ISLAMABAD (UNA) – The new Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan, H.E. Dr. Zuhair Mohammad Hamdullah Zaid, and the Coordinator General of the Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMSTECH), H.E. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chowdhury, discussed the fully-funded scholarship programme for Palestinian students at the COMSTECH headquarters on Friday.
COMSTECH, in collaboration with the Association of Private Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) and member universities of the COMSTECH Consortium for Excellence, initiated a program in 2021 offering 500 fully-funded scholarships and fellowships to Palestinian students. The number was increased to 5,000 scholarships in 2023. Under this program, several Palestinian students have enrolled to study in Pakistan, and efforts are underway to welcome more students.
During the meeting, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chowdhury pointed out the severe educational crisis caused by the recent Israeli aggression, which not only resulted in loss of lives and property, but also disrupted education in Palestine for years.
“We will not abandon Palestinian students, and COMSTECH is committed to using all available resources to provide them with free, high-quality education in the best universities in Pakistan,” he said.
He also announced COMSTECH’s plan to host an extraordinary conference of education ministers of OIC member states to discuss the education crisis in Palestine, with the conference to focus on taking practical measures to support Palestinian students.
For his part, Ambassador Dr. Zuhair Mohammed Hamdullah Zaid expressed his gratitude for COMSTECH’s initiative to provide 5,000 scholarships, describing it as “a great practical assistance.” He commended Pakistan and COMSTECH’s steadfast support for the Palestinian cause and their efforts to address the educational challenges faced by Palestinian students.
The Ambassador confirmed the cooperation of the Palestinian Embassy to facilitate the process of receiving more Palestinian students in Pakistan through the COMSTECH platform.
He also announced plans to visit various Pakistani universities under the COMSTECH platform to explore further avenues of cooperation in the education sector.
Ambassador Dr. Zuhair Mohammed Hamad Allah Zaid stressed the need to speed up and simplify the process of selecting scholarships.
It is worth mentioning that the meeting represents an important step in strengthening educational ties between Pakistan and Palestine, in addition to the commitment to support Palestinian students in difficult times.
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