ISTANBUL, Tuesday, June 30, 2026 (WNP): Pakistan and Türkiye have reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation in education, skills development, educational technology and academic innovation, with both countries agreeing to institutionalize collaboration through new agreements and joint implementation mechanisms.
The understanding was reached during a bilateral meeting between Pakistan’s Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training, Wajiha Qamar, and Türkiye’s Minister of National Education, Yusuf Tekin, held on the sidelines of the Türkiye Education Technologies Summit and Fair (TETZ 2026) in Istanbul.
The meeting focused on expanding cooperation in general education, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), language education, educational technology, academic exchanges and cultural collaboration.
Both sides discussed measures to institutionalize bilateral cooperation through the signing of a comprehensive education cooperation agreement and the establishment of joint working groups to accelerate the implementation of mutually beneficial initiatives.
The two ministers also exchanged views on the growing role of artificial intelligence in transforming education, particularly in language learning. They explored opportunities to jointly develop AI-assisted platforms for teaching Turkish in Pakistan and Urdu in Türkiye to promote greater cultural understanding and strengthen people-to-people contacts between the two brotherly countries.
Speaking on the occasion, Wajiha Qamar said Pakistan attaches great importance to its longstanding and historic relationship with Türkiye and remains committed to translating bilateral understandings into practical outcomes that benefit students, educators and academic institutions in both countries.
She emphasized the importance of timely implementation of existing agreements while pursuing new avenues of cooperation in digital learning, teacher training, technical and vocational education, educational technology and academic partnerships.
The minister said enhanced collaboration in education and skills development would play a vital role in preparing future generations to meet emerging global challenges while further deepening the enduring friendship between Pakistan and Türkiye.
Turkish Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to expanding educational cooperation with Pakistan, saying the deep-rooted fraternal ties between the two countries provide a strong foundation for broader collaboration in education, research, innovation and academic exchange.
He noted that joint educational initiatives and innovation-driven partnerships would further strengthen bilateral relations and contribute to the development of human capital in both countries.
The meeting was also attended by the Turkish Education Counsellor to Pakistan and senior officials of Türkiye’s Ministry of National Education, including the Director General for European Union and Foreign Affairs.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to maintain close coordination to advance the shared education agenda and transform the outcomes of the discussions into practical initiatives that would further strengthen cooperation between the education sectors of Pakistan and Türkiye.
