Minister proposes mechanism for mutual degree recognition.

ISLAMABAD -- Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain on Sunday highlighted the need to develop a framework for mutual recognition of education degrees among Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states to potentially facilitate greater movement of skilled manpower and increase collaborative research between Islamic countries.

The minister made these remarks during the 5th Vice-Chancellors' Forum of Universities in the Islamic World which was inaugurated on Sunday with 'Towards Disruptive Technology in a Globalised World' as its theme.

Over 250 vice-chancellors, including 40 from 20 OIC countries are participating in the forum, which is aimed at sharing experiences, pooling resources, fostering collaborations, strengthening networks between universities, and promoting dialogue on the future of higher education in the Islamic World.

The VC Forum 2023 is being jointly organised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Islamabad, Comsats University Islamabad (CUI), Islamic World Educational, and Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) as well as British Council Pakistan.

Speaker calls for tangible plans for reshaping higher education landscape across Muslim world

While speaking at the opening ceremony, Rana Tanveer Hussain emphasised the need for skill development of youth and that the universities needed to respond more effectively to the rapidly developing realities.

The minister called upon all Islamic countries to pool resources and expertise to benefit the entire Muslim Ummah. He said the most important outcome of education was the development of a good moral character.

He highlighted the need to develop a framework for mutual recognition of degrees among OIC member states, which can potentially facilitate greater movement of skilled manpower.

Meanwhile, in his video message, President Arif Alvi highlighted the huge potential of the youth and called for setting a vision for higher education. He said the Muslims could not keep pace with technology, which needs to change on a war footing. He added that in the last 10 years, sectors focusing on natural resources were overtaken by large technological conglomerates, like Amazon and Google. These companies have attracted intellectual capital from across the world and raised the need for greater access to quality online education, particularly in developing countries.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, director general of...