In a significant development, the Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC) delegation, led by Prof. Dr. S. Ahmad Fazelzadeh, President of ISC, and Dr. Mohammad Reza Falahati, ISC Director of the Office of International Scientific Cooperation, recently convened with the Secretary-General and officials of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation at the prestigious headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey.
The cooperative relationship between ISC and D-8 has a rich history spanning back to 2013 and 2018. In a pivotal moment of collaboration, the D-8 Secretary-General graced the ISC gathering in 2019, leading to comprehensive plans for future interactions between the two esteemed entities. The fruit of that momentous occasion materialized in the establishment of the D-8 universities’ ranking system.
During the latest high-level meeting, several remarkable ISC initiatives garnered considerable attention from the D-8 Secretary-General, prompting the planning of an annual joint interaction. Moreover, the participants engaged in productive discussions on diverse topics, leading to a crucial decision to form a joint committee dedicated to advancing past, present, and future interactions between ISC and D-8.
Furthermore, both parties reached a consensus to undertake a specialized initiative catering to the D-8 region, leveraging ISC’s expertise in monitoring the performance of scientists and researchers. As part of this endeavor, a joint award will be introduced to honor the most outstanding scientists within the D-8 region, contingent upon the identification of top researchers and the establishment of evaluation indicators and metrics.
In line with their commitment to fostering stronger ties, it was agreed to conduct a series of webinars tailored to the specific needs of different D-8 member countries, in collaboration with ISC. The outcomes of these webinars will be diligently reviewed and further deliberated upon in future meetings, ensuring the optimization of cooperation efforts.
The pinnacle of this momentous gathering was marked by the signing and exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on scientific, research, technology, and innovation cooperation. This MoU stands as a testament to the shared vision of ISC and D-8, aimed at propelling their interactions to unprecedented heights.
With the MoU as a solid foundation, ISC and D-8 are poised to forge a new chapter of collaboration, one that will undoubtedly strengthen scientific advancements, promote research excellence, and fuel technological innovation across the Islamic world and beyond.
