Beijing: The Executive Director of COMSATS, Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, participated in the 13th Governing Board Meeting of the Alliance of National and International Science Organizations (ANSO) for the Belt and Road Regions. Serving as a board member since 2023, Dr. Zakaria joined discussions led by Prof. HE Hongping, President of ANSO and Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), on key organizational matters, including the ANSO progress report for 2026, membership dues, statute amendments, new membership applications, and future development priorities.

According to the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South, the ANSO Secretariat acknowledged the contributions of COMSATS in its progress report, highlighting their collaborative efforts in conferences focused on sustainable development. These included the ANSO-COMSATS Conference on Artificial Intelligence for water governance held in Islamabad and the ANSO-COMSATS-TWAS Conference on sustainable futures for all living species. The Secretariat also noted ANSO’s participation in the recent COMSATS Coordinating Council Meeting in Indonesia.

Ambassador Zakaria emphasized the importance of strategic development within ANSO, suggesting that agriculture and food security should be prioritized. He advocated for focusing on areas directly impacting human lives and underscored the significance of the COMSATS-ANSO partnership. Highlighting the success of the ANSO-BIDI School, which has benefitted over 600 researchers from COMSATS member states, Dr. Zakaria reaffirmed COMSATS’ commitment to leveraging its resources to enhance science, technology, innovation, and inclusive development in the developing world.