Turkish Ambassador and SMIU Vice Chancellor agree to collaborate in higher education
Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Irfan Neziroglu, along with Turkish Consul General in Karachi, Mr. Cemal Sangu, visited Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) on Thursday, November 21, 2024. During their visit, they held a meeting with SMIU Vice Chancellor, Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai, in the university’s conference room.
The meeting focused on research, higher education, mysticism, and potential academic collaborations between SMIU and Turkish universities. The Turkish Ambassador agreed to establish partnerships with various academic departments of SMIU, particularly the Department of Business Administration, Department of Artificial Intelligence, Department of Media and Communication Studies, and Department of Social and Development Studies.
Dr. Irfan Neziroglu expressed full support for the establishment of the Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi Chair at SMIU’s City Campus and assured efforts to affiliate it with Selçuk University and other universities in Konya.
During the discussion, Dr. Irfan Neziroglu praised Khan Bahadur Hassanally Effendi, the founder of SMIU, for his contributions to modern education in the region and his strong ties with Türkiye during the Ottoman Empire.
In response, Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai thanked the Turkish Ambassador and Consul General for their visit and their willingness to support SMIU in research and higher education. He highlighted the historic relations between SMIU and Türkiye, recalling that Khan Bahadur Hassanally Effendi had served as the Consul General of Türkiye in Karachi in the late 19th century. Additionally, he mentioned that Hassanally Effendi played a vital role in supporting the Ottoman Empire during its war with Russia by collecting and sending essential supplies from Sindh.
Dr. Sahrai further announced that SMIU plans to construct a new building in the near future, where an entire floor will be dedicated to the Maulana Rumi Chair and the Hassanally Effendi Museum. In response, Dr. Neziroglu assured that the Government of Türkiye will support this project.
As a token of appreciation, Dr. Mujeeb Sahrai presented a souvenir to the distinguished guests.
Following the meeting, the Turkish Ambassador and Consul General, accompanied by the Vice Chancellor, visited the Jinnah Museum at SMIU, where they keenly observed relics of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Khan Bahadur Hassanally Effendi.