The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) convened a Zoom session of its International Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), a key platform for guiding the organization’s scientific and technological priorities.
The International Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), a significant resource comprising renowned scientific experts selected by the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), plays a vital role in delivering independent evaluations, science-driven advice, and strategic recommendations to the COMSATS Secretariat and its Network of International S&T Centres of Excellence.
TAC contributes to the development of foresight frameworks for scientific coordination and technological innovation within COMSATS’ member institutions, while also reviewing existing planning processes, policies, and institutional capacities—when required or upon request—to identify and address capacity-building needs.
The session was chaired by the Executive Director of COMSATS, Ambassador Dr. M. NafeesZakaria, assisted by the senior officials from the COMSATS Secretariat. The TAC membership comprises eminent scientists and experts, including: Prof. Dr. Ishenkumba A. Kahwa, University of the West Indies, Jamaica; Prof. Dr. Haseena Khan, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh; Prof. Dr. BolanleOjokoh, Federal University of Technology, Nigeria; Dr. DJAGOUN Chabi A. M. Sylvestre, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin; Dr. Wejdan Abu-Elhaija, Royal Scientific Society, Jordan; Dr. Jauad El Kharraz, ECCO Climate, Italy; and Mr. Fernando Santiago Rodriguez, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Austria. Additionally, Dr. Babar MajidBhatti, Executive Director of the National Information Technology Board (NITB) and an AI & Cybersecurity expert, joined the session as a special invitee, who contributed valuable insights to the discussions.
The session addressed key agenda items, including: providing guidance on customizing training programs to meet the evolving needs of COMSATS’ member institutions; operationalization of new COMSATS initiatives, such as research clusters, the R&D Fund, and targeted capacity-building programs; strategic alignment of COMSATS’ programs and initiatives, as deliberated in the Coordinating Council, to address existing gaps and ensure measurable impact across member countries.
