Professor Fukuko Ikemata from the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hiroshima University in Japan visited the Academy at its headquarters in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

She was received by Ms. Sarah Amjad Bedewi, Director of the Department of Family, Women, and Children at the Academy, who conveyed the greetings of His Excellency Professor Dr. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary-General of the Academy. She communicated his apologies for not being able to personally welcome the guest due to prior commitments, while affirming the Academy’s keenness to maintain communication and cooperation with Japanese academic institutions.

For her part, Professor Ikemata expressed her pleasure at visiting the Academy and her desire to repeat the visit in the future. She highlighted the importance of the Academy’s role in promoting intercultural dialogue and fostering mutual understanding among nations. She also explained that she is currently conducting academic research on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), and expressed her hope to obtain official permission from both institutions to support her study. She emphasized her strong interest in meeting with the Secretary-General to discuss key aspects related to Islamic jurisprudence, the issuance of fatwas, and the role of scholars and religious bodies.

The meeting concluded with fruitful discussions on ways to establish academic cooperation between Hiroshima University and the Academy, contributing to the strengthening of scholarly relations between the two sides.

The meeting was also attended by Dr. Alhagi Manta Drammeh, Head of International Cooperation and External Relations Division at the Academy.