ISLAMABAD: The OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (Comstech), in collaboration with the Embassy of Somalia, has officially launched the second phase of the Comstech-CCoE Somalia Programme at the OIC-Comstech Secretariat in Islamabad.
According to a statement issued on Friday, the ceremony brought together vice chancellors and rectors of leading public and private sector universities, the ambassadors of Sudan, Tajikistan, Yemen and Rwanda, senior officials from the Embassy of Somalia, representatives of partner institutions, and senior officials of OIC-Comstech, reflecting broad support for the initiative.
In his welcome address, OIC-Comstech Coordinator General Prof Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary said human resource development remained one of Comstech’s highest priorities and emphasised that sustainable development in the Muslim world depended on investment in education, scientific research, innovation and advanced technical skills.
He said the Comstech-CCoE Somalia Programme represented another significant milestone in Comstech’s efforts to empower Somali youth, researchers, scientists and professionals through quality education, specialised training and institutional collaboration.
25 fully funded fellowships announced to strengthen Somalia’s academic, technical capacity
He appreciated the cooperation of the Embassy of Somalia and the member institutions of the Comence that the programme would contribute significantly to Somalia’s socio-economic development and institutional capacity.
Addressing the ceremony, Sheikhnur Mohamed Hassan, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Somalia to Pakistan, thanked Comstech, the government of Pakistan and the member institutions of the Comstech Consortium of Excellence for their continued support to Somalia in the fields of higher education, science, technology and capacity building.
He said the fellowship programme would provide valuable opportunities for Somali scientists, researchers and professionals to acquire advanced knowledge and practical skills that would help strengthen Somalia’s academic, scientific and development sectors.
He described the initiative as another manifestation of the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and Somalia and appreciated Comstech’s leadership in promoting scientific cooperation among OIC member states.
Under the second phase of the programme, 25 fully funded fellowships have been announced for Somali nationals currently living and working in Somalia.
The fellowships are being offered by leading member institutions of the Comstech Consortium of Excellence (CCoE) in collaboration with the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP).
The programme offers three- and six-month research fellowships in STEM disciplines and public health, technical training in industrial settings, short courses in allied health sciences and nursing, as well as specialised training in artificial intelligence, data science, geographic information systems (GIS), cyber security, remote sensing, biotechnology, digital skills, precision agriculture, food processing and agricultural research.
In addition, the programme promotes faculty exchanges, joint research supervision, curriculum development, laboratory support, institutional partnerships and academic collaboration between Pakistani and Somali universities.
Eligible applicants include Somali nationals pursuing or holding master’s, PhD and postdoctoral qualifications, with the objective of equipping them with state-of-the-art knowledge, research expertise and practical skills to contribute effectively to Somalia’s national development.
The capacity-building programme will be jointly coordinated by Comtech and the Embassy of Somalia to ensure transparent application processing, selection and placement of candidates.
Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2026
