ISLAMABAD
High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda to Pakistan, Harerimana Fatou on Tuesday called on a meeting with Coordinator General, Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary for discussing the future prospects of institutional cooperation between Pakistan and Rwanda.
The Rwanda’s envoy to Pakistan, Harerimana Fatou in meeting with Coordinator, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, emphasized the institutional cooperation with the African region, especially in science and technology.
She appreciated the COMSTECH administration for providing four scholarships to the Rwandan students in different fields and also asked for enhancing bilateral cooperation in scientific education, said a release issued.
The High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda said that through scientific cooperation, Pakistan and Rwanda can come closer to share each other’s experience at institutional level and COMSTECH to play a significant role in this regard.
She said that institutional cooperation is pivotal to build capacity in key areas of scientific cooperation through exchange programs and bilateral Institutional linkages at country level.
She said that prime institutions like COMSTECH also provide an enabling environment to increase investment, and trade through technology-based projects within countries and regions.
Meanwhile, Coordinator , Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary said in meeting that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has launched COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence (CCoE) comprising of key academic and Science, Technology and Engineering research institutions of OIC Member Countries.
He said that the COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence (CCoE) aimed at the program is to offer research fellowships to develop research capacity in the Member States in collaboration with prominent research institutions of the member states.
The program entails research training of 100 young scientists/engineers (enrolled in PhD, Masters programs or involved in active research) every year from OIC member states and Muslim Minorities in Non- OIC states, preference will be given to applicants from LDCs.
He said that our scholarship aims to build the scientific capacity of Member Countries in various scientific fields of science, technology, and innovation (STI) through benefitting from the best of talent globally.
Science and Technology Parks (STPs) are one of the most important innovation policy initiatives. The objective is to exchange ideas and support enterprises in OIC Countries for the development and exchange of technologies and innovations.
He said that COMSTECH works in close collaboration with various Standing Committees and other organs of the Member States of the OIC and their major Scientific and Technological Institutions, in addition to some international organizations.
The latter include The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Islamic World Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ICESCO), Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), International Foundation for Science, (IFS), World Health Organization – Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (WHO–EMRO).
