ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kazakhstan have strengthened their cooperation in education, research, and human resource development through a high-level engagement held on Monday in Islamabad.
The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training hosted a 25-member delegation from Kazakhstan, led by Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek. The group included senior officials from Kazakhstan’s science and higher education ministry, university leadership, and representatives of academic and research institutions. Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui welcomed the delegation, highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to expanding educational collaboration with Kazakhstan.
A bilateral meeting chaired by Dr. Siddiqui was attended by officials from MoFE&PT, the Higher Education Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives of Pakistani higher education institutions, and other stakeholders.
The discussions reviewed existing frameworks for cooperation and explored opportunities in higher education, science and technology, medical education, research, innovation, and academic exchange. Both countries emphasized strengthening institutional linkages and fostering people-to-people connectivity through education.
As a key outcome, eight Memoranda of Understanding were signed between Pakistani and Kazakh higher education institutions.
The agreements involve Quaid-i-Azam University, National University of Sciences and Technology, International Islamic University Islamabad, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, National University of Modern Languages, King Edward Medical University, and the University of Health Sciences. The MoUs are aimed at promoting joint research, faculty and student exchanges, collaborative academic programs, and capacity-building initiatives.
The agreements will be facilitated by MoFE&PT and coordinated by the Higher Education Commission to ensure effective implementation.
During the visit, Pakistan–Kazakhstan Educational Centers, also called Educational Corners, were inaugurated at NUST, IIUI, and Quaid-i-Azam University.
The Al-Farabi Center at QAU, Satbayev Center at NUST, and Akhmet Yassawi Center at IIUI were inaugurated by the federal minister in the presence of the Federal Secretary MoFE&PT, Acting HEC Chairman Nadeem Mahbub, and the respective rectors and vice chancellors. These centers will provide platforms for information sharing, academic orientation, and facilitation of cooperation between Pakistani and Kazakh institutions.
Both countries reaffirmed that collaboration in education and human resource development remains a central pillar of their bilateral relationship, supporting regional knowledge exchange, mutual understanding, and long-term academic partnership.
