Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU), Kazakhstan, has been inducted in the network of Comsats. With its 14 faculties, 98 departments, 20 scientific research institutions, a techno-park, and over 2,000 professors and faculty members, KazNu is now the 20th member of Comsats' Network.
Comsats, a brainchild of late Professor Abdus Salam, was originally envisioned to have a network of at least 20 Centres of Excellence across the world. This network provides the necessary resource base to Comsats for playing its role as the proponent of South-South cooperation for sustainable development, mandated in 1994. The decision to induct KazNU to the Network was taken by the Coordinating Council of Comsats at its 18th annual international meeting, says a press note.
The meeting was hosted by Comsats' Centre of Excellence, the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI). Apart from senior officials of Comsats Secretariat and the Honorary Lifetime Member of the Council, Professor M H A Hassan, heads/representatives of 13 Centres of Excellence of Comsats attended the meeting. These were: BCSIR-Bangladesh, ICCES-China, CIF-Colombia, NRC-Egypt, CSIR-Ghana, IROST-Iran, ICENS-Jamaica, RSS-Jordan, CIIT-Pakistan, IRCC-Sudan, ITI-Sri Lanka, TIRDO-Tanzania, and TUBITAK-MAM, Turkey. In addition to the Vice-Rector for Research and Innovative Affairs of KazNU, two members of COMSATS' International Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) from Malaysia and Senagal, and a representative of UNESCO attended the meeting.
Under the chairmanship of Dr Eduardo Posada F, Director International Centre for Physics (CIF), Colombia, the council deliberated on an 11-point agenda, reviewing the activities of Comsats and taking strategic decisions in connection with its international programmes and activities. One of the important decisions taken by the meeting was the endorsement of draft Statutes of Comsats that have been prepared by Comsats Secretariat in consultation with Professor MH A Hassan. A review of Comsats' International Thematic Research Groups (ITRGs) during the meeting resulted in the announcements of launching of two ITRGs, 'Agriculture, Food Security and Biotechnology' (led by NRC-Egypt) and 'Renewable Energy' (led by IROST-Iran) during June and September 2015, respectively.
While discussing the new initiatives of Comsats, the Council also mandated the Executive Director Comsats to sign an MoU between TWAS and Comsats for collaboration in the field of Science Diplomacy. The Council expressed its satisfaction over the administrative and financial affairs of Comsats.
Earlier, the meeting was inaugurated by Dr Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Higher Education & Research (MOHER), Sri Lanka. In the inaugural address, Dr Sarath urged the governments of the developing countries to identify their respective competitive advantages and make best utilization of the latest advancements in S&T for increasing their productivity and high-technology exports. Comsats Executive Director Dr Imtinan Qureshi stated that in spite of well-known statistics showing direct correlation between S&T capacity and economic performance, it continues to be a challenge for most of the developing countries to create credible R&D infrastructures that can help in building industrial competitiveness in world markets. Other participants of the meeting included Deputy Minister Moher, Dr Sudarshani Fernandopulle; Secretary Moher, P Ranepura; and Niroshana Perera, Chairman, ITI.
A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting included provisions on undertaking collaborative research programmes; making concerted efforts for launching new ITRGs; as well as making maximum utilisation of scholarships offered by China, Pakistan and Iran.-PR
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