By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: An 18-member delegation of Turkish higher education leaders, headed by Prof. Dr Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education (CoHE), Türkiye, has concluded a comprehensive visit to Pakistan aimed at deepening academic, research, and institutional cooperation between the two nations.
The high-profile engagement brought together academic leadership from both countries to chart a shared roadmap for long-term educational partnership and joint scientific innovation.
The visit commenced with an opening session at the HEC Secretariat in Islamabad, where the delegation held high-level discussions with HEC senior management and Vice Chancellors representing leading universities across Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Welcoming the distinguished delegates, Chairman HEC Prof. Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar underscored the immense value of aligning higher education leadership from both nations. “There is an immense potential for Higher Education Commission, Pakistan and Council of Higher of Higher Education, Türkiye as welll as academia on both sides to create meaningful collaborations,” said Dr Niaz.
He highlighted key priority areas for collaboration, including expanding research partnerships, increasing student and faculty mobility programs, and building robust inter-university linkages.
On this occassion, Prof. Dr Erol Özvar expressed sincere gratitude for the warm hospitality extended by the people and academic community of Pakistan. He shared his strong conviction that the visit would yield concrete, mutually beneficial outcomes, reaffirming Türkiye’s commitment to facilitating joint research endeavors, institutional exchanges, and academic mobility.
“Council of Higher Education (CoHE) is fully ready to support sustainable partnerships between higher education sector of Türkiye and Pakistan,” concluded Dr. Erol Özvar.
On the second day, Chairman HEC and President CoHE jointly presided over bilateral strategic discussions involving university leaders from across both nations. The deliberations focused on establishing concrete joint ventures in critical, emerging domains, specifically Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Biotechnology. To translate overarching goals into actionable agreements, the session was followed by targeted one-on-one meetings between university heads, enabling institutions to negotiate direct partnerships.
Later in the day, the delegation visited Air University to tour its advanced Network Security Lab and interact with faculty. They subsequently conducted a guided tour of the National Aerospace Science & Technology Park (NASTP), receiving detailed briefings on national research, innovation projects, and technological progress.
On the third day, the delegation visited Bahria University, Islamabad, where they were received by Rector Vice Admiral Abid Hameed, who outlined the university’s facilities, internationalisation initiatives, and campus life, before leading a tour of the Applied AI Technologies Research Centre.
The delegation then proceeded to the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), where they were welcomed by Dr Muhammad Zahid Latif and senior faculty.
The delegates were briefed on NUST’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem and intellectual capital prior to touring the National Science and Technology Park (NSTP) including the Turkish Aerospace Industries facility as well as the School of Interdisciplinary Engineering and Sciences and the NUST Chip Design Centre.
Following these site visits, the delegation returned to the HEC Secretariat for an interactive reception hosted by Chairman HEC and senior management. The session facilitated mutual introductions with HEC staff and provided an open forum for Turkish leaders to share their key takeaways and observations regarding Pakistan’s higher education landscape.
The four-day engagement formally concluded with a farewell dinner hosted at the Turkish Embassy, attended by Chairman HEC and senior educational leaders, celebrating the enduring bond and expanding technological synergy between the two nations.
