The first concrete step of “Forum and Exhibition on Higher Education Services in the Member States” organized jointly by the OIC (Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the TRNC for the first time in accordance with the decision taken at the 11th Summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation held at Dakar, the capital of Senegal, was taken and the first collaboration agreement was signed at the Girne American University, Cyprus campus.

The collaboration agreement, which was signed between Kadir Mohamed Barre, Vice Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education of Somali on behalf of the Somalian government and Asım Vehbi, the Vice Chancellor on behalf of the GAU became the first agreement among the members of the OIC joining “the Forum and Exhibition on Higher Education Services in the Member States” organized jointly by the OIC (Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Northern Cyprus Universities.

Representatives from member states of the OIC, which has 57 members, and universities, who came to the TRNC to attend the higher education forum, had the chance to visit and familiarize themselves with the universities in North Cyprus, and the GAU Cyprus campus hosted very important meetings serving to be bridge between the higher education system of the member states of the OIC and the universities in North Cyprus during the forum. The guest delegations had also the chance to see the infrastructure and theoretical and practical education services offered at the GAU Cyprus campus and and they were informed about the vision of capturing internatioanlization of the GAU and its campuses in the Britain, Singapore, and the USA
Kadir Mohamed Barre : “GAU captures international standards as a model in Higher Education”

Having visited the sport, culture and art complexes, faculties and research and development laboratories of the GAU upon signing the collaboration agreement between the Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education of Somali and GAU, Kadir Mohamed Barre, Vice Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education of Somali stressed that it was a great experience to learn about the system and structure of the universities in North Cyprus on behalf of his country and stated that GAU captured the international standards as a model in higher education. Underlying the importance of the agreement for the universities and students of the countries, Mohammed Barre said that the results of the forum would contribute a great deal to the higher education of the member states.
Asım Vehbi : “A common will was brought about for the promotion of countries and higher education at the Forum.”

Asım Vehbi, the vice chancellor of the Girne American University said that collaboration agreement signed between the Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education of Somali and GAU was the first concrete result of the forum as an important example of common will to give messages to the world for the promotion of countries and higher education. Stressing that the universal power of science plays a key role in the recognition of the TRNC and lifting the embargo, Asim Vehbi thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the authorities to organize the forum on behalf of the GAU. Vehbi also emphasized on the contribution of the forum in terms of familiarizing the world with the member states together with their higher education systems and structures. He further added that the collaboration agreement signed between the Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education of Somali and GAU would contribute a great deal to the higher education in North Cyprus.