KARACHI: Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, to strengthen cooperation in natural products research and applied biosciences.
The MoU was signed during a formal ceremony held at ICCBS, University of Karachi, with the aim of promoting academic, research, and cultural collaboration between the two institutions on the basis of mutual benefit and equality. The agreement was signed by Prof Dr Muhammad Raza Shah, Director ICCBS, and Associate Professor Dr Fatimah Salim, Director of the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns), Malaysia. The ceremony was attended by national and international scholars and officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Muhammad Raza Shah said ICCBS is a well-established research institution with strong research and educational capabilities and long-standing collaborative links with international partners. He termed the MoU a significant step toward enhancing joint educational, teaching, research, and cultural activities between Pakistan and Malaysia.
He highlighted the close historical and cultural relations between the two countries and stressed the need to further strengthen cooperation in education, science, and technology. He added that ICCBS is among Pakistan’s leading centers of excellence in chemical, biological, and biochemical sciences and serves as an international hub for training scholars from different countries.
Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia’s largest comprehensive public university, is known for its strong focus on quality education and research and maintains active collaborations with international institutions.
Under the MoU, both institutions will collaborate in knowledge exchange and capacity building in natural products research and applied biosciences. The agreement also provides for training and mobility opportunities for PhD scholars, young researchers, laboratory technicians, research assistants, research officers, and early-career faculty members through attachment and exchange programs at both institutions.
