The Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), in collaboration with the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), convened the Expert Group Meeting on the Family Wellbeing Index in Ankara, Türkiye, on 16–17 July 2026.

• The meeting brought together leading international experts, policymakers, academics, statisticians, and representatives from international organizations to review and strengthen the methodological framework of the Family Wellbeing Index ahead of its official launch.
• Across two days, participants examined the Index’s four pillars—Objective Wellbeing, Subjective Wellbeing, Relational Wellbeing, and Cultural Wellbeing—to ensure the framework is evidence-based, culturally relevant, and methodologically rigorous across OIC Member States.
• Discussions also focused on survey design, indicator selection, data collection methodologies, cross-national comparability, and the implementation roadmap for the Index, reinforcing DIFI’s commitment to advancing evidence-based family policies.

Key Themes Include :

• Advancing the Family Wellbeing Index as an evidence-based policy tool.
• Reviewing indicators across the four wellbeing pillars.
• Strengthening cross-country collaboration and statistical harmonization.
• Promoting culturally relevant family wellbeing measurement.
• Developing practical recommendations for implementation and future reporting.

Moderator(s)

• Dr. Ahmed Aref – Director, Family Research & Policy Department, Doha International Family Institute (DIFI)
• Dr. İpek Dedeoğlu – SESRIC
• Dr. Betül Özel Çiçek – Vice General Manager for Strategy and Impact, KADEM
• Prof. Rahmet Savaş – Dean, Faculty of Science & Literature, Haliç University

Speakers

• H.E. Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk – Director General, SESRIC
• H.E. Dr. Sharifa Noaman Al Emadi – Executive Director, Doha International Family Institute (DIFI)
• H.E. Amina Obaid Ramadhan Al Hajri – Director General of Cultural, Social and Family Affairs, General Secretariat of the OIC (Virtual)
• Dr. Ahmed Aref – Director, Family Research & Policy Department, DIFI
• Prof. Dr. Logan Cochrane – Dean, College of Public Policy, Hamad Bin Khalifa University
• Dr. Alexandra Ferguson – Principal Analyst, Stats New Zealand (Virtual)
• Prof. Dr. Hasan Vergil – Professor of Economics, Ibn Haldun University
• Dr. Dominik Rozkrut – Former President, Statistics Poland
• Mr. Ahmet Kürşad Dosdoğru – Vice President, Turkish Statistical Institute
• Dr. Alissar Nasser – Team Leader, Central Administration for Statistics, Lebanon
• Dr. Seku Toure – Senior Researcher, Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue
• Dr. Hafid Hachimi – UN Policy Director, Family Watch International
• Dr. Ahmet Öztürk – Coordinator, SESRIC
• Prof. Rahmet Savaş – Dean, Faculty of Science & Literature, Haliç University
• Asst. Prof. Muhammed İkbal Alp – Medipol University
• Mr. Turgay Altun – Head of Social Statistics Department, Turkish Statistical Institute
• Dr. Nora Brüning – Policy Analyst, OECD Centre on Well-Being, Inclusion (Virtual)
• Shaikha Ali Al-Marri – Head of Family Affairs, Ministry of Social Development and the Family, Qatar