Islamabad: Developing-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation continues to advance its commitment to academic excellence and innovation, as its flagship initiative -- the D-8 Network of Pioneers for Research and Innovation (NPRI) -- featured prominently during a high-level meeting with a Pakistani delegation of senior educationists at the D-8 Secretariat in Istanbul.
Secretary-General of D-8 Sohail Mahmood received the delegation and shared insights into the organisation’s origin, historical evolution and its expanding sectoral cooperation across multiple domains.
Discussions particularly focused on D-8’s growing initiatives in higher education, research, and innovation. The Pakistani delegation included prominent figures from the country’s academic and scientific community, such as Dr. Abdul Basit, President of the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan; Mr. Sabur Sethi, and Muhammad Murtaza Noor, Focal Person and Coordinator for CCoE and Outreach at COMSTECH, Islamabad.
In his remarks, the secretary-general underscored that education, science, and technology remain central pillars of D-8 cooperation, offering vast opportunities for institutional linkages and collaborative advancement.
He highlighted NPRI as a flagship platform connecting leading universities across D-8 Member States, currently comprising 28 prominent institutions, and encouraged greater participation from Pakistani universities through relevant national ministries.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood also acknowledged Pakistan’s significant contributions in hosting key D-8 affiliated bodies, including the NPRI Secretariat at COMSATS Islamabad and the D-8 Research Center for Agriculture and Food Security at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
The delegation commended the D-8 Secretariat’s efforts in fostering academic and scientific collaboration and expressed keen interest in expanding engagement, particularly within the NPRI framework.
