The first ever Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on science and technologies opened today in Astana, Kazakhstan, in the presence of several heads of states.

OIC Secretary-General Dr. Yousif bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen stressed the importance of the summit, which convenes at a defining moment for the member states amid unprecedented political, economic and security shifts and challenges.

Addressing the opening session at Astana, he said that political and security solutions to modern problems should go hand in hand with social, cultural and economic plans based on science and knowledge.

He unveiled OIC plans to launch a scholarship programme covering medicine, engineering and information technology for outstanding students from member countries.

He underlined the dedicated efforts exerted by OIC member states to invest in higher education and allocate a substantial proportion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for research and development programmes.

These efforts have paid off as 17 universities located in member countries have been listed among the top 400 best universities in the world in 2017

Source: BNA