The first volume of the two-volume research work titled “The Economic Potential of Islamic Countries”, edited by Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor Vusal Gasimli, Executive Director of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), has been published by the prestigious UK publishing house “Emerald”. The publication is indexed by Scopus and is of special importance as a broad scientific analysis of the economic and social development potential of Islamic countries.

The book was written with the participation of 47 authors representing leading think tanks from more than 20 Islamic countries. The separate chapters prepared by ICESCO and OIC SESRIC ensured the scientific contribution of the leading international institutions of the Islamic world to this project and turned the publication into one of the largest and most institution-based scientific analyses of the economic and social development potential of Islamic countries.

The book was prepared to implement the task assigned to the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC) on the basis of the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 21 November 2023 on declaring the city of Shusha as the “Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2024” and the Decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 19 January 2024, No. 33s. Within this framework, the publication aims to strengthen our country’s academic and intellectual cooperation with the Islamic world.

The coordinator of the project is Vusala Jafarova, who previously served as the head of the Turkic World Research Center (TDAM), which operates under CAERC. For one year, she coordinated the work of 47 authors from different countries of the Islamic world, ensured the harmonization of scientific texts, and managed the multi-stage editing processes with Emerald Publishing. Vusala Jafarova is also the author of the chapter “Renewable Energy Investments: Azerbaijan’s Cooperation with the Islamic World” in the first volume of the book, which presents Azerbaijan’s partnership with Islamic countries in the field of renewable energy on a scientific basis.

In the first volume of the book, topics such as economic cooperation, fiscal policy and Islamic finance are covered, while the second volume focuses on areas such as social protection, sustainable development and industrial policy. Both volumes not only present the experiences of OIC and D-8 countries in a comparative way, but also highlight Azerbaijan’s growing role in regional cooperation and energy diplomacy.

It should be noted that the official publication of the second volume of the book is planned for the beginning of 2026.

This publication, as an indicator of the rising analytical potential of Azerbaijan’s academic environment, will contribute to strengthening our country’s leadership and scientific reputation in OIC and D-8 formats.

The book is presented on the official platform of Emerald Publishing:

https://www.emerald.com/books/edited-volume/19093/The-Economic-Potential-of-Islamic-Countries-Part