Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) established in 1994 was brainchild of Prof Abdus Salam, the Nobel Laureate Pakistani Scientist and Theoretical Physicist. It is an intergovernmental organization of 27 developing countries from Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America. The over-arching objective was bridging technology & knowledge gap between Global South and Global North through Intra-COMSATS cooperation. COMSATS draws its strength from its Network of 25 International S&T Centres of Excellence.

Major Organs (Statutory Bodies) of COMSATS are:

• General Meeting: comprises Heads of State/Government of the Member Countries. Current Chairman of the Commission is the President of Republic of Ghana.
• Consultative Committee: consists of Ministers/ Ministerial representatives of the relevant focal ministries/ government departments of the Member States.
• COMSATS Network: serves as technical resource base for the organization’s S&T programs and innovations. It consists of:
  – Coordinating Council: Heads of Centres of Excellence.
  – Technical Advisory Committee: comprising Scientists/Technology Experts support the organization with their valuable advice.
• Secretariat: Headed by the Executive Director. Hosted in Islamabad by the Government of Pakistan.

COMSATS Network of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) & National Focal Points: Program Directorate of COMSATS Secretariat coordinates with the CoEs, which is the fountainhead of scientific innovations and activities. The Dte.designs and develops activities in diverse fields of the Network’s expertise. The activities include capacity building, knowledge sharing, collaboration among CoEs, offers of scholarships & fellowships, CoEs products, technologies and services for the Member States, cooperation with International Partners such as ANSO, UNESCAP, NSTDA, INSME, TWAS, etc. Organizes meetings of COMSATS’ statutory bodies, particularly the Coordinating Council and National Focal Points and liaises with their members, facilitates collaborative R&D under COMSATS International Thematic Research Groups, and COMSATS’ Series of S&T Publications, etc. Establishment of COMSATS Joint Centre for Industrial Biotechnology (CCIB) in China was a significant milestone.

International Cooperation/ Partnerships – Centre for Climate and Sustainability (CCCS):

Owing to the global ever-growing focus on Climate Change, COMSATS established in 2019 a dedicated Centre for Climate and Sustainability (CCCS) to serve as a pivotal hub of scientific and policy collaboration across the Global South. Achieved affiliation of Centres of Excellence from 20 developing countries. CCCS enables seamless inter-institutional synergy, coordinated research, informed policy dialogue, and deployment of technology-driven solutions. As an accredited Observer Organization to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)_ a significant milestone achieved by COMSATS, the CCCS as operational arm of COMSATS Directorate for International Partner Organizations (IPOs), effectively advocates for the Global South at the annual Climate Change Conferences of the Parties (COPs). At COPs, IPOs Dte. Pursues South–South and Triangular cooperation, and mobilizes the intellectual capital, research infrastructure, and policy expertise of its member institutions, covering diverse areas including climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, biodiversity conservation, water security, sustainable transportation, carbon markets, net-zero industry and more.

At the national level, IPOs/CCCS collaborates with Ministries of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, IT & Telecommunication, Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, and Science and Technology (COMSATS’ focal point in Pakistan). Nurtures relations with NDMA, NIDM, NDRMF, Pakistan Science Foundation, Pakistan Academy of Sciences, NIMA, Food Security and Agriculture Centre of Excellence (FACE), SDPI, Living INDUS Initiative; Climate Resourcing Coordination Center (CRCC), International and Intergovernmental Organizations, including UNESCO, UN-ECOSOC, UNIDO, UNEP, South Center, COMSTECH, IOFS, ECO-SF, IPO-Pakistan, WWF, TWAS, ICGEB, etc.

Diplomacy in Science: COMSATS engages Ambassadors of Member States and other partner countries for COMSATS’ events and they reciprocate keenly.

Ministerial Visits to COMSATS Secretariat: Several ministerial visits recently underscores growing recognition of COMSATS as a key platform for South-South cooperation in STI. SG Commonwealth, Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland KC; Minister for S&T Minister for Education and Professional Training, Dr. Khalid Maqbool; former PM of Jordan, currently, the President of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS), Hon. Prof. Adnan Badran; President of COP-29, H.E. Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources; Ex PM Kyrgyz Republic, Syrian Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Rami Waheed Al-Dhulli; Baroness Sayeeda Hussain Warsi and Lord Qurban Hussain, members British House of Lords, and MP Naz Shah of House of Commons. Visits enabled converging interest in IT, AI, Cyber Security, Fintech, Tech-enabled Health Clinics, EV and Climate Change, and application of emerging technologies for progress of developing countries.

Accomplishments: EV: COMSATS is a proponent of eco-friendly innovations. The technology partner of COMSATS, AGECO with its IPO patents, has developed indigenous technology to convert the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles to Electric Vehicles (EVs). A multi-dimensional initiative of Social, Economic, Health and Environmental benefits for the people and the country of its adoption.
Nanotech: COMSATS Secretariat’s ISO Certified Nanotechnology Lab, aims at providing research facility for PhD students, training courses, material testing and much more.

Telehealth: Using technology to overcome geographical barriers COMSATS successfully developed Tech-enabled health clinics to provide primary and secondary health care to the people in remote areas.

IT & AI Trainings: COMSATS pursues digital transformation, runs skill development programs in Web Design and Development, Graphics Design, Mobile App Development, Business Intelligence, and e-Commerce, equipping young people with the tools to thrive in the digital economy. Conducted Bootcamps in Artificial Intelligence and Software Quality Assurance for Azerbaijan.

Data Centre & Cloud Computing Services: COMSATS is a pioneer in Internet services in Pakistan. Established Cloud Computing, Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) at Data Centre, robust security features.

Software Solutions: COMSATS Software Solutions (CSS) has developed ComSoft ERP based Campus Management System, Hospital Management Information System, Pakistan Investment Portal on Prime Minister of Pakistan’s call, Biosafety
Clearing House application for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and Weather web-portal for Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and many more.

Offer of Scholarships and Certified Courses: Scholarships: COMSATS facilitates Graduate (MS and PhD) fully covered Scholarships offered by its CoEs and Partner Organizations, in key fields Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Energy Systems Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, Environmental Sciences, and Remote Sensing & Geographic Information System.

Certified Courses: COMSATS organizes online training program aimed at benefiting nationals of its Member States, particularly young professionals, by enhancing their skills and technical expertise in critical domains of technology.

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