On 3 February 2026 a high-level Kazakh delegation led by H.E. Mirza Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, visited the COMSTECH Secretariat in Islamabad to discuss deeper Kazakhstan cooperation in science, technology and higher education across the OIC community and with Pakistan.
The minister was accompanied by presidents and rectors of leading Kazakh universities and was received by Federal Minister for Science and Technology Khalid Hussain Magsi, Secretary Science and Technology Shahid Iqbal Baloch, Coordinator General OIC COMSTECH Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary and senior COMSTECH officials. Discussions focused on expanding institutional linkages, capacity building and joint research initiatives.
Prof. Choudhary underlined the growing role of science diplomacy and noted Kazakhstan’s central position in the OIC science and technology landscape. He highlighted Kazakhstan’s contributions to the STI Agenda 2026 and referenced international scientific forums that honour Muslim scholars such as Abu Nasr Al‑Farabi and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, emphasising the historical and intellectual ties that underpin current cooperation.
The talks identified priority areas for collaboration including biotechnology, digitisation and artificial intelligence, environmental science, agriculture and innovation-driven research. Prof. Choudhary also praised Kazakhstan for hosting the Islamic Organization for Food Security and recalled long-standing coordination between COMSTECH and Kazakhstan’s diplomatic mission on capacity-building and academic networking.
Federal Minister Magsi recalled that Pakistan and Kazakhstan have been collaborating since 1996 through the Pakistan–Kazakhstan Revolving Fund, which enabled over 100 Kazakh scholars to complete PhDs at Pakistani universities and take part in joint research. He noted Kazakhstan’s active participation in COMSTECH initiatives on food security, biotechnology, agricultural sustainability, health sciences and digital innovation.
Both sides discussed biosafety and biosecurity cooperation, referencing an international seminar in Islamabad co‑organised from a Kazakh initiative presented at the United Nations. Kazakhstan’s expanding investments in research, higher education reforms, vaccine research and digital infrastructure were cited as opportunities for deeper Kazakhstan cooperation with Pakistani institutions and regional networks.
Minister Nurbek conveyed appreciation for Prof. Choudhary’s leadership and expressed Kazakhstan’s readiness to broaden partnerships in higher education, research and innovation. The delegation thanked the Government of Pakistan and COMSTECH for warm hospitality, and both parties agreed to accelerate joint programmes to address shared scientific and educational challenges.
