YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar and HEC Chairman Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar sign declaration during four-day visit of Turkish higher education delegation
ISLAMABAD, Saturday, September 19, 2026 (WNP): Türkiye and Pakistan have reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in higher education, with President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar and Chairman of Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar signing a Joint Declaration on advancing higher education cooperation between the two countries.
According to the Embassy of Türkiye, Prof. Dr. Özvar, accompanied by rectors of leading Turkish universities, visited Pakistan from September 13 to 16, 2026, engaging with Pakistan’s higher education leadership and academic community.
The visit provided an opportunity for senior academic leaders from Türkiye and Pakistan to exchange views on strengthening educational and research linkages and developing a shared framework for long-term cooperation between higher education institutions of the two countries.
The signing of the Joint Declaration marked an important step towards advancing bilateral cooperation in higher education and expanding academic engagement between Türkiye and Pakistan.
The Turkish Embassy described the partnership as a journey “from shared roots to shared knowledge and from shared knowledge to a shared future,” highlighting the longstanding bonds and mutual understanding between the two countries.
During the visit, the Turkish delegation held engagements with Pakistan’s higher education leadership and academic institutions, with discussions focusing on opportunities for greater institutional collaboration and academic cooperation.
The Embassy reaffirmed the two countries’ determination to deepen cooperation in higher education and to carry their longstanding ties and mutual affection forward to future generations.
“We remain determined to deepen our cooperation in higher education, carrying our exceptional ties and mutual affection into the generations to come,” the Embassy said.
The Joint Declaration is expected to provide a framework for continued engagement between the higher education sectors of Türkiye and Pakistan and further strengthen academic partnerships between institutions in both countries.
