ISLAMABAD: 19 June 2025 – OIC-COMSTECH Special Vice Chancellors’ Forum for Bangladesh was organized by COMSTECH at its Secretariat in Islamabad.
The forum brought together a 7-member Bangladeshi delegation, comprising Vice Chancellors and senior representatives from leading universities, and vice chancellors from 15 top Pakistani universities, which are part of COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence (CCoE).
Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General OIC-COMSTECH, in his welcome address, termed the week-long visit of Bangladeshi delegation as a significant step towards strengthening academic and scientific collaboration between two founding members of COMSTECH and brotherly nations. He shared 100 scholarships for Bangladeshi students have already been announced to pursue higher education opportunities in Pakistan.
Speaking as Chief Guest, H.E. Md. Iqbal Hussain Khan, High Commissioner for the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, commended COMSTECH’s efforts for offering scholarships, arranging this important visit and facilitating meaningful academic exchanges among the leading higher education institutions from Bangladesh and Pakistan in higher education, science, and technology.
During the interactive sessions, Vice Chancellors from both countries engaged in detailed discussions and resolved to enhance cooperation in key areas including student and faculty exchange programs, scholarship opportunities, joint research initiatives, and sharing of academic expertise & existing facilities. It was also decided that the focal person will be nominated by each university for effective follow-up of the visit.
Prof. Dr. Shoab A. Khan, Chancellor, Sir Syed CASE Institute of Technology, delivered a talk on the landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Pakistan. Dr. Sayeda Zia Batool, Chairperson, Private Education Institutions Regulatory Authority, spoke on strategies to improve university rankings.
The Bangladeshi delegation, visiting from June 16 to 21, 2025, under the initiative of OIC-COMSTECH, also held high-level meetings and engagements with major universities in Lahore, Islamabad, and Murree The delegation extended thanks for warm welcome & nice hospitality in Pakistan.
They termed their visit historical, highly productive, and promising beginning for long-term academic collaboration between the higher education and R&D institutions of Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Bangladesh delegation successfully concluded its week-long visit to Pakistan, resulting in the signing of over 20 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with leading Pakistani universities and industry partners, marking a new chapter of academic collaboration between the two countries.
The 7-member delegation, comprising vice chancellors and senior officials from prominent universities of Bangladesh, visited Pakistan from June 16 to 21, 2025, at the invitation of the OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH).
Bangladesh-China-Pakistan Trilateral Mechanism – Inaugural Meeting @ Kunming Yunnan
During the visit, the delegation toured top-tier Pakistani institutions in Lahore, Islamabad, and Murree, including member universities of the COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence (CCoE). The MoUs signed with 20 leading Pakistani universities cover a wide range of collaborative areas such as faculty and student exchange, joint research projects, academic cooperation, sharing of expertise and infrastructure, conference organization, and PhD fee waivers.
A key highlight was the agreement with Gourmet Foods, aimed at offering industrial internships to Bangladeshi students, enhancing practical skills, and industry-academia linkages.
The delegation was hosted at receptions organized by Dr. Chaudhary Abdul Rehman, Chairman, Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan; H.E. Md. Iqbal Hussain Khan, High Commissioner for the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Bangladesh to Pakistan; and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General, COMSTECH, where they interacted with the stakeholders on different areas of mutual cooperation.
Speaking at the conclusion of the visit, the Bangladeshi delegation termed the visit “historic and highly productive,” appreciating the hospitality and vision shared by their Pakistani counterparts. They expressed gratitude to COMSTECH for facilitating the initiative and lauded the announcement of 100 scholarships for Bangladeshi students by COMSTECH and the University of Lahore.
This academic mission reflects COMSTECH’s broader commitment to promoting educational excellence and scientific cooperation among OIC member states and reinforces the strong educational and cultural ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
