ASEAN Monitoring Desk Islamabad
Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said the future demanded creativity, intellectual freedom and determination, while technological advancement, including artificial intelligence and digital transformation, must remain connected with ethical, cultural and societal values. He underlined the need for a broader approach in which science and technology develop alongside philosophy, history, morality and the humanities.
He said this in his keynote address to participants of International Future Conference 2026, inaugurated by him at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuala Lumpur. The conference has been organized by OIC-COMSTECH.
Prime Minister appreciated OIC-COMSTECH’s efforts to address future challenges confronting the Muslim world, while the possibility of holding a Science and Technology Summit in Malaysia was also discussed during an interaction with OIC-COMSTECH Coordinator General Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary on Monday.
Prof. Choudhary said the exchange covered future projects and prospects for expanding cooperation. The two sides also discussed the possibility of Malaysia hosting a future summit focused on science and technology.
The two-day conference, being held on Sept 28-29 under the theme “Shaping the Future Through Knowledge, Innovation, and Civilisational Leadership,” is organised by OIC-COMSTECH in collaboration with IIUM. About 180 participants, including policymakers, academics, scientists, technology experts, institutional leaders and youth representatives, are attending the international event.
Prime Minister Anwar appreciated the efforts of OIC-COMSTECH and IIUM in exploring challenges of the future, particularly those confronting the Muslim world. He said the Muslim Ummah needed the determination to master its intellectual heritage, the courage to question and challenge established assumptions, and the willingness to explore fields of knowledge that remained uncharted.
OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Science and Technology Ambassador Aftab Ahmad Khokhar said OIC member states had a collective responsibility to shape a future driven by knowledge, science, technology and innovation while ensuring that technological advancement remained aligned with human dignity, ethical values and sustainable development.
He said science and innovation were no longer merely instruments of economic progress but strategic foundations for resilience, technological self-reliance and future prosperity. He also lauded OIC-COMSTECH’s initiative in creating a forward-looking platform connecting leaders, policymakers, academia and youth, and highlighted its role in advancing future-oriented programmes under the leadership of Prof. Choudhary.
Prof. Choudhary described the conference as an important platform for preparing the Muslim world for rapidly changing technological, economic and social realities. He said bringing together expertise from science, education, policy and industry could help generate new partnerships and strengthen cooperation among OIC member states in areas critical to their future development.
The conference is structured around six major pillars, artificial intelligence and space technologies; climate change and energy transition future economies and Islamic social finance halal technology and development in the 21st century; youth, leadership and human capital development; and the future of education.
The first day features discussions on AI and Space Technologies, Climate Change and Energy Transition, and Future Economies and Islamic Social Finance, while the second day will focus on Halal Technology and Development in the 21st Century, Future Youth, Leadership and Human Capital Development, and The Future of Education.
