COMSTECH, the OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, expanded its scientific and educational initiatives to 54 countries during 2024–25, according to its annual performance report. The Islamabad-based organization implemented 174 projects, organized 68 training programmes that trained 5,000 scientists and researchers, awarded 759 scholarships and fellowships, and provided 52 research grants. Its programmes benefited participants from numerous OIC member states and partner countries, supporting higher education, biotechnology, health sciences, information technology, vaccine technology, and international scientific collaboration.
The report also highlighted COMSTECH’s work across sectors including health, education, research, agriculture, food security, biotechnology, climate change, engineering, energy, and science diplomacy. The organization expanded its collaboration network to more than 80 universities and research institutions to promote joint research and academic exchange. COMSTECH Coordinator General Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary emphasized that strengthening scientific capacity, supporting young researchers, and fostering international cooperation are central to COMSTECH’s mission of advancing socio-economic development and long-term scientific partnerships across the Muslim world.