As artificial intelligence, climate change and digital disruption reshape the global order, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Monday called on the Muslim world to meet the future with intellectual courage, urging that technological progress stay firmly rooted in knowledge, ethics and human values.
Anwar hails OIC-COMSTECH’s vision as Malaysia eyes hosting Science & Technology Summit
ISLAMABAD, Sep 28 (APP): As artificial intelligence, climate change and digital disruption reshape the global order, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Monday called on the Muslim world to meet the future with intellectual courage, urging that technological progress stay firmly rooted in knowledge, ethics and human values.
Inaugurating the International Future Conference 2026 at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), the Prime Minister praised OIC-COMSTECH’s efforts to confront the challenges facing the Muslim world.
On the sidelines of the event, he met OIC-COMSTECH Coordinator General Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, and the two discussed the possibility of Malaysia hosting a future Science and Technology Summit.
Prof. Choudhary said the meeting covered upcoming projects and prospects for broadening cooperation between Malaysia and OIC-COMSTECH.
In his keynote address, Anwar said the Muslim Ummah needed the determination to master its intellectual heritage, the courage to question and challenge established assumptions, and the willingness to venture into fields of knowledge that remain uncharted.
The future, he said, demands creativity, intellectual freedom and resolve. He stressed that advances in artificial intelligence and digital transformation must remain connected to ethical, cultural and societal values, and called for a broader approach in which science and technology grow alongside philosophy, history, morality and the humanities.
OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Science and Technology, Ambassador Aftab Ahmad Khokhar, said OIC member states share a collective responsibility to build a future driven by knowledge, science, technology and innovation, while ensuring that progress respects human dignity, ethical values and sustainable development.
Science and innovation, he noted, are no longer merely tools of economic growth but strategic foundations for resilience, technological self-reliance and long-term prosperity.
He commended OIC-COMSTECH for creating a forward-looking platform that brings together leaders, policymakers, academics and young people, and credited Prof. Choudhary’s leadership in advancing its future-oriented programmes.
Prof. Choudhary described the conference as a key platform for preparing the Muslim world for fast-changing technological, economic and social realities. Bringing together expertise from science, education, policy and industry, he said, could forge new partnerships and deepen cooperation among OIC member states in areas vital to their development.
Held on Sept 28–29 under the theme “Shaping the Future Through Knowledge, Innovation, and Civilisational Leadership,” the conference is jointly organised by OIC-COMSTECH and IIUM. It has drawn about 180 participants, including policymakers, academics, scientists, technology experts, institutional leaders and youth representatives.
The programme is built around six pillars: artificial intelligence and space technologies; climate change and energy transition; future economies and Islamic social finance; halal technology and development in the 21st century; youth, leadership and human capital development; and the future of education.
The opening day features sessions on AI and space technologies, climate change and energy transition, and future economies and Islamic social finance. The second day will turn to halal technology, youth leadership and human capital, and the future of education.
