Staff reporter
ISLAMABAD,:Higher education leaders from leading universities of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states in a meeting held on Wednesday resolved to enhance inter-university collaborations in critical areas such as science, technology, health, and higher education to address the challenges facing the Muslim Ummah.
The annual meeting of the COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence (CCoE) was convened at OIC- COMSTECH. The meeting saw participation from a high-level delegation of senior academics from China, led by Prof. Dr. Zhao Yufen, Director of the Institute of Drug Discovery Technology at Ningbo University. Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and senior representatives from OIC member states including Palestine, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Oman, Jordan, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, Mauritania, Indonesia, and Iran were also in attendance.
During the meeting, COMSTECH introduced a two-phased Action Plan on Improving University Rankings through Educational Reforms, aiming to address the gaps in global visibility of universities in OIC member states. The proposed plan focuses on developing and strengthening Institutional Quality Assurance Frameworks (IQAF) and building capacity to enhance visibility in international university rankings.
The universities were invited to register their preferred approach, with OIC-COMSTECH experts set to prioritize regions and institutions based on responses.
In his opening remarks, Coordinator General of COMSTECH, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary highlighted the objectives of the CCoE and outlined key initiatives undertaken by COMSTECH to foster collaboration and capacity building among OIC member states.
The key presentations included initiatives by Ningbo University, delivered by Prof. Dr. Liu Xinmin, COMSTECH Inter-Library Network, presented by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Akram Sheikh and improving University Rankings through Educational Reforms, led by Prof. Dr. Sayed Zia Batool.
Prof. Dr. Zhao Yufen, the guest of honour, emphasized the importance of Sino-COMSTECH collaboration in advancing science and technology. Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar Vice Chancellor Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad and Prof. Dr Aftab Ahmed Maroof Rector FAST also spoke on the occasion.
The meeting also outlined a Plan of Action for 2025, focusing on inter-university cooperation through capacity building, restructuring the education sector in Palestine during the post-war recovery phase, joint projects, and establishing permanent mechanisms for sharing expertise and experiences.
This high-level dialogue marked a significant step toward addressing shared challenges and enhancing the global standing of universities in OIC member states. The participants also showed complete solidarity with people of Palestine and assured their utmost cooperation in restructuring and rehabilitation in the education sector, especially in affected areas.
