The SESRIC delegation, led by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, met with H.E. YBhg. Tan Sri Samsudin OSMAN, President of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), and his team at IIUM campus on 21 September 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

H.E. OSMAN expressed his profound appreciation to H.E. SELÇUK for visiting the IIUM and honoring the institution with her presence. He acknowledged SESRIC's efforts in fostering education and research. He viewed the visit as a testament of SESRIC's pivolal role to strengthening cooperation ties with the relevant OIC institutions and Islamic Universities.

H.E. SELÇUK extended her gratitude to H.E. OSMAN for their warm hospitality. She underscored the significance of the meeting as an avenue to identify further opportunities for strengthening the partnership between SESRIC and IIUM, as the two important institutions of the OIC.

Reaffirming SESRIC's dedication to capacity-building and training, H.E. SELÇUK referred to the Centre’s Capacity Building Programmes and the OIC-VET Programme. She emphasized that capacity-building and training initiatives are instrumental in enhancing the skills, knowledge, and capabilities of professionals and policymakers in OIC countries. She pointed out that SESRIC is dedicated to empowering individuals and institutions in the member countries, and this visit provided a platform to discuss ways and means of advancing these efforts with the IIUM.

Both parties underlined their previous partnerships, including the report prepared in collaboration with SESRIC, IIUM and ICESCO with the overall support and guidance of the OIC General Secretariat titled “OIC Strategy for Empowering the Marriage and Family Institution, and Preserving its Values in the Muslim World”. They also deliberated on extending efforts to working together in the areas of statistics and research.

In the course of their discussion, H.E. OSMAN expressed his eagerness to strengthen ties with SESRIC on new projects and initiatives to organise joint capacity-building programs and conduct joint research. These efforts are aimed at equipping professionals with essential skills and providing policymakers with insights into current challenges and potential solutions.

The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) is a public university in Malaysia. Established in 1983, IIUM stands out as a unique institution that integrates Islamic values with contemporary knowledge and academic excellence. It acquired the status of an OIC affiliated institution in 2011. Catering to students from all over the world, IIUM offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programs across various disciplines.