The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) has signed Memoranda of Understanding with three leading Chinese institutions to expand cooperation in food nutrition, functional food research and development, and scientific talent training.
The agreements were signed during the China-Pakistan Scientific and Technological Cooperation Conference on Food and Medicinal Resources for Nutrition and Health in Islamabad, which brought together more than 50 experts, academics, researchers and industry representatives from research institutions, universities, regulatory bodies and enterprises.
OIC-COMSTECH General Coordinator Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary signed the agreements with Wang Fengzhong, Director of the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development at China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Liu Rongrong, Director General of the Institute of Food Science and Technology at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; and Peng Jun, Director of the National Nanfan Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
The partnership will combine the institutions’ research expertise, scientific platforms, genetic resources, core technologies and capacity-building capabilities to promote broader collaboration in food and nutrition sciences. The areas covered by the agreements include fundamental research on food and medicinal resources, functional food development, joint international laboratories, cross-border research projects, young scientist and technologist training, and high-level academic conferences.
The cooperation is also expected to strengthen links between Chinese research institutions and universities and scientific organisations across OIC member states. It could create opportunities for joint research, researcher exchanges, technology transfer, laboratory development and institutional capacity-building.
The agreements come as food security, nutrition and public health remain major areas of scientific and development concern. China’s expertise in agricultural sciences, food technology and research innovation provides scope for collaborative projects aimed at developing practical solutions and expanding scientific capabilities among OIC member states.
The latest agreements build on wider OIC-COMSTECH efforts to deepen scientific cooperation with Chinese research institutions, including collaboration focused on food security, nutrition, expert exchanges, specialised training and joint research.
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Through the new partnership, OIC-COMSTECH and its Chinese counterparts aim to translate research into practical applications, strengthen human-resource development and expand access to advanced scientific knowledge and technologies across the OIC community.
