Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) organised a consultative meeting on “OIC Initiative of Learning Cities”, on 26 September 2013, in Ankara, Republic of Turkey. The meeting took place in the Headquarters of SESRIC.

The consultancy meeting was attended by directors of education, cultural and social affairs, and foreign affairs of seven metropolitan municipalities and Public Employment Agency in Turkey. The main objective of the meeting was to exchange views and ideas on the recent initiative of SESRIC on OIC Learning Cities for preparation of a long term strategy and action plan towards enhancing international collaboration among OIC Member Countries.

The following were the topics, inter alia, discussed during the consultancy meeting:

1. Vocational training cooperation among SESRIC and Municipalities
2. Establishing a learning network among Islamic Cities
3. Capacity Building Programmes among Municipalities
4. Transfer of innovative models of cooperation among OIC Member Countries
5. Expanding ‘OIC-VET Master Training Programme’ to other member countries
6. Organising various types of intra-OIC collaborative learning events
7. Ways and means of garnering potential stakeholders in the OIC Learning Cities Initiative
8. Steps for converting Islamic Cities into learning cities
9. Need assessment of Islamic Cities on learning