British Council and ECOSF join hands for Scientific Research and Education in ECO Member Countries
Islamabad : British Council and ECO Science Foundation have agreed in principle that the two organizations will work together to pursue the common goals for Scientific Research and Education in the 10 member countries of Economic …Cooperation Organization (ECO), viz., Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. Says a press statement issued by the ECOSF Headquarters in Islamabad.
The statement further informed that the meeting between Prof. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro, President of the ECO Science Foundation (ECOSF) and Dr. Claire McNutly, Director of Science, Education and Society of the British Council (BC) was held in London-UK and also attended by the officials from British Council Pakistan including Ms. Nishat Riaz and Ms. Sarah Pervaiz.
Prof. Soomro shared the functioning of the organization saying that it has a Board of Trustees comprising Ministers of Science and Technology of the member countries and an Executive Committee of eminent scientists of ten countries while UNESCO has an observer status. He also briefed the planned activities of ECOSF especially the promotion of high quality research for industrial development lead related to BC’s Researchers Link Programme, and implementation of the Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE)- La main a la pate in the ECO countries in collaboration with different world players including Science Education Programme (SEP) of the Inter-Academy Panel (IAP).
Dr. Claire McNutly, while listing some of the common objectives of British Council and ECO, acknowledged ECOSF as an important activist for the promotion of science and technology in the region and put emphasis on strengthening the links between the two organizations through joint projects, meetings and capacity building activities and also their member states and affiliated Institutes.
The programmes identified to be looked into in detail for initiating the collaboration include: Researcher Links; Capacity Building in English, Research and Education; the Fame Lab concept, and the use of ICT for the benefit of public.
On the occasion, the participants were informed that the ECO Educational Institute based in Ankara-Turkey and the ECO Cultural Institute based in Tehran- Iran will also be invited to support the cause. British Council in Pakistan will prepare a document/presentation and share with the President ECOSF before putting up a formal proposal of cooperation.