Silver Jubilee Issue Federal Minister for S&T, Pakistan, and Chairperson COMSATS Consultative Committee President of the Republic of Ghana and Chairperson COMSATS President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Bangladesh China Colombia Egypt Gambia Ghana Annual Report Iran Jamaica Jordan Kazakhstan Korea DPR 2019 Morocco Nigeria Pakistan Palestine Philippines Senegal Somalia Sri Lanka Sudan Commission on Science Syria Tanzania Tunisia Turkey and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) Uganda Yemen Zimbabwe Silver Jubilee Issue ANNUAL REPORT 2019 February 2020 Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) Hon. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo President of Ghana Chairperson COMSATS Hon. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo became the 13th President of the Republic of Ghana after winning the country’s Presidential Election in 2016. On 7th January 2017, he took charge as the President of Ghana (the country that holds COMSATS’ Chair), by virtue of which he is the ex-officio Chairperson of COMSATS. The Chair of COMSATS was rotated in 2012 from Pakistan to Ghana through consensus among the members of COMSATS’ Commission at its 2nd General Meeting held in Islamabad and stayed with Ghana after consensus in rd3 General Meeting. As a lawyer, Mr. Akufo-Addo worked to champion the cause of human rights, rule of law, justice, freedom, and democracy in Ghana. H.E. Mr. Imran Khan Prime Minister of Pakistan Head of Government and Member of the Commission from the Host Country, Pakistan H.E. Mr. Imran Khan became the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan on 18th August 2018. Before his political career, Mr. Khan was a well-known figure as a cricketer and a philanthropist. Educated from top institutions of Pakistan and England, Mr. Khan is the Chancellor of the University of Bradford and has also received an honorary fellowship by the Royal College of Physicians. Mr. Khan aspires to make Pakistan a technologically advanced country whereby it reaps the dividends of most modern R&D outcomes for national prosperity and well-being. His resolve to lift the nation from backwardness and poverty is manifest in his government’s initiatives in health, education, judicial system reforms, science & technology and smart governance. Editors Ms. Farhana Saleem Ms. Isra Mahmood Designing & Development Mr. Imran Chaudhry Table of Contents COMSATS’ Profile i Foreword iii From the Chairperson COMSATS Consultative Committee v From the Chairperson Coordinating Council vii 1. CORE ACTIVITIES OF COMSATS SECRETARIAT 01 2. STRENGTHENING SOUTH-SOUTH AND TRIANGULAR COOPERATION 17 3. COLLABORATIONS WITH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 23 4. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EVENTS ORGANISED 29 5. PARTICIPATION IN VARIOUS EVENTS AND MEETINGS 39 6. SOME ACTIVITIES OF CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE 45 7. INTERNATIONAL VISITS OF SECRETARIAT OFFICIALS 73 8. SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS 83 9. PUBLICATIONS AND INFORMATION DISSEMINATION 95 10. FINANCIAL AFFAIRS 101 ORGANOGRAM CHAIRPERSON (President of the Republic of Ghana) Secretariat/ COMMISSION Executive Director (Heads of Member States/Governments) GENERAL MEETING Network of Centres of Excellence Consultative Committee - Coordinating Council - Technical Advisory Committee Board of Management - Pro Chancellor - COMSATS Management COMSATS Internet COMSATS University Committee Services (CIS) Islamabad (CUI) COMSATS’ PROFILE The Commission on Science and Technology one another and capable of providing a good for Sustainable Development in the South quality of life to their populations in a sustainable (COMSATS) was established in October 1994 as way, using modern scientific and technological an international/intergovernmental organization m e a n s’. to act as a global forum of developing countries for their sustainable socio-economic uplift OBJECTIVES through applications of science and technology. COMSATS’ current membership comprises of Major objectives and functions of COMSATS are: 27 countries located in the continents of Africa, Asia, Latin America (and Eurasia), representing • To sensitize the countries in the South to the a population of over one-third of the world’s total. centrality of science and technology in the development process, to the adequate resource These countries have diverse social, cultural, allocation for research and development, and economic, political, educational and religious to the integration of science and technology in backgrounds, and also differ greatly in their the national and regional development plans; scientific and technological potentials. Their • To support the functioning and activities common aspirations for development through of the Network of International Science cooperation in S&T was the main driver of them and Technology Centres for Sustainable coming together on the platform of COMSATS. Development in the South, established at the COMSATS’ major source of scientific and foundation meeting of the Commission; technological strength stems from its network of • To support other major initiatives designed international S&T Centres of Excellence, which to promote indigenous capacity in science comprises of 22 reputed R&D and S&T, as well as and technology for science-led sustainable universities. development, and to help mobilise long-term financial support from international donor As stipulated in the organization’s statutes, agencies and from Government/Institutions COMSATS Secretariat is permanently located in the North and the South to supplement the in Islamabad, Pakistan, with its operation and financing of international scientific projects in expenditures supported by generous grants from the South; the Government of Pakistan. The membership of • To provide leadership and support for COMSATS is open to all developing countries. North-South and South-South cooperative The organization also aspires to broaden its schemes in education, training and research, horizons to all countries and institutions, such as the proposal to set up programmes including those from the North. of scholarships for research at centres of excellence in the South; and MISSION • To support the relevant programmes and initiatives of major scientific organisations The mission of COMSATS is to ‘help create a working for the development and promotion world where all nations/states are at peace with of science and technology in the South. i Dr. S.M. Junaid Zaidi Executive Director COMSATS Dr. S. M. Junaid Zaidi assumed the charge as Executive Director in February 2017, by virtue of which he is also the ex-officio Secretary to the Commission, Coordinating Council and the Consultative Committee. He has rich and diverse experience spanning over forty years, ranging from his work for international and national organizations, educational institution-building, and research and teaching to foreign collaborative ventures. He has been the founding Rector of a Centre of Excellence of COMSATS, the COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), which has phenomenally grown both nationally and internationally. He is recipient of two prestigious national awards of Pakistan, Sitara-i-Imtiaz and Hilal-i-Imtiaz. FOREWORD The year 2019 has been significant for COMSATS in a in magnitude but also in scope to include new meaningful number of ways. The organization continued its operations, interventions. A number of such interventions, discussions expanded them and made headways with regard to the and opportunities came during the Annual Coordinating statutory bodies of COMSATS. The year also marked the Council meeting held in Tianjin, where participants Silver jubilee of COMSATS in October 2019. The landmark including 18 centres of excellence met. The continued of 25 years is really encouraging and humbling at the same operations, growth and appreciation of COMSATS’ flagship time. During the past two and half decades, there has been projects, the COMSATS University Islamabad, COMSATS a paradigm shift in the Organization’s character in that it Tele-Health Program and COMSATS Internet Service, has assumed an enhanced role in influencing development are not only satisfying but also a long standing reminders policies and economic planning in the South. Coming of of what COMSATS’ membership entails for current and age, COMSATS is not only growing in its operations with prospective members. A devoted chapter on activities of regard to its cardinal objective of South-South cooperation COMSATS Centres of Excellence showcases the technical but is also coming to terms with its greater role as a strong strength in a number of areas that COMSATS is equipped conduit between the North and the South. with to help jointly address developmental challenges. During 2019, I had the honour of twice calling on the COMSATS’ capacity-building activities during the year Chairperson COMSATS, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- pertained to a number of important issues, including Addo, who gave his advice on a number of matters including water resources, SDGs, peace and community building, COMSATS’ programmes and rendered his complete international cooperation, agriculture, biotechnology, support for convening and hosting the 4th General Meeting. and food security. These encouraged necessary debates While the culmination of the engagements with Ghanaian and helped producing a mass of talented researchers and Presidency, and Focal Point is expected soon in the form of professionals in these areas. the General Meeting that is scheduled to be held in April 2020, the visits and sojourns in Ghana per se provided an The joy of Silver Jubilee was