The Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA) held its fifteenth session in New York, USA on 22 February 2010 on the margin of the 41st session of the United Nations Statistical Commission. The 15th session of CCSA was chaired by the two co-chairs of the Committee - Mr. Pieter Everaers, Director of External Cooperation, Communication and Key Indicators of Eurostat and Mr. Henri Laurencin, Head of Development Statistics and Information Branch of Division on Globalization and Development Strategies of UNCTAD. Representatives of the member institutions of the CCSA participated to the Session. Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General and Mrs. Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, researcher, represented the SESRIC thereat.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, received a delegation from the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD), in his office on Tuesday 16 February 2010. The delegation comprised of Mr. Ömer Cihad Vardar, President of MÜSİAD; Mr. Mehmet Nuri Görenoğlu, Deputy President; Mr. Nail Olpak, Deputy President; Mr. Dursun Topçu, Member of Board; Mr. Murat Kalsın, Member of Board; and Eyüp Vural Aydın, General Secretary.

SESRIC participated in the 'Meeting of the National Focal Points (NFPs) of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) on Projects - Research Cooperation in Economic Research and Statistics' which was held on 15th February in Antalya, Turkey. During the meeting the representatives of the ECO Member States made statements on cooperation in statistics and economic research.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized and hosted a seminar on “An Early Warning Signals Approach for Currency Crises: The Turkish Case" in its headquarters in Ankara on February 4, 2010. The seminar has been delivered by Dr. Ali Arı.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, the Director General of SESRIC, has received a delegation from the General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety of the Ministry of Labour, Turkey, in his office on 02 February 2010. The delegation comprised of Mr. Kasım Özen, Director General of the General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety, Mr. İsmail Gerim, Deputy Director General, Mr. Coşkun Demirci, Director of Research and Training Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, and other two experts from the same Centre.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, received a delegation from the Center for Innovation and Technology Cooperation (CITC) of the Islamic Republic of Iran in his Office on 28 January 2010. The delegation comprised of Mr. Hamid Reza Amirinia, Chairman of the CITC of the Islamic Republic of Iran, two CITC advisors and one representative from the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ankara, Turkey.

A delegation from the SESRIC, comprised of Mr. Mehmet Fatih Serenli, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department, and Ms. Sümeyye Erdoğan, Researcher at the same department; visited the Centre of Art and Vocational Training Courses of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (ISMEK), on 27 January 2010. The delegates were welcomed and greeted by Mr. Mehmet Doğan, Director of Training in Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Mr. Güven Çalışkan, General Coordinator of ISMEK, and other senior staff at the ISMEK Headquarters.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of the SESRIC and Mr. Nabil Dabour, Director of Research Department visited the Egyptian Cabinet Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC) on 27 January 2010 upon the invitation of Dr. Magued Osman, Chairman of the IDSC to be acquainted with the IDSC’s activities and programmes and to discuss the potential cooperation between the two institutions.