Think Tanks Forum of Islamic Countries
Forums, think tanks & standards · A gathering of the Muslim world's research centres
The Think Tanks Forum of Islamic Countries is a recurring gathering that brings together research institutes, strategic-studies centres and policymakers from across the OIC to debate the common challenges of the Muslim world.
At a glance
| First held | 2010 (Istanbul) |
|---|---|
| Organisers | SESRIC & IRCICA, with partners |
| Participants | think tanks & research centres from OIC states |
| Format | recurring international forum |
First convened in 2010, the forum grew out of the OIC's own research bodies — SESRIC and IRCICA — as a way of connecting the often-scattered policy-research community of the member states. Its sessions gather think tanks and academics to discuss regional security, economic integration, development, education and the standing of the Muslim world in global affairs, and to encourage networking and joint research among institutions that rarely coordinate.
Unlike the intergovernmental bodies described elsewhere in this section, the forum has no binding authority; its value lies in convening expertise and circulating ideas across national and linguistic lines. Its agenda often mirrors the concerns of the OIC itself, from Palestine and conflict resolution to science policy and the digital economy.
The forum is one of several independent or semi-official platforms — alongside the World Islamic Economic Forum and various university-based centres — through which the intellectual life of the Muslim-majority world is organised across borders.
Related in Chronicle
Curated reference on Islamic belief and thought. On matters where traditions differ, positions are attributed rather than adjudicated; verify points of doctrine with qualified scholars.