OIC-COMSTECH facilitates Ethiopia-Pakistan Rectors’ Forum to strengthen academic, research cooperation

A Joint Rectors’ Forum comprising ten leading higher education institutions from Ethiopia and Pakistan has been established under the auspices of OIC-COMSTECH to promote academic, scientific, and technological cooperation and foster long-term institutional partnerships between the two countries

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Jun, 2026) A Joint Rectors’ Forum comprising ten leading higher education institutions from Ethiopia and Pakistan has been established under the auspices of OIC-COMSTECH to promote academic, scientific, and technological cooperation and foster long-term institutional partnerships between the two countries.

The initiative was formally announced during the OIC-COMSTECH Ethiopia-Pakistan Joint Forum held virtually from Islamabad on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in efforts to enhance bilateral collaboration in higher education, research, innovation, and capacity building.

Addressing the forum, Coordinator General OIC-COMSTECH, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, highlighted key areas of strategic cooperation, while Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Oumer Hussien Oba, delivered a keynote address outlining his country’s transformation into a knowledge-based economy through its 70:30 STEM education policy and expanding healthcare research ecosystem.

The newly formed forum brings together leading universities and research institutions from both countries to advance collaboration in science, technology, health, and innovation. Ethiopian institutions participating in the forum include the Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAIT), Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU), Adama Science and Technology University (ASTU), the University of Gondar, and Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital under Addis Ababa University.

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The Pakistani side is represented by the University of Lahore (UoL), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), and the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB).

Under the partnership, both sides will pursue collaborative research and development in advanced technologies and medical sciences, promote student and faculty exchange programmes, and establish institutional twinning arrangements between partner universities.

To facilitate implementation, the participants agreed to constitute a joint technical team to develop and oversee a comprehensive framework for future cooperation.

As an immediate outcome of the forum, COMSATS University Islamabad announced 25 scholarships for Ethiopian students, providing new opportunities for human resource development and strengthening educational linkages between the two countries.

OIC-COMSTECH also expressed its willingness to host delegations from leading Ethiopian universities in Islamabad to further expand academic, research, and institutional cooperation, reinforcing the growing partnership between Ethiopia and Pakistan in higher education and scientific development.