COMSTECH committed to equip Muslim world with emerging technologies: Dr. Iqbal Chaudhry

By: Dr. Roshneck Hameed Khan

ISLAMABAD: COMSTECH is committed for equipping the Mulsim World with the emerging technologies, said the Coordinator General COMSTECH, Professor Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhry here on other day. He expressed this while giving an interview to Dr. Roshneck Hameed Khan in Islamabad.

While commenting on artificial intelligence, he said that there are a number of implications of Artificial Intelligence in various fields including Health, agriculture, environment, and others. There is a program of COMSTECH called Emerging Technologies. Under this program COMSTECH organizes various courses of Artificial Intelligence. These courses provide guidance regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence in Health, Agriculture, and other sectors. So, the basic purpose is to build capacity regarding artificial intelligence, he added.

Answering a question regarding COMSTECH, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal said that COMSTECH is the abbreviation of Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation. It is not an ordinary committee but the ministers of 57 countries are included in it. This committee is committed for the cooperation regarding science and technology. Pakistan hosts this committee and its chairman is the president of Pakistan. Its headquarter is situated in Islamabad. Its basic purpose is the development of Muslim countries by cooperation in science and technology, he further said.

Telling the role of COMSTECH during COVID-19 period, he said that science and technology has a close relation with health. When COVID spread, then the Muslim countries were in great trouble as they were not having the basic facilities to deal with pandemic. They were unable to monitor the spread of virus. They were facing vaccine shortage and other such issues. COMSTECH started a mega project in this regard. The institution was monitoring all the Islamic countries on the daily basis. It was also working how to protect other Islamic countries from any major development in one Muslim country. It conducted the clinical trials of vaccine in the Muslim world. Pakistani, Egyptians, and other doctors devised protocols in this regard. COMSTECH remained in constant contact with different health authorities. It conducted two exhibitions. One was regarding the use of Artificial intelligence in health sector during COVID 19 and other one was regarding the new technologies which were developed during the COVID days, he added.

He said that COMSTECH organizes health camps in the Muslim countries. Recently it organized such a camp in Nigeria. COMSTECH is running a mega project named ‘Health Africa’. This program has been adopted by OIC. COMSTECH is also working in other African countries in this regard, he further said.

Addressing a question regarding climate change, he said that climate change is a common challenge for whole humanity. This issue cannot be resolved by a single country because its impact is global. COMSTECH has devised a special forum called COMSTECH Forum for Environment and Ecosystem Restoration. Activities of COMSTECH are underway in those Muslim countries where there are acute issues of climate. In Pakistan, COMSTECH is organizing the camps and trainings for the restoration of ecosystem. The institution is trying to tell the people that it is not enough to just protect the environment, but it should also be reversed, he added.

Commenting on a question regarding scholarships, Coordinator General said that COMSTECH has the biggest scholarship program. It offers scholarships to the students from all the Islamic countries. Pakistani students can also get benefit from this program. They can go to Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, and other countries. A number of Pakistani scholars are going to Indonesia. COMSTECH is the biggest intergovernmental organization of Pakistan. It does science diplomacy while representing Pakistan. When he took the charge there were very minimal activities. A number of programs had been stopped. The institution was lacking in finance and international linkages. So, we started taking such steps which could benefit the Muslim countries. Massive scholarship programs were initiated. Similarly institution linkages programs were also started. A number of other programs for refugee and women scientists were begun. COMSTECH has emerged as an important organization within the setup of OIC. Pakistan is also being projected through COMSTECH. Team of COMSTECH is working hard for achieving its future goals, he further said.