ex agency launched

Islamabad

First-ever Islamic research index (IRI) agency was launched here on Friday to provide free online access to research articles, facilitating researchers and academicians.

It was a joint venture of Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU). Editors of research journals on Islamic studies from all over the country attended the launching ceremony at a two-day symposium that was addressed by the HEC Chairman Prof. Dr. Mukhar Ahmed and AIOU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui.

A website was formally introduced on the occasion that deals with all the HEC’s recognized Islamic studies research journals in the country which mainly consist of articles in Urdu and Arabic.

In the symposium’s opening session, Prof. Dr. Mohyuddin Hashmi, Chairman AIOU’s department of Islamic Thoughts, History and culture gave a presentation, highlighting aims and targets of the IRI. He appreciated the initiative and support provided by Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed and Dr. Shahid Siddiqui for providing indexing and abstracting services to the researchers and academicians.

The IRI’s website comprises full text of more than 10,000 research articles that meet the needs of research scholars on Islamic studies both at national and international level. Addressing the ceremony, HEC chairman underlined the need for producing best possible journals that help improve quality of life of the entire humanity. The beneficiaries of these journals must be a common man. The researchers should also be a helping hand to the government in addressing the socio-economic problems of the country, he asserted.

Vice Chancellor AIOU elaborated the initiatives, he has taken during the last two years to promote research culture in the country, and linking the same with the welfare of the society.  The University will produce a journal on ‘Seerat studies’ by the end of this year and all together there will be fourteen journals, being brought out by the University within a period of three years. He thanked the HEC for its support for doing meaningful work in the field of research and promoting higher studies.

A session on ‘Khutbat-e-Islamabad’ was held on the occasion, highlighting the teaching Quran and Sunnah. Speakers including Dr. Shabir Mansori and Dr. Safir Akhtar gave compression talks on contemporary issues facing the Islamic world and the humanity as a whole.