A delegation from the Pillars of Knowledge for Research & Studies (PKRS) visited the Gulf Research Center. PKRS is a Khartoum-based non-profit, independent organization established in 2009. PKRS focuses on international relations, as well as social, economic and religious issues relating to Sudan. Dr. Ahmed Hassan, General Manager, Mr. Kalem Moustafa, Executive Manager, and Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Sadek, Director of Political Program of PKRS met with Dr. Oskar Ziemelis and Dr. Mohamed Abdel Raouf from the GRC to explore synergies between the two institutions and study possibilities of cooperation.
Dr. Christian Koch, Director of International Studies, met with the Honorable Bob Rae, Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre in the Canadian House of Commons to discuss regional developments and issues. Mr. Rae was accompanied by Taher Mukbel, Foreign Affairs Advisor and Cindie-Eve.Bourassa-Braun of the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Claudius Fischbach, Minister Counsellor of the Policy Planning Staff in the German Federal Foreign Office visited the GRC where he met with Dr. Christian Koch, Director of International Studies and Nicole Stracke of the Security and Terrorism Department. Dr. Fischbach came to GRC after attending the Manama Dialogue meeting and Bahrain to discuss Dubai’s economic development, the status of the GCC and concerns over Iran’s nuclear program.
A Delegation from the Directorate-General for External Relations of the European Commission visited the GRC for a broad discussion about the status of civil society organization in the GCC countries and their role in the development of GCC-EU relations. The delegation included Gilles Bertrand and Samira Tovar Badt from the European Commission in Brussels as well as Petr Dubovec of the European Union Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Their visit came in the context of increased institutional ties between the EU and the GCC with a further view of initiatives that can be sponsored to enhance those ties.
As part of a Business Study Mission to the Gulf region, including Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, a group of 41 students from the Singapore Management University (SMU) visited the GRC where they were briefed about the Center and the political, economic and security dimensions of the Gulf region by Abdulaziz Sager, the GRC Chairman, and other GRC staff. The delegation was led by Dr. Caroline Yeoh, Associate Professor of Management Practice at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business of SMU.
Mr. Mathew Epstein, Financial Attaché at US Department of the Treasury visited the GRC and met with the Chairman of GRC Abdulaziz Sager
