Pakistan is seeking to strengthen cooperation with U.S. academic and medical institutions to accelerate the development of advanced healthcare, medical research and education, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said during a visit to the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC).
According to an official report today, the minister met the university’s provost, vice provost and dean of its medical faculty to discuss collaboration between UIC, the Prime Minister’s proposed Jinnah Medical Complex and Research Centre (JMCRC), and the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center (PKLI). The talks focused on expanding cooperation in medical education, scientific research, innovation and modern healthcare delivery.
University officials welcomed the discussions and expressed interest in continuing engagement with Pakistani institutions to identify opportunities for collaboration in medical education, research and healthcare innovation. During the meeting, UIC presented its Brazilian model of integrated healthcare and medical education, which Ahsan Iqbal said could provide useful guidance for the development of the Prime Minister’s proposed Jinnah Medical Complex.
Highlighting Pakistan’s long-term healthcare ambitions, the minister said the government was committed to establishing world-class medical infrastructure while fostering international academic and clinical partnerships that would help transform the proposed medical complex into one of the region’s leading healthcare institutions.
Ahsan Iqbal said PKLI was moving toward adopting advanced robotic surgery and noted that Pakistan was keen to benefit from UIC’s internationally recognised expertise in robotic surgery, medical research and healthcare innovation. To facilitate institutional engagement, he connected PKLI President Professor Dr. Saeed Akhtar virtually with the university’s leadership and medical faculty for preliminary discussions on future areas of cooperation.
The two sides also explored expanding collaboration under the U.S.-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor by extending its scope to medical sciences in addition to higher education. Discussions covered faculty and student exchange programmes, scholarships, collaborative research projects, advanced surgical training and broader institutional partnerships.
The minister said Pakistan intended to draw lessons from globally recognised models of academic medicine and integrated healthcare systems, adding that such experience could play an important role in strengthening the country’s emerging medical institutions.
Recalling Pakistan’s longstanding educational partnership with the United States, Ahsan Iqbal said that during his previous tenure he had helped expand the Pakistan-USEFP Fulbright Scholarship Programme by securing Pakistan’s financial contribution, making it one of the world’s largest Fulbright programmes. He said the initiative reflected Pakistan’s sustained commitment to investing in human capital and promoting international academic collaboration.