Under an MoU signed with the Centre of Environmental Economics of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CEE-UCAS) in July 2020, COMSATS is conducting the second phase of training on “Sustainable Development and Leadership Enhancement”. Held virtually, the training is being conducted in collaboration with Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO) and CEE-UCAS. The first phase of the training successfully concluded in February 2021.

The opening ceremony of the training was held virtually on 12th May 2021, attended by over 150 participants from various countries. Among others, the ceremony was attended by 80 trainees from COMSATS Centres of Excellence in 13 member states of COMSATS, including Egypt, The Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Palestine, Pakistan, Syria, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Tanzania. Officials of COMSATS Secretariat also attended the opening.

The event was opened by Prof. Desheng Wu, Dean of the Belt and Road College of UCAS, Director of the Research Centre for Environmental Economics of UCAS, China, and included remarks of Prof. Junshe Dong, Vice President and Executive Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the University of Chinese Academy of Science; Mr. Xiaojun Luo, Deputy Mayor of Yiwa, Zhejiang; Prof. Likun Ai, Assistant Executive Director ANSO; Dr. Lily Eurwilaichitr, Vice President of National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand; Dr. Atichat Preittigun, Deputy Division Director, Office of Science, Research and Innovation System Development, Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI); Prof. Dr. Ashraf Shaalan, Chairperson COMSATS Coordinating Council; Prof. Veselin Vukoti, Rector of University of Donja Gorica in Montenegro (UDG); Prof. Sunil Babu Shrestha, Vice Chancellor of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST); Prof. Lucio Lamberti, full Professor of Multichannel Customer Strategy at Politecnico di Milano (MIP); and Prof. Dr. Attaullah Shah, Vice Chancellor, Karakoram International University (KIU), Pakistan.

The opening ceremony was followed by first module of the course entitled “Sustainability and Leadership: The technology perspective”. Conducted by Prof. Luis Seco, Professor, Director, RiskLab; President and CEO Sigma Analysis and Management, the module focused on: Technology Revolution (fundamentals of artificial intelligence, and machine learning); Sustainability (environment, social, and governance); and Leadership (communications and leadership).

The remaining nine modules of the course will be held in the next three months covering the topics of management, technological innovation, innovation and sustainable development, etc.