ISLAMABAD,  25^thFEB 2021 : Three Centers of Excellence of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), a Pakistan-based intergovernmental organization of 27 developing countries, signed general agreements for collaboration in various fields of science and technology in the presence of Prime Ministers of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, during hisvisit to Colombo. The agreements were signed by the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), Sri Lanka, with the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), Pakistan, and the COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Pakistan. ITI was represented by its Director General, Dr. Radhika Samarasekera, while ICCBS and CUI were represented by the Pakistani High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Maj. Gen. (R) Muhammad Saad Khattak.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between ITI-Sri Lanka and ICCBS-Pakistan would provide platform for cooperation in the areas of natural products/medicinal plant chemistry, food chemistry, biotechnology, nanotechnology, tropical disease research, and analytical services. Under the MoU, the parties would undertake academic and research cooperation in terms of scholarships, fellowships, hands-on trainings on sophisticated equipment, joint supervision of students, conducting bi-institutional workshops, exchange of research scientists and faculty members, exchange of academic materials and publications, setting up of analytical service laboratories, etc.

On the other hand, the Intent of Cooperation (IoC) signed between ITI-Sri Lanka and CUI-Pakistan would provide basis for cooperation in education, research and capacity building through joint training programs, conferences and seminars; joint academic and research activities; exchange of researchers, staff and faculty members; short-term and long-term fellowships; implementation of short-term training courses; publishing joint research journals; sharing of scientific resources, etc.

Reflecting on this development, the Executive Director COMSATS, Dr. S. M. Junaid Zaidi, SI and HI , today talking to the press ensured that the signing of the afore-mentioned MoU/IoC would facilitate COMSATS’ Network of International S&T Centers of Excellence in achieving its mission of promoting South-South and Triangular cooperation for finding S&T-based solutions to the sustainability issues in the global South, and at the same time, would bring Pakistan and Sri Lanka closer for mutually beneficial cooperation in science, technology and innovation.