HYDERABAD: University of Sindh (SU) wins yet another distinction as its Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yilditz Technical University, one of the oldest educational institutions in Istanbul, Turkey. Dr Burfat is currently in Turkey to explore international academic and research collaborations. The MoU features inter-alia, a mutual desire to promote institutional cooperation, seeking reciprocal benefits from the programs operative at both universities, exchange of faculty and students for higher studies, conferences and symposia, exchange of academic and research information, enhancing video conferences, planning joint exploration of national and international funding opportunities with mutual support and assistance. As an integral part of the program, Dr Burfat also held detailed one-on-one and effective group meetings with his Turkish counterpart Yildtz Technical University Rector Bahri Sahin and others. Later, Dr Burfat, accompanied by Turkish officials, and SU National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry (NCEAC) Director Prof Dr Shuhabuddin Memon, who visited many teaching, technical and administrative departments, centers, Institutes, offices and faculties and held meetings with many varsity officials of the Yilditz Technical University to inter-replicate institutional models at SU and Yilditz University with each other’s support. On the occasion, Dr Burfat also proposed his Turkish counterparts to lay a foundation of an international academic forum with the nomenclature “Federation of International Islamic Universities” comprising representation of leading universities from 58 Islamic countries. The proposal was not well-received but it was greatly appreciated. During his a week-long engagement in Turkey, Dr Burfat visited and signed MoU with Selcuk University in Konya, Yilditz Technical University in Istanbul and Ankara University in Ankara. The highly innovative academic visit to higher education institutions in Turkey ended at a optimistic note for future prospects. Published in Daily Times, May 15th 2018.