In his address to the 3rd Joint Management Team (JMT) meeting of the Atlas of Islamic World Science and Innovation, in Istanbul, 11-12 June 2011, the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsangolu, called upon the project partners to undertake necessary steps for the smooth completion of the Atlas project, emphasizing that the project can be a forerunner for a wider scientific and technological collaboration between the OIC and the partners in Europe and elsewhere. The Secretary General reiterated that one of the important objectives of the OIC Charter is to enhance and develop science and technology and encourage research and cooperation in these fields. He added that the commitment of the OIC Member States to develop a society that values knowledge, research, and innovation is further borne out by the adoption of the Vision 1441H for Science and Technology by the 10th Islamic Summit in 2003 and the Ten Year Programme of Action by the 3rd Extraordinary Makkah Summit in 2005. The Atlas of the Islamic World Science and Innovation is a three year partnership between the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the Royal Society, COMSTECH, Islamic Development Bank (IDB), ISESCO, SESRIC, Nature, the British Council, the IDRC and the Qatar Foundation. Its objective include to map key trends and trajectories in science and technology-based innovation across the OIC Member States and offer an objective and authoritative assessment of opportunities and barriers to their development and transition to an innovation-driven knowledge economy. Currently, country studies in respect of Malaysia, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar are nearing completion. Five other country studies for Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Senegal and Nigeria are planned to be completed by December 2012.
