Dhaka (TDI): Prof. Dr. Raheel Qamar, Rector of COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), participated in the South Asian Regional Conference on Higher Education (SARCHE 2026) in Dhaka as part of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan’s delegation of Vice Chancellors.
The conference brought together more than 30 international delegates from countries including Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom, along with senior officials from the World Bank. Discussions focused on the current state of higher education in South Asia and explored future strategies emphasizing regional cooperation.
On the sidelines of the conference, Prof. Dr. Raheel Qamar held separate meetings with Prof. Md. Shahinul Alam, Vice Chancellor, Bangladesh Medical University (BMU), and Prof. Dr. Saleh-Hasan-Naqib, Vice Chancellor, University of Rajshahi. The meetings focused on enhancing regional collaboration in research, strengthening academic partnerships, and promoting faculty and student exchanges between leading institutions of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
During these interactions, Prof. Qamar extended COMSATS University Islamabad’s standing offer of ten postgraduate scholarships per university for faculty members of both Bangladesh Medical University and the University of Rajshahi.
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It was also agreed that CUI’s commercialized biomedical products, KytoStat and KytoGraft, will be provided to Bangladesh Medical University for testing and evaluation in the Bangladeshi environment. This collaboration is expected to contribute to improved healthcare outcomes while delivering meaningful socio-economic benefits as a goodwill initiative from Pakistan.
The discussions further emphasized new models of research collaboration, particularly the use of Artificial Intelligence to map research gaps, optimize resource utilization, and jointly address region-specific socio-economic and healthcare challenges. Both sides expressed strong interest in developing collaborative, data-driven research frameworks to enhance the quality, relevance and impact of research across South Asia.
The three-day SARCHE 2026 Conference features eight thematic sessions. The first day focused on “The Current State of Higher Education in South Asia: Governance, Quality and Inclusion” and “Research, Innovation, Sustainability and Social Engagement.”
The second day included sessions on Artificial Intelligence Integration and Digital Transformation, Industry–Academia Collaboration and Graduate Employability, Future Pathways of Higher Education through Regional Cooperation, Stakeholder Dialogue on Higher Education Transformation, and a Vice-Chancellors’ Dialogue in the context of the HEAT Project.
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The final day will address gender issues in higher education, followed by the adoption of the “Dhaka Higher Education Declaration.”
The conference was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Laureate and Chief Adviser to the Government of Bangladesh.
Sohail Majeed
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
