Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Secretary-General of the Developing-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, received a high-level delegation of Pakistani educationists at the D-8 Secretariat in Istanbul to discuss opportunities within the D-8 NPRI and broader sectoral cooperation.
The delegation included senior figures from Pakistan’s higher education and scientific community, notably Dr. Abdul Basit, President of the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) Federal Chapter, Mr. Sabur Sethi, President of City University of Science and Technology Peshawar, and Mr. Muhammad Murtaza Noor, Focal Person and Coordinator for CCoE and Outreach at OIC-COMSTECH Islamabad. Conversations centred on the origin and evolution of the D-8, its current priorities across multiple sectors, and how Pakistani institutions can deepen engagement through research and innovation networks.
The Secretary-General underlined that education, science, and technology are core pillars of D-8 cooperation and highlighted the D-8 NPRI as a flagship platform linking leading universities across member states. He noted that the network currently brings together 28 prominent institutions and urged more Pakistani universities and higher education bodies to join D-8 NPRI through the relevant national ministries to strengthen institutional linkages.
Participants emphasised Pakistan’s role as a host for key D-8 affiliated bodies, including the D-8 NPRI Secretariat at COMSATS University Islamabad and the D-8 Research Center for Agriculture and Food Security at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad. Delegates praised the Secretariat’s efforts to promote academic and scientific collaboration and expressed strong interest in expanding Pakistan’s contribution to D-8 research initiatives.
The visiting delegation was in Türkiye to take part in the Eurasia Higher Education Summit EURIE 2026, reflecting Pakistan’s growing higher education landscape and its commitment to international academic cooperation. Talks in Istanbul reinforced the importance of coordinated action among Pakistani universities, Ministries, and D-8 partners to maximise the benefits of D-8 NPRI for research capacity and innovation.
Going forward, the discussions set the stage for increased outreach and practical collaboration under the D-8 NPRI framework, with Pakistani stakeholders seeking to leverage the platform to enhance research linkages, joint projects, and exchange among member-state institutions.
