Islamabad
Dr. İrfan Neziroğlu, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Islamabad, accompanied by his delegation, visited the National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research (NIHCR), Centre of Excellence, Quaid-i-Azam University. The distinguished guests were warmly received by Vice Chancellor QAU, Professor Dr. Tasawar Hayat, Dr. Sajid Mehmood Awan, faculty members, and students.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Irfan Neziroglu emphasized the need to further expand academic, research, and educational cooperation between Pakistan and Türkiye. He stated that Pakistan and its people hold a special place in his heart, which cannot be fully expressed in words. He showed keen interest in the books published by the National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research (NIHCR) and announced that he would soon send scholarly books as well from Türkiye as gifts to the institute.
The Ambassador invited Pakistani students and scholars to contact the Embassy of Türkiye for educational cooperation and scholarship opportunities. He further remarked that strengthening historical, cultural, intellectual, and educational ties between the two countries requires meaningful and practical steps, including joint research projects, academic exchanges, and institutional collaboration.
Professor Dr. Tasawar Hayat stated that relations between Pakistan and Türkiye have always been exemplary. He stressed the importance of broadening these relations at the academic and educational levels in order to create sustainable opportunities in modern research, knowledge, and innovation.
Dr. Sajid Mehmood Awan briefed the delegation about the historical background of the institute, its objectives, and more than five decades of scholarly and research activities in the fields of history and culture through a documentary presentation. He noted that the NIHCR has been playing a vital role in promoting intellectual discourse on important historical and cultural subjects for many years. Through its research activities, international conferences, seminars, scholarly publications, and research papers, the institute has made significant contributions toward enhancing historical consciousness, cultural awareness, and social understanding.
He informed the delegation that the institute has published more than 300 books in Urdu and English on various themes related to history and culture. He also highlighted that the HEC-recognized biannual English journal ‘Pakistan Journal of History and Culture’ and the Urdu journal “Tareekh-o-Saqafat” are being published regularly. Furthermore, the launch of the MPhil and PhD programs in History and Culture in 2022 reflects the growing academic significance of the institute.
Dr. Sajid Mehmood Awan further stated that the institute has published several important books on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, modern Türkiye, and Pakistan-Türkiye relations. In addition, a number of scholarly articles on the shared history, culture, and diplomatic relations between the two countries have been published in the institute’s research journals. He also mentioned that in May 2005, the institute organized a two-day international conference on the Turkish War of Independence (1918–1923), attended by distinguished intellectuals, scholars, teachers, and students.
On the occasion, Huzoor Bakhsh Channa briefed the delegation about the institute’s extensive library, which contains more than 40,000 books, rare manuscripts, and valuable archival material used by scholars, researchers, and students from around the world.
The delegation appreciated the scholarly contributions of the NIHCR and its role in promoting cultural diplomacy. They also expressed a desire to enhance cooperation in the fields of research, archives, education, publications, and cultural studies. Dr. Sajid Awan gifted the Institute’s books to the delegation.
The delegation included Professor Dr. Ramazan Erdağ, Berk Ece, and Ismail Numan. At the conclusion of the visit, Dr. Sajid Mehmood Awan presented the institute’s scholarly publications to the delegation as gifts.
