A high-level delegation from COMSATS Institute for Information Technology (CIIT), of Pakistan, led by the Federal Minister for Science and Technology and Chancellor CIIT, Rana Tanveer Hussain attended a meeting with senior officials from the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), including Deputy Secretary General Dr. John Kirkland OBE and Chair Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Richard Middleton. The meeting took place at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London on 2 March 2016. H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK was also present in the meeting, says a press release received from London here today.
During the meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction on the ongoing cooperation between ACU and educational institutions in Pakistan particularly CIIT. There was a mutual desire to build upon the existing framework by expanding collaboration in the ACU Titular Scholarship programme for Pakistan and incorporating diverse fields in the programme including information technology, development sciences and architecture. Both sides also agreed to find ways to increase the number of Commonwealth Scholarships for Pakistani students.
Minister for Science and Technology welcomed the initiatives taken by ACU to promote research & development as well as cooperation in the Commonwealth countries. He also briefed on the CIIT initiative about providing scholarships to Commonwealth students and invited the Association to organize its Annual Summer School in Pakistan in 2017.
Appreciating Pakistan’s efforts in promoting educational cooperation within Commonwealth, the Deputy Secretary General termed CIIT as one of the leading members of ACU. He expressed his desire to develop research collaboration with CIIT and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), of Pakistan under four areas i.e., research management; development of adequate academics; collaboration in open science and gender mainstreaming. He also extended invitation to the Minister and the CIIT to participate in the ACU’s biennial Conference in Ghana in July 2016.
Following the meeting, the Minister along with the delegation attended a reception hosted by the ACU for Pakistani Commonwealth and Chevening Scholars. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister congratulated the students on securing these prestigious scholarships and urged them to make full use of this opportunity. He also urge them to use the knowledge and expertise gained over here, for the betterment of Pakistan.
The Minister also visited the High Commission and met the High Commissioner, who apprised him Mission’s efforts to promote bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and the UK in various fields, in particular, health and education.
The CIIT delegation led by the Minister for Science and Technology, is on a four-day official visit to the United Kingdom from 02-05 March 2016. During the trip, they will visit and hold meetings at key academic institutions in the UK to enhance Pakistan-UK educational cooperation. The other members of the delegation include Rector CIIT Dr S M Junaid Zaidi, Director CIIT Lahore Dr. Qaisar Abbas and Head IO CIIT Dr. Arshad Malik.
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