Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday initiated efforts to forge academic, research and healthcare collaboration between Pakistan and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), with a focus on supporting the prime minister’s proposed Jinnah Medical Complex and Research Centre (JMCRC) and the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center (PKLI).
Ahsan explores UIC partnership for JMCRC, PKLI to boost medical education, research
CHICAGO, July 7 (APP):Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday initiated efforts to forge academic, research and healthcare collaboration between Pakistan and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), with a focus on supporting the prime minister’s proposed Jinnah Medical Complex and Research Centre (JMCRC) and the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center (PKLI).
During his visit to the University of Illinois Chicago, the minister held detailed discussions with the university’s Provost, Vice Provost and Dean of the medical faculty on establishing institutional partnerships in medical education, research, innovation and advanced healthcare, a news release said.
Sharing the Prime Minister’s vision for the Jinnah Medical Complex and Research Centre, Ahsan Iqbal said the government was committed not only to developing world-class healthcare infrastructure but also to building strong international academic and clinical linkages to transform the institution into a leading regional medical centre.
Highlighting PKLI’s advancement towards cutting-edge robotic surgery, the minister said Pakistan was keen to benefit from UIC’s globally recognised expertise in robotic surgery, medical research and innovation.
To initiate institutional engagement, he virtually connected PKLI President Professor Dr. Saeed Akhtar with the university’s leadership and medical faculty for preliminary discussions on future cooperation.
The two sides also discussed expanding collaboration under the US-Pak Knowledge Corridor by incorporating medical sciences alongside higher education.
The proposed areas of cooperation included faculty and student exchanges, scholarships, joint research initiatives, advanced surgical training and long-term institutional partnerships.
Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan intended to learn from internationally recognised models of academic medicine and integrated healthcare systems, adding that such experiences would provide valuable guidance for the development of the country’s emerging medical institutions.
Recalling Pakistan’s longstanding academic partnership with the United States, the minister said that during his previous tenure he had played a key role in expanding the Pakistan-USEFP Fulbright Scholarship Programme by securing Pakistan’s financial contribution, helping it become one of the world’s largest Fulbright programmes.
He said the initiative reflected Pakistan’s continued commitment to investing in human capital and strengthening international academic cooperation.
The University of Illinois Chicago leadership welcomed the exchange of ideas and expressed interest in maintaining dialogue with Pakistani institutions to explore future collaboration in medical education, research and healthcare innovation.
During the discussions, the university also shared its Brazilian model of integrated healthcare and medical education, which the minister described as a valuable framework that could help shape the development of the Prime Minister’s proposed Jinnah Medical Complex and Research Centre in Pakistan.
