Ekmeleddin Mehmet İhsanoğlu (; born 26 December 1943) is a Turkish chemistry and science history professor, academician, diplomat and politician who was Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) from 2004 to 2014. He is also an author and editor of academic journals and advocate of intercultural dialogue.
İhsanoğlu studied science at the Ain Shams University, where he received his BSc in 1966. He remained in Cairo and obtained his MSc in 1970 from Al-Azhar University. İhsanoğlu received his PhD from the Faculty of Science at the Ankara University in 1974. İhsanoğlu's academic work has focused on the history of scientific activity and institutions of learning within Islam, cultural exchanges between Islam and the West, the relationship between science and religion, and the development of science in its socio-cultural environment.
İhsanoğlu was the founder of the Department of History of Science at the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University, and he remained the chairman of that department between 1984 and 2003. He was also a lecturer and a visiting professor at various universities, including Ankara University, University of Exeter, United Kingdom (1975–1977), Inönü University in Malatya (1970–1980), and LMU Munich in Germany (2003).
After taking the office as the ninth Secretary General of the OIC in January 2005, İhsanoğlu coordinated the drafting and implementation of a reform program for the OIC aiming to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the 57-member Organisation.Ten-Year Programme of Action to Face the Challenges of Twenty-first Century , Makkah Extraordinary Summit 2005. The reform program's components included the "Ten-Year Programme of Action to Face the Challenges of Twenty-first Century" (later implemented by the Third Extraordinary Islamic Summit Conference in 2005) and a revised OIC CharterNew OIC Charter, Dakar Summit 2008. which was adopted by the OIC at the Eleventh Islamic Summit Conference in 2008.Third Extraordinary Islamic Summit Conference , Makkah Extraordinary Summit 2005Eleventh Islamic Summit Conference , Dakar Summit 2008. İhsanoğlu was one of the signatories of A Common Word, an open letter by Islamic scholars to Christian leaders that called for peace and understanding.
İhsanoğlu was announced as the joint candidate of the two opposition parties in the Turkish parliament, the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), for the 2014 presidential election. He was also supported by 11 other smaller opposition parties. He lost in the first round with 38.44% of the votes. In the June 2015 general election, İhsanoğlu was elected as Member of Parliament for the MHP for İstanbul's 2nd electoral district. He was the MHP's candidate to become the Speaker of Parliament in the June–July 2015 speaker elections, but he was eliminated in the third round. Then he became a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Early life İhsanoğlu was born Ekmellettin Muhammet İhsanEkmeleddin İhsanoğlu adını neden değiştirdi?, 1 July 2014, Vatan to madrasa professor İhsan Efendi, hailing from Yozgat, and Seniye Hanım. Seniye Hanım was the daughter of Rhodian Turkish parents.Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu Baba ocağına kültür vefası İhsanoğlu was born in Cairo, Egypt.
Academic career
Prof. İhsanoğlu has been a pioneering figure in the history of science, especially of science in the Muslim world. He has worked on three main subjects since late 70's.
The first is the scientific activities of the 14th–19th centuries, which are considered outside the scope of the Golden Age of Islam. The second is the introduction of the modern science and technology to the Muslim world and the attitude of the Muslim scholars. The third is the history of institutions of science in Islam.
With Prof. Celal Tüzün, İhsanoğlu founded the Research Institute for Organic Chemistry when he was a faculty member at the Faculty of Science of the University of Ankara. İhsanoğlu is the founder and first chair (1984–2000) of the first Department of History of Science in Turkey, which he established at the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University.
The scholarly positions he filled include visiting professor at LMU Munich in Germany, 2003; lecturer and associate professor at Ankara University, Faculty of Science, Turkey 1970–1980; and research fellow at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Exeter, United Kingdom 1975–1977. At the very beginning of his career İhsanoğlu was lecturer of Turkish Literature and Language at Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, 1966–1970; research assistant at the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 1966–1970; and part-time cataloger of printed and manuscript Ottoman books, Cairo National Library, Department of Oriental Catalogues, Egypt, 1962–1966.
Prof. İhsanoğlu supervised many international projects sponsored by UNESCO and IRCICA; Master and PhD thesis's on History of Science. His publications and academic activities were appreciated by many international awards. Among them Koyré Medal in History of Science given by the International Academy of the History of Science (Paris, 2008) and Kuwait Foundation For The Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), Golden Medal and KFAS shield Award for Arabic and Islamic Scientific Heritage, 2021.
As part of his academic career İhsanoğlu has held the following positions: member of Academie Europea; member of the Académie Internationale d’Histoire des Sciences, Paris; member, Academy of Sciences of Tatarstan, Russia; honorary member of Gesellschaft der Freunde Islamischer Kunst und Kultur e. V., München, Germany; honorary member, Hungarian Orientalistik Society, Budapest; correspondent member, Arab Language Academy, Cairo; Royal Academy of Islamic Civilization Research, Jordan; member, International Society for History of Arabic and Islamic Sciences and Philosophy, Paris; Governing Board member, Centre of Manuscripts, Library of Alexandria, Egypt, 2003, Advisory Board Member, Tufts University, Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies, Boston; member of the Scientific Committee of ALECSO for the preparation of “Encyclopaedia of Renown Arab & Muslim Scholars”, 2001; member of the Board of Publications and Translations of the Ministry of Culture, Turkey, 1974–1980 and 1999-; Advisory Board Member, Centre of Islamic Studies, School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London, England, 1998–; Advisory Board Member, Centre for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES), Harvard University, United States, 1992–1996; OMETAR Project Director (history of science, education & technology databank collection), IRCICA, Istanbul, 1995–; Member of Scientific Council and Board of Consultants of Encyclopaedia of Makkah al-Mukarrama and Medina Al-Munawwara, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1994-; Member of advisory board and Experts Board of Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, London, 1991–; project director and editor of UNESCO's Work on Various Aspects of Islamic Culture, 1988-, published in 2004; honorary member, Egyptian History Society, Cairo; member, Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts “Beit al-Hikma”, Tunis; member, International Society for History of Medicine, Paris, France; chairman of the Board of Trustees, Islamic-American College, Chicago.
In addition to Turkish, he is advanced at English and Arabic, and has a working knowledge of French and Persian.
Diplomatic career
In the 1970s, İhsanoğlu took part in Turkey's various diplomatic and cultural missions and committees formed for conducting international consultations or talks at bilateral and multilateral levels.
İhsanoğlu was the founding Director General of the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture IRCICA.Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture , Istanbul an intergovernmental research centre and subsidiary organ of the OIC. When IRCICA started its activities in 1980, it was the first international organization established in Istanbul. İhsanoğlu as the head of diplomatic mission in this organization and as a cultural diplomat has served more than twenty-four years in promoting intercultural dialogue, relations, tolerance and understanding.
İhsanoğlu participated in various projects, activities and committees of UNESCO, and acted as the project director and editor of UNESCO's Work on Various Aspects of Islamic Culture, in 1988, published in 2004.
İhsanoğlu was appointed ‘Ambassador at Large’ by the first President of Bosnia and Herzegovina Alija Izetbegović in 1997 for his services to Bosnia-Herzegovina. He is also serving as ‘Honorary Consul’ of the Gambia since 1990.
İhsanoğlu lived the most significant leap in his diplomatic career in 2004 when he succeeded to win the election for the position of the OIC Secretary General out of three candidates. He has become the first by-vote-elected Secretary General of the OIC.
In his former position, since January 2005, as the Secretary General of the 57-member Organisation, the second largest organisation after the UN, Prof. İhsanoğlu initiated new schemes and strategies of international cooperation with regard to promotion of understanding, tolerance, principles of human rights, democracy, and establishment of dialogue between the OIC's Member States and with other countries and communities of the world.
The Heads of State and Government of the OIC Member States, convened at their 11th Islamic Summit Conference (Dakar, Senegal, March 2008), unanimously decided to renew İhsanoğlu's mandate for another term of office.
Secretary General of the OIC
Within the framework of his mission as Secretary General of OIC, Prof. İhsanoğlu took several initiatives to reform the OIC's agenda and strategies in various fields, with the motto: “modernisation and moderation”. As of his first year in the office, he guided the preparation of the “Ten-Year Programme Of Action To Meet The Challenges Facing The Muslim Ummah In The 21st Century” which was adopted by the OIC Member States at their Extraordinary Summit Conference in Mecca, December 2005. Through this programme and the new Charter of the OIC which was adopted by the Eleventh Summit Conference in March 2008, he introduced the application of some concepts and principles for the first time in the OIC. Thus, for example, the issue of human rights was introduced to the new Charter of the OIC and the Ten-Year Programme of Action. The new Charter of the OIC stipulates the establishment of an independent Permanent Commission on Human Rights to promote the civil, political, social and economic rights enshrined in the Organisation's covenants and declarations and in universally agreed human rights instruments; definition of and action to combat the problem of terrorism was introduced to the Ten-Year Programme of Action (Chapter VI on Combating terrorism); objectives were adopted in the same Programme of Action emphasizing cultural dialogue (Chapter III on “Islam- The religion of moderation and tolerance”).
İhsanoğlu attached importance to increasing the role and effectiveness of the OIC in solving problems and contributing to progress and cooperation among the OIC Member States in various areas of development, including science and technology, transport and communications, tourism, and fostering trade among the Member States, with particular attention to the least developed countries (LDCs) among them.