The Training Workshop on “Project Risk Management” was jointly organized by the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) and the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) on 28-31 March 2012 in Ankara, Turkey.

The Tenth Harvard University Forum on Islamic Finance, hosted by Harvard Law School’s Islamic Finance Project (IFP), was held at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during March 24-25, 2012, under the theme “Islamic Finance and Development”.

Mr. Mustafa Sahin, Researcher at SESRIC, visited Central Bank of the Republic of Indonesia on 23 March 2012 to discuss issues of mutual interest of cooperation between the two institutions.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director-General of SESRIC, paid a courtesy visit to the Harvard University on March 22nd, 2012. The Director-General was received by Mrs. Jackie O’Neill, Marshal of the Harvard University, on behalf of Prof. Drew Gilpin Faust, President of the Harvard University. The courtesy visit took place in the historical Wadsworth House, which was built in 1726 for the president of the Harvard. During the visit, Dr. S. Nazim Ali, Director of the Islamic Finance Project (IFP) at the Harvard Law School, was also present.

SESRIC Director-General, Dr. Savaş Alpay, visited the Global Health and Population Department at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) on March 22nd, 2012, at its headquarters in Boston, USA. The Department was represented by Mr. Wafaie Fawzi, Department Chair and Professor of Population Sciences, Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Global Health.

Dr. Savaş Alpay delivered a seminar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on March 22nd, 2012. The seminar was organized by MIT Muslim Students’ Association (MSA). The MIT MSA aims to assist Muslim students with their practice of Islam and endeavours to promote understanding between Muslims and people of other faiths at MIT. The seminar was held on March 22nd, 2012, under the theme “Challenges and Prospects for the Socio-Economic Development in the Islamic World”.

Dr. Savas Alpay, Director-General of SESRIC, visited the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Economics Department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on March 22nd, 2012, in Cambridge, USA. J-PAL was represented in the meeting by Dr. Rachel Glennerster, Director for J-PAL Global. The Lab is a network of 68 academics from all around the world who are united by their use of Randomized Evaluations to answer questions critical to poverty alleviation. J-PAL's mission is to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is based on scientific evidence.

SESRIC participated in Vocational Education, Industry and High Technology Congress organized by Turkish Asian Centre for Strategic Studies (TASAM), under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, on 22-23 March 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized a training programme on “Health Information System” at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of People’s Republic of Bangladesh on 22-24 March 2012 within the framework of OIC Ibn Sina Health Capacity Building Programme. The Course was provided by Dr. Sinan Korukluoglu, an expert from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey, and was attended by relevant members of the Management Information System Directorate under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh.

Atlas of Islamic-World Science and Innovation (AIWSI) is 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 countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Mr. Mustafa Sahin, Researcher at SESRIC, Mrs. Priya Shetty, Lead Researcher for ATLAS Indonesia Country Case, and Mrs. Susan Gillespie, Policy Adviser at Royal Society, conducted the fieldwork in Indonesia.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, paid a courtesy visit to Dr. Suryamin, Chief Statistician of BPS-Statistics Indonesia, in Jakarta, Indonesia on 15 March 2012.

Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of the SESRIC, paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia, on 14 March 2012, in Jakarta. Mr. Sudi Silalahi, State Secretary, Mr. Suryadharma Ali, Minister of Religious Affairs and Dr. Dipo Alam, Cabinet Secretary, were also present at the meeting.

The Centre organised training course on “Management of Archives and Documents” at the Central Statistical Office (CSO), Kuwait, on 12-15 March 2012. The course was provided by Mr. Amjad Abdulraheem al-Magableh an expert from the Department of Statistics (DOS) Jordan, and was attended by the relevant staff members of the Central Statistical Office (CSO), Kuwait.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized and hosted a seminar on “Housing Investment and Portfolio Allocation" in its headquarters in Ankara on March 8, 2012. The seminar has been delivered by Mr. Cengiz Tunc, North Carolina State University (NCSU).

Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized a training programme on “Occupational Hygiene: Chemical Factors and Chemical Exposure” at the Ministry of Health of Malaysia, on 6-8 March 2012. The Course was provided by Mr. Kagan Yucel, an expert from Turkish Center for Occupational Health and Safety (ISGUM, and was attended by staff members of the Occupational Health Unit under the Ministry of Health of Malaysia.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized and hosted a seminar on “Heterogeneity and Uncertainty in the Dynamics of Firm Selection into Foreign Markets" in its headquarters in Ankara on March 6, 2012. The seminar has been delivered by Mr. Mehmet Fatih Ulu, University of Chicago.

The Islamic Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water was held in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey during the period 05-06 March, 2012 under the theme “Working Together for a Water Secure Future”. The Conference was hosted by the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs of the Republic of Turkey. Ministers, Deputy Ministers and high level officials from 28 Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), OIC Institutions, Observers and international organizations participated in the Conference. The aim of the Conference was to provide an opportunity for the Ministers and Representatives of the OIC Member States to review and adopt the OIC Water Vision Document which has been prepared by an Advisory Panel of Experts, composed of prominent experts from all the OIC regions, and discuss major issues and challenges related to the implementation of the OIC Water Vision. Mr. Nabil Dabour, Director of Economic and Social Research Department, and Mr. Mazhar Hussain, Researcher, represented the Centre thereat.

The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organized and hosted a seminar on “Rethinking the Effects of Fiscal Policy on Macroeconomic Aggregates: A Disaggregated SVAR Analysis" in its headquarters in Ankara on March 5, 2012. The seminar has been delivered by Mr. Umut Unal, Florida International University.

The Fourth Meeting of the Delegates of the National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of the OIC Member Countries was organised by SESRIC on 1 March 2012 in New York, United States of America as a side-event of the Forty-Third Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission. The delegates of the NSOs of the OIC Member Countries attended the meeting that aimed to get their comments and feedback on the tentative agenda of the Second Session of the OIC Statistical Commission.

A delegation from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Atlanta, USA, visited Dr. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, in his office on 22 February 2012. The delegation comprised of Dr. Samira Asma, Chief of Global Tobacco Control, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mr. William C. Parra, Chief Operating Officer of the Bloomberg Global Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, CDC Foundation and Dr. Toker Ergüder, National Tobacco Control Programme Officer, World Health Organization.