ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Ethiopia on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in education, higher education, technical and vocational training, STEAM education, research and institutional linkages.
The understanding was reached during a courtesy call by Ethiopia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Pakistan, Dr Oumer Hussien Oba, on Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Syed Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui at the Ministry of Education and Professional Training.
Welcoming the Ethiopian envoy, the minister said Pakistan attached great importance to its longstanding and friendly relations with Ethiopia and looked forward to further expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in the education sector.
He noted that Pakistan and Ethiopia established diplomatic relations in 1973, while the opening of the Ethiopian Embassy in Islamabad in 2022 was an important step towards enhancing bilateral engagement.
The meeting focused on a draft Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in education, which was shared with the Ethiopian side through diplomatic channels in December 2025. The proposed MoU aims to establish a structured framework for educational cooperation between the two countries, covering higher education, technical and vocational education and training, STEAM education, and institutional and academic linkages.
The minister welcomed an update from the Ethiopian side on the status of the draft MoU and expressed Pakistan’s readiness to consider any comments or observations from Ethiopia with a view to finalising a mutually agreeable text through appropriate diplomatic channels.
Discussing higher education cooperation, Siddiqui highlighted the potential for joint seminars, workshops and webinars, guest lectures, visiting scholars, student networking, cultural exchanges, research showcases and innovation activities, as well as sharing of educational resources.
He encouraged direct linkages between universities and research institutions of the two countries, subject to their respective mandates and applicable procedures, saying such cooperation could promote faculty interaction, research collaboration and greater academic exposure for students.
The minister also underlined the considerable potential for cooperation in technical and vocational education and skills development. He highlighted the role of Pakistan’s National Vocational and Technical Training Commission and relevant Ethiopian institutions in exploring opportunities for exchange of expertise in skills development, competency standards, industry-responsive training and institutional capacity building.
He said cooperation in sharing information on emerging skills requirements and labour-market trends could contribute to better alignment of training programmes with employment opportunities.
The two sides also discussed STEAM education, with emphasis on inquiry-based and interdisciplinary learning, research activities, and exchange of educational practices and teaching resources. The minister expressed Pakistan’s readiness to collaborate with Ethiopia in these emerging areas of educational development and innovation.
Siddiqui proposed that, after receipt of Ethiopia’s comments on the draft MoU, focal persons from both sides should engage to address any outstanding issues and develop a mutually agreeable text. He expressed the hope that the two countries would then proceed through appropriate diplomatic channels towards its finalisation and signing.
The minister said Pakistan and Ethiopia should continue working to translate their cordial bilateral relations into practical educational cooperation that creates tangible opportunities for students, teachers, educational institutions and the skills development sector of both countries.
Ambassador Dr Oumer Hussien Oba appreciated the warm welcome and expressed his commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations between Pakistan and Ethiopia. He underscored the importance of enhanced cooperation in education, research and institutional linkages, and highlighted the potential for greater collaboration between universities and research institutions of the two countries.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to advancing the proposed education cooperation framework and identifying concrete areas for collaboration to further deepen educational and people-to-people ties between Pakistan and Ethiopia.
