Daily Times

COMSATS University Islamabad Pakistan (CUI) and General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University Sri Lanka (KDU) inked Document of Understanding. The ceremony was held online. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tabassum Afzal, Rector CUI and Major General Milinda Peiris, Vice Chancellor, KDU signed the document of collaboration. It was also attended by His Excellency Maj. Gen. Dr. Shahid Ahmad Hashmat (Retd.), former High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka, Mr. UI Niyas, Counsellor (Political & Trade) of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Pakistan, Prof. Ihtesham-ur-Rehman, Executive Director Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Biomedical Materials, CUI Lahore campus along-with high-rank officials of both universities.

The Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Biomedical Materials (IRCBM), a state of the art research center at CUI Lahore campus will collaborate with KDU on respective national regulations on safety and security of sensitive materials, goods, technologies and equipment.

Prof. Afzal said that the core focus of partnership between CUI and KDU will be in the field of advanced biomaterials and allied areas that are much needed in Pakistan. While there is a limited development of products such as synthetic skin substitute, wound dressings for foot ulcer patients, artificial bone fillers, disease monitoring and diagnostic devices and stem cells linked with therapies in our part of the world. The future is indeed bright with the kind of functional partnership such as the one we are signing today.

Prof. Afzal also added that interdisciplinary research in IRCBM is globally recognized and transnational in nature. It is our crown jewel because of its high impact factor research. While CUI continues to grow within Pakistan, we are also very keen on developing our international linkages and partnership with centers of excellence in developing world.

The center was established in year 2008 to research and deliver indigenously-developed low-cost healthcare solutions to the local market.

Prof. Afzal conveyed his satisfaction that currently three Sri Lankan brilliant and outstanding students are studying in CUI doing their MS degrees. He desired hosting more international students from Sri Lanka, thus offered 100 percent tuition fee waiver to the Sri Lankan students particularly from KDU.

Major General Milinda Peiris said that the objectives of collaboration is to cooperate and develop the activities related to any field in which CUI and KDU have shared interests, such as biomaterials, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, sensors and biosensors and allied fields. In addition, both universities will explore possibility of exchange of programs for students, faculty members and scientists, joint supervision of PhD students, mutual organization of lectures, conferences, symposia and training programs.

Maj. Gen. Dr. Shahid Ahmad Hashmat (Retd.) former High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka informed about efforts of the Government of Pakistan for the promotion of educational and research opportunities with Sri Lanka He explained efforts of the Higher Education Commission, Government of Pakistan to offer fully funded scholarships to the students of Sri Lanka who wish to study BS, MS and PhD programs in leading universities of Pakistan.

UI Niyas, Counsellor (Political & Trade), High Commission of Sri Lanka in Pakistan thanked for giving opportunity to the Sri Lankan High Commission in Islamabad to witness signing of DOU between top universities of the both countries. He appreciated KDU as well as CUI’s development and growth. He said that he is very happy and confident that this collaboration will be the initial step and will open more avenues of partnership between the two universities.