Dr. Abdulla Al-Sadiq, Secretary-General of BCSR, received a delegation of young people from the University of Bahrain on a familiarization visit to the centre on 28 February 2008. Dr. Al-Sadiq and Dr. Rashid Najim, Director of Social, Educational and Tourism Studies at BCSR, and Dr. Mohamed Al Rumaidh, Acting Head of Political and Strategic Studies and Opinion Polls at the centre, gave a presentation on the major activities of BCSR, including the contractual and applied studies and public opinion surveys undertaken by the centre, the BCSR E-Library, and the centre's training courses programme.
Dr. Al-Sadiq shed light on the major research and study projects of the centre and the centre's role in social development. The Secretary-General pointed to the environmental studies undertaken by BCSR, particularly those on the marine environment. In reply to a young delegate's question on the issue of environmental pollution, Dr. Al-Sadiq stated that major decisions may incur sacrifice with regard to some environmental aspects, where, for example, important housing and industrial projects are urgently needed, but that these projects may have some impact on the environment.
Dr. Rashid Najim, in his detailed presentation, stated that one of the main objectives of BCSR is to provide decision makers with information for planning and problem-solving purposes. Dr. Najim pointed to survey studies which provide decision makers with the opinions of the public on different issues, where the centre has given important attention to these opinions by undertaking surveys over recent years. The survey department, over a short time, has been able to furnish a number of ministries and institutions with information from important studies on different important matters,
Dr. Mohamed Al-Rumaidh spoke of public opinion surveys as an important feature of democratic commitment, such that when democratic values are deeply rooted in a society, then public opinion and surveys are actively pursued. Dr. Al-Rumaidh reviewed the major surveys and studies undertaken by BCSR for the different ministries and institutions in Bahrain and outside Bahrain. He referred to the recent agreement signed by BCSR with Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation, for which the centre is undertaking a study of the views of listeners and viewers with regard to BRTV programmes.
