ISLAMABAD: In an important move to support higher education for Palestinian youth, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation and Abbottabad University of Science and Technology have signed a memorandum of understanding to offer scholarships for the academic year 2025–2026.

The agreement was formally signed by Coordinator General of Comstech Dr Mohammad Iqbal Choudhary and Dr Mujadadur Rehman, who is vice chancellor of Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, during a ceremony attended by senior officials from both institutions.

A statement issued here said that through this collaboration, AUST will provide educational opportunities to Palestinian students via both online and on-campus programmes. The initiative aimed to promote academic excellence and ensure flexible learning options for students facing challenges in accessing higher education.

Under the terms of the MoU, Abbottabad University will offer 40 fully-funded scholarships across various undergraduate disciplines, including doctor of physiotherapy, doctor of pharmacy, BS Medical Laboratory Technology, BS Microbiology, BS Food Sciences, BS Computer Science and BS Software Engineering. In addition, a specialised freelancing programme in computer science and software engineering will be available online, offering up to 2,000 placements to help students build essential digital and entrepreneurial skills.

This partnership formed part of the broader ‘Comstech Scholarships and Research Fellowships for Palestinian Nationals’ initiative, reflecting Pakistan’s commitment to supporting the educational aspirations of Palestinian students.

The signing of this MoU marked an important milestone in fostering international cooperation in higher education and empowering Palestinian youth through quality education and skill development.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2025