The COMSTECH meeting convened at the Secretariat in Islamabad brought together vice chancellors, rectors and senior university representatives from across the OIC Member and Observer States to deepen academic collaboration and chart shared priorities for 2026. Nearly 30 international delegates attended from countries including Iran, Somalia, Palestine, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Bangladesh, Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, alongside leading Pakistani institutions.
Coordinator General OIC-COMSTECH Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary welcomed participants and underscored the urgent need to expand the pool of skilled professionals in OIC countries by strengthening tertiary education systems. He noted that the post-COVID higher education environment has opened new opportunities through digital learning tools and hybrid models, which can improve access to skill-based training and short interactive programmes across the region.
Delegates participated in two technical sessions that examined character mastery, emerging university models and the evolving relationship between society, the economy and industry. Senior international trainers and academic leaders led structured brainstorming that highlighted competency-driven education, modern pedagogical tools and enhanced university–industry partnerships as central to preparing graduates for future challenges.
An open moderated discussion reviewed COMSTECH objectives and initiatives while universities presented their institutional priorities and explored expanded faculty exchanges, student mobility schemes, senior management training and joint research and innovation projects. The consultations focused on actionable steps to strengthen research ecosystems and on collaborative training programmes to address workforce needs across OIC Member States.
Prof. Choudhary encouraged CCoE members to make full use of COMSTECH flagship offerings, including the Research Fellowship Programme, Distinguished Scholars Programme, the COMSTECH Forum on Environment and Ecosystem Restoration, the Centre for Training and Research on AI and Emerging Technologies and the OIC Technology and Innovation Portal. Details of these initiatives were shared in a comprehensive presentation during the meeting to support capacity building and joint ventures.
By bringing together academic leaders during the COMSTECH meeting, the Secretariat in Islamabad provided a platform to review progress, finalise a Plan of Action for 2026 and strengthen inter-university cooperation. The Coordinator General reaffirmed COMSTECH’s commitment to sustained collaboration and capacity-building across the CCoE network to promote scientific excellence and sustainable development in the OIC region.
