Islamabad, March 13, 2026 – The Europe Today/GNP: The OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan have agreed to strengthen collaboration in the fields of science, technology, and higher education through a series of joint initiatives.
The understanding was reached during a meeting between Coordinator General of OIC-COMSTECH, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, and Chairperson of HEC, Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, held at the HEC Secretariat in Islamabad.
During the meeting, both sides agreed to launch several collaborative programmes aimed at enhancing research cooperation and academic capacity across member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Under the proposed initiatives, 200 annual fellowships will be offered to researchers from Muslim minority communities and conflict-affected regions, enabling them to conduct research placements at leading universities in Pakistan.
It was also agreed to facilitate 200 annual visits by prominent Pakistani academics and experts to institutions in OIC member states under the COMSTECH Distinguished Scholars Programme, focusing on the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
The two organizations further decided to initiate a capacity-building programme aimed at improving the global rankings of universities from OIC member states. In addition, a special programme will be introduced for accreditation councils to help align them with international standards and best practices.
Both sides also discussed working jointly to enhance the international visibility of Pakistani higher education institutions through increased internationalization. In this regard, a dedicated capacity-building initiative will be launched to strengthen international offices at Pakistani universities.
To formalize these initiatives, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between COMSTECH and HEC will be signed in the near future.
Muhammad Murtaza Noor, Focal Person and Coordinator for CCOE and Outreach at COMSTECH, was also present during the meeting.
