On February 3, 2026 the Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan, H.E. Mirza Sayasat Nurbek, visited the COMSTECH Secretariat in Islamabad to discuss expanded COMSTECH cooperation with Pakistan and fellow OIC member states. The minister led a delegation that included presidents and rectors of leading Kazakh universities.
The delegation was received by Federal Minister for Science and Technology Khalid Hussain Magsi, Secretary Science and Technology Shahid Iqbal Baloch and Coordinator General OIC COMSTECH Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary along with senior officials. Discussions focused on strengthening institutional linkages, academic exchange and collaborative research that can benefit the region.
Prof. Choudhary emphasised the growing role of science diplomacy and noted Kazakhstan’s important contributions to regional initiatives such as the STI Agenda 2026 and international forums honouring scholars like Abu Nasr Al-Farabi and Allama Muhammad Iqbal. He described ongoing joint initiatives coordinated with Kazakhstan’s diplomatic mission that target capacity building, research linkages and university networking as central to advancing COMSTECH cooperation.
Priority areas identified during the meeting included biotechnology, digitisation and artificial intelligence, environment and agriculture, and innovation-driven research. Prof. Choudhary highlighted Kazakhstan’s expanding investment in science and higher education, including developments in vaccine research and digital infrastructure that create opportunities for joint projects and knowledge transfer.
Minister Magsi recalled long-standing ties dating back to 1996 under the Pakistan–Kazakhstan Revolving Fund, noting that more than 100 Kazakh scholars completed PhDs at Pakistani universities through the programme. He underlined Kazakhstan’s active participation in COMSTECH-led efforts on food security, biotechnology, agricultural sustainability, health sciences and digital innovation, and referred to collaborative work on biosafety and biosecurity showcased at an international seminar in Islamabad.
Minister Nurbek praised Professor Choudhary’s leadership and acknowledged COMSTECH’s role in strengthening research capacity across the Muslim world. He expressed Kazakhstan’s readiness to deepen cooperation in higher education, research partnerships and innovation, and thanked the Government of Pakistan and COMSTECH for their hospitality.
Both sides agreed to move forward with enhanced institutional partnerships, capacity-building programmes and joint research initiatives to address shared challenges in science, technology and higher education, signalling a renewed push for practical COMSTECH cooperation in the region.
