African Alliance Of Islamic Universities Helps To Combat Challenges: HEC

Chairman HEC suggested that the knowledge sharing, exchange of scholars, educational technology transfer, and joint programs among higher education institutions of Africa and Pakistan can help to overcome the challenges.

African Alliance Of Islamic Universities Helps To Combat Challenges: HEC

COMSTECH organized the foundation meeting of the Alliance of Islamic Universities of Africa at COMSTECH Secretariat on Thursday. Vice Chancellors/Rectors of Muslim Universities from Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan participated in the meeting.

Chairman HEC, Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed was the chief guest of the meeting. He welcomed the delegates to the foundation meeting of Alliance of Islamic Universities of Africa and appreciated the efforts of Coordinator General COMSTECH, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, for organizing this much needed meeting to support our Muslim brothers/sisters, and young minds of Africa in the fields of science, technology and higher education.

Chairman HEC suggested that the collaborations, knowledge sharing, best practices, exchange of scholars, educational technology transfer, and joint programs among higher education institutions of Africa and Pakistan can help to overcome the challenges if initiatives like the Alliance of Islamic Universities of Africa are well thought –out and well executed in true spirit.

Dr. Mukhtar pointed out that the one of the major developmental challenges in the African region is the limited number of skilled professionals and workforce and suggested that this issue can be addressed by improving their tertiary education system.

Dr. Mukhtar said that this initiative will help us to build an ecosystem of collaboration and enable knowledge-based economic growth in the OIC member states, particularly in the African region. He said that the alliance will open avenues to share ideas, skills, expertise, and best practices to pool resources for mutual support and benefit for each institution. He, on the behalf of the Higher Education Commission, assured sustained and full support to COMSTECH programs.

The Coordinator General COMSTECH, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary said that the idea of forming an alliance of Muslim Universities in non-OIC countries or in Muslim majority areas of OIC member states came out of discussion with Prof. Ismail, Vice Chancellor Islamic University in Uganda.

He said the key motivation of this vision was to foster linkages between the Islamic universities of Africa and leading universities of the OIC region. Prof. Choudhary said that harnessing the creative potential of young African Muslims is the only way forward for the prosperity and development of Muslim communities in African continent. With this objective in mind, this alliance is created under the leadership of Prof. Ismail Gyagenda.

He said that this alliance in linkages with the COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence member institutions will initiate: Exchange visits of senior management, Sabbatical and training visits of faculty and staff, Initiation of new academic and skill development programs, Joint research projects, Exchange of students, researchers and technicians, Workshops and training courses, and Special programs in emerging technologies. Prof. Choudhary concluded his remarks with the commitment to work closely with universities in Africa and Pakistan for a prosperous future of youth in African countries.

Opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Dr. Asmat of ICCBS. She welcomed the participants and gave comprehensive introduction of the meeting agenda, aims, and objectives.