Islamabad, March 12, 2024 – In a significant step towards fostering regional collaboration in science, technology, and innovation (STI), Prof. Dr. Syed Komail Tayebi, President of the Economic Cooperation Organization Science Foundation (ECOSF), visited the COMSATS Secretariat. He was warmly received by Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, Executive Director of COMSATS, alongside Dr. Mehwish Qayyum Durani, Additional Director (Coordinator for International Organizations) and Head of CCCS.

The visit was part of the preparations for ECOSF’s International Conference on Science, Technology, and Innovation: Catalysts for Regional Connectivity and Sustainable Development in the ECO Region (ECONEX), scheduled for April 15–16, 2025, in Islamabad. COMSATS has already pledged its full support for this initiative.

ECONEX 2025 aims to convene Ministers of Science and Technology from ECO member states, policymakers, industry leaders, scholars, and researchers to explore strategies for strengthening the STI ecosystem, with a focus on regional connectivity and sustainable development.

Ambassador Zakaria commended ECOSF’s leadership in advancing STI cooperation and reaffirmed COMSATS’ commitment to actively participate in ECONEX 2025. He also emphasized the need for deeper collaboration between the two organizations through frequent joint initiatives in science, technology, and capacity-building programs.

COMSATS and ECOSF have been closely working together under a cooperation agreement signed in July 2024, focusing on mobilizing academia, S&T institutions, and R&D organizations for innovation, capacity building, and knowledge exchange. This partnership has already yielded impactful collaborations, including joint activities on the sidelines of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The upcoming ECONEX 2025 will mark another milestone in COMSATS-ECOSF cooperation, reinforcing their shared vision of leveraging science, technology, and innovation to drive sustainable development across the ECO region and beyond.