ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT ): The OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) has established a coordination office at Indonesia’s Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) in collaboration with the World University Association for Community Development (WUACD), in a move aimed at strengthening academic, scientific and research cooperation among universities across OIC member states.
The COMSTECH-WUACD Coordination Office was inaugurated at the WUACD Secretariat in Surabaya and is expected to serve as a regional platform for joint research, academic mobility, institutional partnerships and capacity-building initiatives involving universities from across the Muslim world.
Speaking in the inaugural ceremony Coordinator General OIC-COMSTECH Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary said the coordination office would facilitate a wide range of programmes focused on research mobility, capacity building, academic networking, knowledge sharing and institutional cooperation among universities in OIC countries.
He said particular emphasis would be placed on providing educational opportunities and professional training for students and researchers from the Muslim world. He added that future collaboration would also focus on water resource management, climate resilience, health sciences, emerging technologies and youth skills development.
Rector of Universitas Airlangga and President of WUACD, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Madyan, designated the office as a strategic step towards expanding international academic cooperation and addressing common development challenges through science, technology and innovation.
He said the initiative would facilitate collaborative research projects, joint publications, faculty and student exchanges, and support the COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence, which seeks to strengthen cooperation among leading universities and research institutions in OIC member states.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr. Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, welcomed the establishment of the coordination office and said it would contribute significantly to strengthening scientific cooperation and research partnerships across the Muslim world.
He stressed the need for stronger research ecosystems and enhanced scientific collaboration to address emerging global challenges, including climate change, food security, public health and technological transformation.
The ambassador also highlighted expanding Pakistan-Indonesia cooperation in higher education, health sciences and vaccine development, describing scientific collaboration as an important component of long-term strategic development.
WUACD is an international network of universities committed to advancing education, research and community engagement through global academic partnerships. Officials said the newly established coordination office would help expand institutional cooperation and promote impact-oriented programmes addressing the development priorities of OIC member states.
