Fawad offers support to Comsats’ activities

Islamabad:Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Monday assured Pakistan''s willingness to support COMSATS member countries as well as other developing countries in COVID response through sharing expertise and providing Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs).

The minister stated this during a meeting with the Executive Director of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), Dr. S. M. Junaid Zaidi held here on Monday.

Science minister briefed him about the ongoing programmes and activities of COMSATS in various fields of science and technology for the benefit of its member states including Pakistan. The meeting was also attended by Capt. (R) Nasim Nawaz, Secretary Science & Technology, Dr. Hussain Abidi, Member (Science and Technology), MoST; Dr. Ahsan Feroze, Director (IL), Pakistan Science Foundation; and other high officers of COMSATS Secretariat and Ministry of Science and Technology.

The Federal Minister appreciated the efforts of COMSATS for promoting science related sustainable development in Pakistan and other member countries. He reiterated that Pakistan will continue to play its role as an active member of COMSATS and shall also contribute towards multilateral cooperation through other international forums.

Being the Chair of COMSATS Consultative Committee, the minister advised that a meeting of the Consultative Committee be organized virtually amid physical restrictions due to Coronavirus outbreak.

The minister shared the plans of the government for next three years and sought collaboration with COMSATS member states particularly in the areas of agriculture, electronics and chemical sciences. The minister took keen interest in COMSATS Scholarship Programme and advised COMSATS to give priority to the underprivileged brotherly countries.

Both exchanged views on various other issues including the strengthening of CIS, enhancing the effectiveness of CCCS, establishment of the Innovation Lab, and development and management of Science and Technology Park in Pakistan.

Chaudhry Fawad acknowledged and appreciated the COMSATS Telehealth programme for providing essential medical services in the rural areas of Pakistan and advised to expand its scope in Pakistan and other member countries.

Earlier, Dr. Zaidi made a detailed presentation on COMSATS and its programmes. The Executive Director apprised the minister regarding the capacity building programmes, International Thematic Research Groups (ITRGs), South-South & Triangular cooperation endeavors; national, regional and international collaborations; scholarship & fellowship programmes, etc.

The Executive Director also deliberated upon the planned programmes and initiatives of COMSATS for sustainable development of the member countries.

The COMSATS Centre for Climate and Sustainability (CCCS) is one such initiative which has been taken in order to promote regional and global partnerships for climate action and sustainability in which over 15 countries are participating.

The future plans of the organization also include establishment of the COMSATS Innovation Lab in Islamabad; upgradation of CIS; provision of wireless broadband services for socio-economic development in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK); Distance Learning Support Network; establishment of 50 Rural Telehealth Clinics in Pakistan; and promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Pakistan. It was informed that the possibility of establishing new universities on the lines of CUI in other member countries is also being explored.