planning, coordination and governance of the higher education system in Türkiye, in accordance with the Turkish Constitution and the laws on higher education. The higher education system in Türkiye is overseen by the YÖK.