COMSTECH Virology Fellowships Closing Ceremony held in Surabaya

Surabaya, The Gulf Observer: The closing ceremony of COMSTECH fellowship for Research and Advanced Training in Virology and Vaccine Technologies held in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Under this program, Ms. Faiza Nadeem, PhD Student at International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, Karachi, Ms. Faiza Marrium, Officer In-charge, Tetanus Toxoid Production Lab, National Institute of Health, Islamabad, Dr. Mohsein Cheema, Lecturer, University of Lahore, Lahore and Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Mohamed Tawfick, Associate Professor, Al-Azhar University, Cairo completed their fellowships at Universitas Airlangga in Surabaya, Indonesia with the cooperation of Ministry of Health, Indonesia, BioFarma and Universitas Airlangga.

Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) H.E. Mr. Askar Mussinov said in his remarks that I am very happy to talk to you on the occasion of closing ceremony of very impactful program happening under joint efforts of COMSTECH & Ministry of Health, Indonesia, BioFarma and Universitas Airlangga. He hoped that returning research fellows are going back to their countries with polished technical skills and game changing mind sets in their fields.

Ambassador Mussinov said that this program does not only develop technical capacities of the up and coming scientists but also promotes science diplomacy which eliminates cultural, sectoral, and knowledge barriers between different actors such as policy-makers, researchers, diplomatic bodies and civil society.

Coordinator General COMSTECH, Prof. Choudhary thanked the Ministry of Health, Indonesia for generous support towards this program. He said that many OIC countries are totally dependent on selected countries for every health care need, be it diagnostic equipment, kits, ventilators or PPEs. He said in the context of this situation, the program was started with the aim to prepare next generation of scientists of OIC nations to meet the challenges of current and future pandemics/epidemics.

Prof. Choudhary informed that this program is a systematic and focused programme for capacity building of young scientists launched by COMSTECH in collaboration of key centers of excellence in OIC countries. He hoped that this research fellowship would have proved as an excellent opportunity for the young virologist and biologists to hone their skills.