ISLAMABAD, Feb 24 (APP): In a significant step towards strengthening academic ties across the Islamic world, the Coordinator General of OIC-COMSTECH, Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, together with Mohammed Motahar Alashabi, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen, formally launched Phase III of the COMSTECH-CCoE Yemen Program at the COMSTECH Secretariat on Tuesday.
The ceremony, held in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Yemen and CCoE member institutions, marked a milestone in the ongoing mission to foster scientific diplomacy and human resource development across OIC member states.
On the occasion, Prof Choudhary announced 70 fellowships for Yemeni scholars, a gesture that underscores COMSTECH’s unwavering commitment to building scientific capacity across the Muslim world.
He emphasized that such initiatives go far beyond the realm of academics — they represent a form of scientific diplomacy that creates lasting bonds between nations and peoples.
By enabling Yemeni researchers to access advanced training and form institutional partnerships with leading Pakistani universities, COMSTECH is investing not just in individuals, but in the collective intellectual future of the OIC region.
Ambassador Alashabi expressed deep gratitude on behalf of the Government and people of Yemen, describing the fellowships as a transformative opportunity that would meaningfully enhance the professional capabilities of Yemeni scholars at a time when their country’s higher education sector faces immense challenges.
He praised COMSTECH and the participating universities for their generosity and vision, noting that such cross-border academic partnerships carry the power to rebuild hope and create human capital that will serve Yemen’s recovery and development for generations to come.
The ceremony was graced by the presence of rectors and senior representatives from a wide array of Pakistan’s premier universities, all of whom addressed the gathering with warmth and conviction.
Each speaker, in their own words, echoed a sentiment that ran through the entire event like a common thread: that COMSTECH’s fellowship programs are far more than an academic exercise — they are a living expression of Muslim solidarity.
The rectors generously pledged to open their institutions’ courses to students from OIC member countries, affirming that their universities stand ready to welcome and nurture scholars from across the Muslim world.
A defining theme of the event was the universal acknowledgment that COMSTECH’s tireless efforts are actively bringing the Muslim Ummah closer together.
Speaker after speaker acknowledged that by creating structured fellowship opportunities for scholars from war-affected and developing OIC nations, COMSTECH is doing what few institutions can — turning the ideals of Islamic brotherhood into concrete, life-changing action.
The consensus was clear: in an era where the Muslim world faces complex geopolitical and developmental challenges, platforms like this one serve as indispensable instruments of unity, knowledge-sharing, and mutual upliftment.
The event was attended by heads and representatives of twenty distinguished institutions, reflecting the breadth and depth of support COMSTECH commands within Pakistan’s academic community, including the University of Lahore, University of Management and Technology, Nur International University, Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology (KFUEIT), International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, Kohsar University Murree, University of Sargodha, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Prime Institute of Public Health, Riphah International University, Fatima Jinnah Women University, University of Swat, Bahria University, National University of Technology (NUTECH), Ibadat International University, COMSATS University Islamabad, Iqra University, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Kohat University of Science and Technology, and Pak-Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (PAF-IAST).
The launch of Phase III of the COMSTECH-CCoE Yemen Program stands as a powerful reminder that academic cooperation, when driven by a spirit of genuine solidarity, can transcend borders, heal divides, and illuminate pathways to progress.
As COMSTECH continues to expand its fellowship network across the OIC region, the Islamabad ceremony will be remembered as yet another proud chapter in the organisation’s enduring mission to unite the Muslim Ummah through the transformative power of science and education.