Chaudhry Fawad to be chairperson of Comsats consultative committee

Islamabad : The Government of Pakistan attaches great importance to the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (Comsats) - an inter-governmental organisation based in Islamabad. An indication of this is the designation of the Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, as ex-officio Chairperson of Comsats Consultative Committee (which was previously chaired by the Federal Secretary) , says a press release.

This development has raised the level of the Committee in order to provide maximum support and patronage to the programmes and undertakings of the organization. During a recent visit to Comsats Headquarters, the Federal Minister stated that he considers Comsats a potent platform for South-South cooperation in science and technology.

A brain-child of Pakistani Nobel Laureate, Prof. Dr. Abdus Salam, Comsats is working for sustainable socio-economic uplift of the developing countries through judicious application of science and technology. It comprises 27 developing countries (13 from Asia, 12 from Africa and 2 from Latin America) and a Network of 22 International S&T Centres of Excellence. Hon. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Republic of Ghana, is the incumbent Chairperson of Comsats.

The organisation is completing 25 years of its existence and successful operations in October 2019. Some of the success stories of Comsats are the establishment of Comsats University Islamabad (CUI), Comsats Internet Services (CIS), Comsats Telehealth Programme, International Thematic Research Groups (ITRGs) in emerging fields of science and technology, and series of workshops and conferences in those areas that are most relevant to the socio-economic needs of developing countries.

In order to mark its 25th Anniversary, Comsats Secretariat is holding an array of activities in Pakistan and abroad, which includes meetings of its Organs. The 4th General Meeting of the Commission will be hosted and chaired by the President of Ghana in Accra. The meeting of Consultative Committee will be chaired by the Pakistani Minister for S&T. A series of celebratory events, round-table discussions, and S&T exhibitions are also being organised.