Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH)’s Coordinator General Dr M Iqbal Choudhary has underlined the need to fight for every child’s fundamental right to education.

"We need to act promptly at all levels," he said, speaking at the "V Nobel Fest" organised by the Inclusive Development Foundation (IDF) in collaboration with COMSTECH.

Dr Iqbal quoting Pakistani Nobel Laureate Dr Abdus Salam said, “developing countries differ from developed countries not only because they have less wealth and capital but because they have less knowledge.”

He appreciated the focus of the V Nobel Fest on education and knowledge and said it was timely and important. "We live in a world defined by knowledge and its application," he added.

Dr Iqbal Choudhary said the major challenges faced by the Muslim world in the field of education are: low access to education as among the 780 million illiterate people, half live in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) region; female literacy well below the world average; exclusion of children of minorities and children with disabilities; armed conflicts leading to large scale migration; and lack of investment in schools, trained teachers, and educational materials.

He said, in accordance with the vision of former President of Kazakhstan, “we are in the process of developing an institutional mechanism for inter-Islamic cooperation, called OIC-15, comprising the 15 most developed OIC member states."

Dr Iqbal greeted the organisers of V Nobel Fest, “for putting together another excellent festival of knowledge for future leaders."

He extended gratitude to the organisers for extending an invitation to COMSTECH as the co-organizer of the “VI Nobel Fest” to be held in early 2023 in Islamabad.

Nobel Fest is a unique online platform for discussing and sharing innovative ideas with Nobel Prize laureates, distinguished scientists and experts. The Nobel Fest’s primary goal is to increase access to global science and education in every corner of the world.

This year’s Nobel Fest was held in Astana, Kazakhstan. Students and young scientists from all parts of the world have been granted unlimited access to the platform and are allowed to connect and communicate with Nobel Prize laureates and distinguished scientists.

IDF is an independent non-profit organisation that aims to foster open dialogue on inclusive policies related to the most pressing public issues.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk