Senegal’s Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, H. E. Prof. Amadou Tidiane BA, received the Executive Director COMSATS, Dr. Imtinan Elahi Qureshi at his office in Dakar, Senegal, on October 25, 2011, and discussed possibilities of enhancing cooperation between his Ministry and COMSATS. The Executive Director informed the Minister that he has visited various research centres of the University Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), and on the basis of his discussions with relevant faculty members and the Rector of the University, it is understood that the UCAD will be recommended as a Centre of Excellence of COMSATS for approval in the next meeting of COMSATS’ Coordinating Council. With the induction of the University as a member of COMSATS’ Network of International S&T Centres of Excellence, it will be possible to involve Senegalese scientific community in the capacity-building programmes of COMSATS. The Minister, who himself is an accomplished scientist, welcomed the proposal and assured full support of his Ministry during the process of affiliation of UCAD in the COMSATS’ Network. The Minister further expressed willingness to consider his personal presence during the forthcoming Commission Meeting of COMSATS as representative of the President of Senegal. The First Advisor to the Minister, Prof. Tahir Diop, appreciated that a National Workshop on “Repair and Maintenance of Scientific Equipments in Teaching, Research Institutions, and Small Scale Industries” was jointly organized by COMSATS and ISESCO in Dakar, last year.

A member of COMSATS’ international Technical Advisory Committee, Prof.  Moctar Toure, who was also present during the meeting and had earlier joined the Executive Director during visits to various laboratories of UCAD, supported the proposal of affiliating the University with COMSATS as its Centre of Excellence. He stressed that the three major research institutes of the University can become nodes for participation in Thematic Research Groups of COMSATS and for faculty-exchange visits between UCAD and COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT). The institutes identified for this purpose pertain to Renewable Energy, Biotechnology and Bacteriology/Virology.

The Executive Director delivered a personal letter of Pakistan’s Minister for Science and Technology, H. E. Mr. Changez Khan Jamali, in which cooperation between Pakistan and Senegal was desired through bilateral agreements as well as through the platform of COMSATS.

While receiving COMSATS’ Shield, the Minister hoped that COMSATS would play a strong role in the development of science and technology in Senegal.