The Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) will jointly establish a Pak-Turk Research Centre, a collaborative initiative aimed at strengthening the educational and cultural relations between Pakistan and Turkiye.
According to SMIU information today, the decision was formalized during a meeting on Tuesday at the university”s Conference Room between a Turkish delegation, led by TIKA”s new Karachi Head Mr. Masuk Pusa, and SMIU Vice Chancellor Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai, along with other department heads.
A detailed briefing on the proposed facility was presented to the visiting officials by Dr. Subhash Babu, coordinator for the center, and Mr. Engr. Shairan Najeeb, Executive Engineer at SMIU.
The center”s mandate will include facilitating faculty and student exchange programs, offering Turkish language courses, and promoting the mutual culture, languages, literature, and heritage of both nations.
Furthermore, the institution will initiate joint research projects across multiple disciplines, with a specific focus on business and education.
During the meeting, Vice Chancellor Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai welcomed the delegation and acknowledged the foundational efforts for the center made during the tenures of former Turkish Consul General Mr. Cemal Sangu and the previous TIKA Head, Mr. Halil Ibrahim Basaran.
Dr. Sahrai highlighted SMIU”s special historical connection to Turkiye through its founder, Khan Bahadur Hassanally Effendi, who served as an honourary Consul General of Turkiye in Karachi during the Ottoman Empire.
Mr. Pusa, a veteran of TIKA with 20 years of service in countries including Iraq, Palestine, and Senegal, stated the proposed center will be “very instrumental” in advancing bilateral relations and educational development. He expressed a keen interest in partnering with SMIU on research, education, and tourism, citing the university founder”s close ties with Turkiye.
Following the discussions, Dr. Sahrai presented souvenirs to the guests. The Turkish delegation later visited SMIU’s Jinnah Museum and toured the building proposed to house the new research center.