Pakistan and Trkiye have agreed to bolster academic and research relations, with a significant focus on emerging high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, alongside strategic areas including defence-related research and joint policy development.
A high-level delegation from Turkish universities, headed by Ambassador Irfan Neziroglu, met with officials at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan on Tuesday to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation. The visiting party expressed a keen interest in broadening academic and research engagements between the two nations.
The Turkish representatives included Prof. Dr. Fatih Yilmaz of Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Keles of Adiyaman University, Prof. Dr. Fahrettin Göktas of Firat University, and Prof. Dr. Mutlu Trkmen of Bayburt University. They were received by HEC Chairman Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar and other commission officials.
Discussions centred on promoting joint research initiatives not only in technology but also in medicine, agriculture, physics, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and social sciences. The enhancement of language studies, covering both Urdu and Turkish, was also on the agenda.
Both parties explored various avenues for collaboration, including student and faculty exchange programmes, joint innovation development projects, academic conferences, and summer exchange schemes. They also considered the implementation of visiting scholar programmes in specialised fields, dual degree programmes, and the creation of online learning modules across multiple disciplines.
A key proposal involved establishing a mutual pool of experts from both countries. This group would collaborate on a wide spectrum of subjects, including natural, biological, and social sciences, as well as strategic studies and the formulation of policy papers to address the evolving global landscape.
To facilitate this, the HEC Chairman and the Turkish Ambassador consented to compile a list of specialists in relevant fields. These experts could then be designated as visiting faculty to deliver both physical and online courses and to spearhead collaborative research activities.
Dr. Akhtar reiterated the HEC”s unwavering commitment to the advancement of higher education and to further cementing the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and Trkiye.