PM Youth Programme, Comstech agree to expand cooperation on digital skills

Islamabad: Joint committee proposed plans include training 500 young women and extending Digital Youth Hub to OIC member states

The Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) and OIC-Comstech on Monday agreed to strengthen cooperation on youth empowerment, digital skills and entrepreneurship, with plans to establish a joint committee to coordinate initiatives targeting young people in Pakistan and other OIC member states

The understanding was reached during a meeting between PMYP Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan and OIC-Comstech Coordinator General Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary at the Comstech Secretariat in Islamabad. Senior officials from both sides also attended the meeting

The two sides agreed to work together, in line with Prime Minister of Pakistan’s vision for youth empowerment, to expand opportunities for young people and highlight Pakistan’s contribution to science, technology, education and human resource development across the Muslim world. The Prime Minister of Pakistan also serves as Co-Chairman of OIC-Comstech, while the President of Pakistan is its Chairman.

The meeting discussed jointly organising the Kazan Youth Forum, launching a Digital Youth Programme with a particular focus on training 500 young women in digital skills, and exploring the expansion of the Prime Minister’s Digital Youth Hub to OIC member states

Mechanisms were also discussed to connect the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme with youth organisations in OIC countries, providing greater opportunities for networking, knowledge exchange, entrepreneurship, skills development and collaboration among young people across the Muslim world

Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan appreciated Comstech’s initiatives in science, technology, innovation and capacity building and described closer cooperation between the two organisations as an opportunity to project Pakistan’s positive image through knowledge, technology and youth development

He said Pakistan, with its longstanding leadership role within the OIC and its scientific and academic institutions, could play an important role in connecting young people across member states and providing them with opportunities in emerging technologies and digital skills

Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary said the large youth population of OIC member states represented significant potential for economic and technological development, but greater investment was required in education, digital skills, science, innovation and entrepreneurship

Source: www.thenews.pk