Pakistan has offered 100 fully funded scholarships to Bangladesh students in order to strengthen academic ties between the countries.
The announcement was made at the Special Vice Chancellors’ Forum for Bangladesh, which was organized by OIC-COMSTECH at its Secretariat.
The forum brought together a seven-member delegation from Bangladesh, which included Vice Chancellors and senior leaders from notable universities, as well as Vice Chancellors from 15 leading Pakistani universities who are members of the COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence (CCoE).
Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General of OIC-COMSTECH, greeted the visiting delegates and highlighted the visit as a crucial step toward increasing academic and scientific cooperation between the two founding member countries of COMSTECH. He announced the availability of 100 scholarships for Bangladeshi students as a show of academic solidarity.
Speaking at the event, the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Pakistan, Md. Iqbal Hussain Khan, praised COMSTECH for its efforts in promoting meaningful academic engagement between higher education institutions in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
During interactive sessions, Vice Chancellors from both countries explored various avenues for collaboration, including faculty and student exchange programs, joint research initiatives, scholarship opportunities, and the sharing of academic resources. It was mutually agreed that each participating university would appoint a focal person to maintain ongoing communication and facilitate the implementation of agreed initiatives.
The forum featured a series of significant presentations, including a talk by Prof. Dr. Shoab A. Khan, Chancellor of Sir Syed CASE Institute of Technology, on the development of Artificial Intelligence in Pakistan. Additionally, as Chairperson of the Private Education Institutions Regulatory Authority, Prof. Dr. Shoab A. Khan shared insights on strategies to improve university rankings.
The Bangladeshi delegation, on a visit from June 16 to 21, also engaged with leading universities in Islamabad, Lahore, and Murree. The delegates expressed deep appreciation for the hospitality extended to them and described their visit as historic, fruitful, and a promising foundation for long-term academic cooperation between the two nations.
