The Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) was established in autumn 2017 within Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (İZÜ) as an independent, non-profit public policy and research center. Its goal is to become a leading research institution for ideas, analyses and policy recommendations on global issues affecting the Islamic world, and to advance relations with world powers based on mutual respect, taking into account the common principles and shared interests of the Islamic world. Its mission is to conduct high-quality research and analysis on global policies and relations affecting the Islamic world and the development and progress of Muslim societies, to inform the public and policymakers on these matters, to train experts, and to develop new policy proposals and ideas.
The founding director of CIGA is Prof. Dr. Sami A. Al-Arian, a renowned academic who founded many academic, research and civil society organizations during the forty years he lived in the United States.
Over the past eight years, CIGA has organized 12 international conferences, 124 seminars, 10 workshops, 13 symposia, 48 book discussions, three summer school programmes for more than 150 international students, and a painting exhibition dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba.
During the same period, ten issues of The Strategist, CIGA's newsletter, were published. In addition, fifteen books and periodical publications that have been written and have undergone board review and editing are planned to be completed this academic year. CIGA publishes a weekly online publication called “The Geopolitical Compass”, which contains summaries of some of the most important geopolitical studies and analyses. As of 30 March 2022, 118 issues of The Geopolitical Compass had been published.
CIGA's Continuing Education Department has signed various agreements with distinguished institutions offering programmes and certificates related to the center's mission and goals. Expert researchers at CIGA take part in public events and media interviews, offering expert opinions and analyses. CIGA also has an active student society group (CIGA Student Society) that organizes many student events on campus.
Finally, in cooperation with our university's Department of Political Science and International Relations, CIGA has launched an English-language graduate programme that attracts many talented students from around the world.