Palestinian Ambassador lauds COMSTECH’s 5,000 scholarships for Palestinian students

The newly appointed Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Zaheer Mohammad Hamadallah Zaid expressed his gratitude for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH)’s initiative of offering 5,000 scholarships for Palestinian students. 

During his meeting with the coordinator general of COMSTECH Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary on Friday, he described the scholarship as a significant "practical assistance." 

He appreciated Pakistan and COMSTECH's steadfast support for the Palestinian cause and their efforts to address the educational challenges faced by Palestinian students.

COMSTECH, in collaboration with the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) and member universities of the COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence, initiated a program in 2021 offering 500 fully-funded scholarships and fellowships to Palestinian students. 

This number was increased to 5,000 scholarships in 2023. Many Palestinian students have already arrived in Pakistan under this program and are pursuing full-degree programs, while efforts are underway to bring more students to Pakistan.

During the meeting, Prof Dr Iqbal Choudhary highlighted the severe educational crisis caused by recent Israeli aggression, which has not only resulted in the loss of lives and livelihoods but has also disrupted education for Palestinian youth for years. 

He stated, “We will not abandon our Palestinian students. COMSTECH is committed to utilizing all available resources to provide them with free, quality education at Pakistan's top universities.”

 He further announced COMSTECH’s plan to host an extraordinary conference of OIC Member States’ Ministers of Education to address Palestine's educational crisis. 

 Ambassador Dr. Zaid assured full cooperation from the Palestinian Embassy to facilitate the scholarship program. He also announced plans to visit various Pakistani universities under COMSTECH’s platform to explore additional collaboration opportunities in education. He emphasized the importance of streamlining and expediting the scholarship selection process to ensure efficiency.

This collaboration between Pakistan and Palestine, spearheaded by COMSTECH, marks a significant step in supporting Palestinian students and addressing the profound educational crisis in the region. 

Officials from both sides also attended the meeting.