Islamabad, Aug 19: On Monday, the Center for Scientific and Analytical Information (CSAI) at the Institute of Oriental Studies (IOS), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), and the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). According to a press release, the signing ceremony, which took place remotely, signaled the start of a new phase of academic and scientific collaboration between the two universities.
On behalf of their respective organizations, Prof. Dr. Nikolay Plotnikov, Head of CSAI, IOS, and RAS, and Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director General of ISSI, signed the Memorandum of Understanding. Along with her research team and interns, Dr. Neelum Nigar, Director of the ISSI’s Center for Strategic Perspectives (CSP), also attended the event. Mr. Alexey Marinin, Senior Researcher, was also present to represent Russia.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood stressed the importance of this collaboration in his remarks on the occasion, saying, “Today’s signing represents a significant turning point in our collaborative efforts to strengthen academic and research cooperation.”Unprecedented changes are occurring in the world, and the dynamics of international interactions are changing quickly. These kinds of platforms can help us comprehend how the environment is changing quickly and how it affects the world order.
He also emphasized the significance Pakistan places on its ties to the Russian Federation, pointing out the growing bilateral cooperation in a number of areas, such as people-to-people exchanges, security, defense, economics, energy, and diplomacy.
He further emphasized the productive cooperation between Pakistan and Russia in multilateral fora like the SCO and on regional concerns like Afghanistan. In his remarks, Prof. Dr. Nikolay Plotnikov emphasized the wide range of topics and regions that CSAI investigates, from the Middle East to Japan in the Asia-Pacific area. He also highlighted the substantial practical research work that CSAI conducts. He conveyed his belief that working with ISSI will create new opportunities for collaborative research and communication.
This Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed by ISSI and a Russian research center, is a historic first for ISSI, according to Dr. Neelum Nigar. She was upbeat about the possibility of upcoming collaborative research initiatives and idea sharing between the two parties.
The Memorandum of Understanding established a framework for cooperative efforts, such as the sharing of researchers and data, organizing events and programs together, and starting cooperative research projects. It is anticipated that this collaboration will strengthen the scholarly work of both groups and advance knowledge of the areas they both research on a larger and deeper scale. The resolve to strengthen ties and look for prospects for more cooperation in the upcoming years was reaffirmed at the ceremony’s conclusion.
