Upon invitation from the Executive Director COMSATS, Dr. S. M. Junaid Zaidi, the Ambassador of Norway to Pakistan, His Excellency Mr. Kjell-Gunnar Eriksen, visited COMSATS Secretariat, on 22nd October 2018.. The meeting was held to explore avenues of cooperation in R&D, higher education, and various areas of S&T as well as to extend offer of COMSATS’ membership to Norwegian Government. The Honourable Ambassador was accompanied by Director (Development Cooperation) of his Embassy.

During the meeting held in the presence of senior officials of COMSATS and IPD, Dr. Zaidi apprised the Ambassador about COMSATS’ programmes and activities. He stated that COMSATS and Norway can cooperate in various domains such as capacity building and training of scientific workforce, launching projects in contemporary S&T areas, technical institute building as well as other joint ventures tailored for science-led socio-economic development. It was foreseen that the membership of Norway to COMSATS would open doors for the country’s scientific institutions and R&D centres to build and foster linkages with COMSATS’ Centres of Excellence for sharing of knowledge, expertise and resources.

The Ambassador was apprised that Norwegian Government is already collaborating with COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) and has signed a Memorandum of Understating (MoU) with CUI, Abbottabad Campus. Further, the Norwegian Government has pledged to facilitate faculty development in Pakistan and other COMSATS Member States.

The Ambassador was handed over a formal accession letter to Norway for joining COMSATS, for onward submission to Government of Norway. H.E. Mr. Kjell-Gunnar Eriksen pledged to take-up the matter with relevant authorities.

The meeting ended with the presentation of souvenirs to the Honourable Ambassador.