In preparation for his visit to Sri Lanka in February 2011, the Executive Director COMSATS, Dr. Imtinan Elahi Qureshi, along with the Director General (I.A), Mr. Tajammul Hussain, called upon the Sri Lankan High Commissioner for Pakistan, Air Chief Marshal (R) Jayalath Weerakkody, on 4th January 2011. The meeting was held in Mr. Weerakkody’s office at the Sri Lankan High Commission in Islamabad.

The purpose of this visit was to brief the High Commissioner about the issues to be taken up in the upcoming meetings with Sri Lankan officials in Colombo. These include: signing of a protocol between COMSATS and Government of Sri Lanka; designation of a Sri Lankan institution to join COMSATS’ Network of Centres of Excellence, and cooperation with Sri Lankan institutions for holding of joint scientific workshops in 2011. It was pointed out that COMSATS, in collaboration with NAM S&T Centre and National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, will be holding a Joint Training Workshop on Nanotechnology in Sri Lanka (December 2011). Also, COMSATS intends to hold a scientific event in Sri Lanka under COMSATS-UNESCO South-South Regional (Asia-Pacific) Technical Cooperation Programme. COMSATS’ financial support to Sri Lankan scientists for their participation in the Foundation Meetings of COMSATS’ Thematic Research Groups held in November 2010, were also discussed. The High Commissioner was informed that Sri Lankan scientists have agreed to participate in the following international thematic research groups:

1. ‘Climate Change and Environmental Protection’, with the International Center for Climate and Environment Sciences (ICCES), Beijing, China, as the Lead Centre; and
2. ‘Natural Products Sciences’, with the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), Karachi, Pakistan, as the Lead Centre.

Appreciative of COMSATS’ efforts for strengthening the scientific capacities in the developing world, the High Commissioner assured the Executive Director that he will sensitize the concerned officials of Sri Lanka, in order to achieve the objectives of the visit.