TEHRAN – The main challenges in the development of Islamabad–Tehran relations have been overcome and the two countries are ready to further boost ties in higher education, science, and technology, the chairman of Pakistan's higher education commission has said.

A delegation of Pakistani academic members headed by Mukhtar Ahmed visited Iran's House of Innovation and Technology (iHiT) on January 15, IRNA reported.

Iran and Pakistan, while expressing willingness to expand cooperation, highlighted the importance of enhancing scientific relations.

Need for boosting sci-tech ties

“Iran is ready to cooperate with Pakistan in technological fields. Information and communication technology, agriculture, and health are among the fields in which the two countries can boost cooperation,” Amir-Hossein Mir-Abadi, an official with the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology said in a meeting with Mukhtar Ahmed, ISNA reported.

Ahmed, for his part, said that Iran and Pakistan are confronting similar problems and challenges; these common issues can lay the basis for boosting mutual relations and cooperation. “Pakistan is interested in cooperating and interacting with Iran in scientific and technological fields.”

The Pakistani official went on to say that the sanctions have made Iran more successful in scientific fields.

Exchanging academic staff including professors and students and conducting joint projects can be among other options of cooperation between Iran and Pakistan, he added.

Talking about setting up national pavilions in different countries, Ahmed said Pakistan is ready to hold Iranian pavilions, too.

He hoped that the bilateral cooperation would be extended into regional cooperation including other countries such as India and Bangladesh.

Universities to form a consortium

In October 2023, the D-8 International University signed a memorandum of understanding and a memorandum of cooperation with five Malaysian universities.

D-8, also known as Developing-8, is an organization for development cooperation among eight Islamic nations, namely Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.

While attending the meeting of the board of trustees of D-8 universities in Hamedan, Ahmed met with science minister Mohammad Ali Zolfigol.

During the meeting, they agreed to form a consortium of Iranian and Pakistani universities consisting of 25 universities from both countries to meet annually to boost cooperation.

The first meeting of the consortium is supposed to be held in Iran by the end of the current Iranian calendar year.

MT/MG