COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) of Pakistan in collaboration with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO); Higher Education Com-mission, Pakistan (HEC); Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of Pakistan (MoST); and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) has organized a 2 – Day Vice Chancellors’ Forum on ‘Universities in the Islamic World: Challenges of Internationalization’.
The objectives set forth for the Forum was to help establish linkages and promote networking among the participating universities/institutions, pool resources including but not limited to offering scholarship for higher studies and promote exchange of students and faculty among the participating universities/institutions.
More than 200 Vice Chancellors/Rectors/Presidents of Universities/ higher education institutions are attending the Forum. VC Forum aims at providing platform to the university leaders in the OIC member states
in building linkages for initiating joint academic programs, endorsing research, pooling resources, offering scholarships, promoting students /faculty exchange programs, establishing centers of excellence, etc. A Pakistan universities exhibition was also planned on the sidelines of the VC Forum show casing the academic
and research programs being offered by different universities across Pakistan. There are more than 50 stalls of different institution at the venue for exhibition. It is expected that the Forum would provide an excellent opportunity for developing and promoting linkages among universities/higher education institutions in the Islamic world.
At the inaugural session, Federal Minister for Science & Technology and Chancellor COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Zahid Hamid in his address stressed on socio-economic development through knowledge based economy. He said that the theme Universities in the Islamic World: “Challenges of Internationalization” aptly signifies the need to have a critical view of the higher education system among the Muslim Countries and their linkages with rest of the world. He said, “I sincerely hope that the Forum will help in establishing linkages among the institutions of Islamic World., He reiterated the commitment of the present democratic government which is specially focusing on the higher education in the country.
Muhammad Baligh ur Rehman, Minister for State for education shared that we would not rise again without investing on education and science and technology and should come together in well-defined and monitorable but innovative ways to excel in knowledge and discovery and help ourselves and the world to be a better place for gene-rations to come.
Director General (ISESCO) & Secretary General Federation of Ministers of Islamic World, Dr. Abdul Aziz Uthman Altawajiri shared vast experience in the field of Higher education and highlighted problems and issues in this sector in Islamic world.
Rector CIIT Dr. S.M Junaid Zaidi also addressed the gathering and stressed on the pro-vision of quality Higher Education among the Muslim world. He also appreciated the participants of the VC’s forum.