​Istanbul Aydın University African Research and Application Centre (AFRİKAM) was established under the regulation published in the Official Gazette of 21 August 2013 (No. 28742), most recently amended on 9 December 2024.

The Centre works to deepen Turkish researchers' engagement with the political, economic and social structures of African countries, to produce projects and reports on these subjects, to assess Turkey-Africa relations on cultural, historical, religious, political and economic grounds, and to help define the role Turkey can play in Africa's future.

Since its founding, AFRİKAM has organised national and international conferences, roundtables and seminars; built partnerships with public institutions, higher-education institutions abroad and civil-society organisations; and hosted activities supporting the academic and social integration of students from African countries.