Dhaka, January 15 2026 (Khyber Mail) – Prof Dr Raheel Qamar, Rector COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), has offered faculty development scholarships to Bangladesh Medical University and the University of Rajshahi during his participation in the South Asian Regional Conference on Higher Education (SARCHE) 2026 being held in Dhaka.
Prof Dr Raheel Qamar is part of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan’s delegation of vice chancellors attending the three-day conference from January 12 to 15, which has brought together more than 30 international delegates from South Asia, the United Kingdom and other regions, along with senior officials of the World Bank. The forum is focusing on the present state of higher education in South Asia and future pathways with an emphasis on regional cooperation.
On the sidelines of the conference, the CUI rector held separate meetings with Prof Md Shahinul Alam, Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh Medical University, and Prof Dr Saleh-Hasan-Naqib, Vice Chancellor of the University of Rajshahi. The meetings centered on strengthening academic partnerships, enhancing regional research collaboration, and promoting faculty and student exchange programs between Pakistani and Bangladeshi institutions.
During the discussions, Prof Dr Raheel 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 as part of its faculty development initiative.
It was also agreed that CUI’s commercialized biomedical products, KytoStat and KytoGraft, would be provided to Bangladesh Medical University for testing and evaluation under local conditions in Bangladesh. The initiative is expected to contribute to improved healthcare outcomes and deliver socio-economic benefits as a goodwill gesture from Pakistan.
The meetings further explored new models of collaborative research, particularly the application of artificial intelligence to identify research gaps, optimize resource utilization, and jointly address region-specific socio-economic and healthcare challenges. Both sides expressed strong interest in developing data-driven and collaborative research frameworks to enhance the relevance and impact of research across South Asia.
SARCHE 2026 comprises eight thematic sessions spread over three days. The opening day focused on governance, quality and inclusion in higher education, along with research, innovation, sustainability and social engagement. The second day featured sessions on artificial intelligence integration, digital transformation, industry-academia collaboration, graduate employability, regional cooperation, stakeholder dialogue, and a vice chancellors’ dialogue under the HEAT Project.
The final day of the conference will address gender issues in higher education and conclude with the adoption of the Dhaka Higher Education Declaration. The conference was inaugurated by Nobel Laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the Government of Bangladesh.