ISLAMABAD
Secretary-General of the Developing-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation Ambassador Sohail Mahmood has emphasized that education, science, and technology constitute vital pillars of D-8 cooperation, offering significant opportunities for strengthening institutional linkages and advancing collaborative initiatives.
He expressed these views while meeting a high-level delegation of Pakistani educationists at the D-8 Secretariat in Istanbul, where discussions focused on D-8’s origin and historical evolution, the current trajectory of D-8’s sectoral cooperation in myriad fields, and the Organization’s initiatives in the realm of higher education, research, and innovation, said a press release received here on Monday.
The secretary-general particularly highlighted the D-8 Network of Pioneers for Research and Innovation (NPRI) as a flagship platform linking leading universities across member states, noting that the network currently comprises 28 prominent institutions. He encouraged more universities and higher education institutions from Pakistan to join the NPRI through relevant national ministries to further enhance academic collaboration within the D-8 framework.
The Secretary-General also noted Pakistan’s important role in hosting key D-8 affiliated bodies — including the D-8 NPRI Secretariat at COMSATS University, Islamabad; and the D-8 Research Center for Agriculture and Food Security (RCAFS) at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
The delegation comprised senior representatives from Pakistan’s higher education and scientific community — including Dr. Abdul Basit, President of the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) – Federal Chapter; Mr. Sabur Sethi, President of City University of Science and Technology, Peshawar; and Mr. Muhammad Murtaza Noor, Focal Person and Coordinator for CCoE and Outreach at OIC-COMSTECH, Islamabad.
The delegation appreciated the efforts of the D-8 Secretariat in promoting academic and scientific cooperation and expressed keen interest in expanding engagement with its initiatives, particularly under the NPRI platform. The participants noted that they were in Türkiye to attend the Eurasia Higher Education Summit (EURIE) 2026, which brought together a wide range of universities and institutions, reflecting Pakistan’s growing higher education sector and its commitment to international academic collaboration.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared resolve of D-8 member states to advance knowledge-based cooperation and promote innovation-driven development through enhanced collaboration in higher education, research and technology.
