IRCICA and Dhaka University signed Memorandum of Cooperation towards establishment of an OIC-IRCICA Chair at Dhaka University. The Memorandum was signed on 5 May 2018 at Dhaka, Bangladesh, during the period of the 45th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers. by IRCICA Director General Dr. Halit Eren and the Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof. Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman. The signing of the Memorandum was in presence of the Assistant Secretary General of the OIC for Humanitarian Affairs H.E. Ambassador Hesham Youssef, and Mr. Md. Kamaluddin, Treasurer, Dhaka University.
The OIC-IRCICA Chair will focus on the following subjects:
– Highlighting the outstanding contributions to Islamic civilization and world civilization that emanated from within and around the region of Bangladesh and wider South Asia and Southeast Asia
– Promoting the culture of dialogue between peoples of different cultures and faiths in order to strengthen exchanges and coexistence, within and outside the region
– Diffusing the spirit of moderation, tolerance and understanding of different faiths and cultures
– Evaluating and improving the treatment of the images of the Other in university curricula and mass media
– Encouraging and promoting cultural and scholarly exchanges in the field of studies on Islamic civilization between OIC member countries within and outside the region
– Studying the history of Muslim peoples in South and Southeast Asia with special focus on Rohingya Muslims.
Following the signing of the Memorandum, a meeting was held between IRCICA and the Department of Islamic History and Culture of Dhaka University to launch and determine the guidelines of cooperation. Together with Dr. Halit Eren, IRCICA Director General, the participants were Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, ex-Chair, Department of Islamic History and Culture; Prof. Dr. Md. Ataur Rahman Miazi, Chair, Department of Islamic History and Culture; Prof. Dr. Abdul Basheer, faculty member, Department of Islamic History and Culture, and Prof. Dr. Sadık Unay, Senior Researcher, IRCICA. The two parties agreed to organize an international conference to explore different aspects of the plight of Rohingya Muslims. The conference is planned to be held in December 2018.
