Islamabad, May 17, 2024 — Dr. Fiaz Hussain, Associate Dean (International), Cardiff School of Art & Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University (Cardiff Met), UK also a Senior Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, visited COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) on May 17, 2024.

The purpose of the visit was to deliberate upon strengthening the existing partnership established since January 31, 2023, with the signing of a Declaration of Understanding (DoU) between the two institutions. This DoU includes provisions for potential collaborations, such as joint research projects and publications, student and staff exchanges, capacity-building initiatives, and post-doctoral fellowships.

The meeting was attended by Prof. Dr. Shahida Mansoor, Dean, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Asst. Prof. Uzma Kabir, Head Department of Architecture, Mr. Fida Muhammad, Head Department of Art and Design, Dr. Muhammad Faisal Siddiqui, Convener, Collaboration and Outreach Committee (COC), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dr. Hammad Omer, Head International Office, and Mr. Ali Tawab Baloch, Senior Manager International Office.

They discussed various models for initiating tangible activities on a reciprocal basis. These were: conducting workshops for students, faculty-to-faculty interactions, and collaborations in the fields of art and design, computer science, artificial intelligence, engineering, management, and health sciences. To facilitate further interactions, it was decided that online meetings would be preferred to expedite the collaboration process.

Dr. Hussain delivered an interactive live session for COMSATS students to introduce a wide range of opportunities available in the UK, particularly at Cardiff School of Art & Design. The lecture attracted over 50 students, who raised numerous questions about educational opportunities in the UK. These questions were addressed with detailed and relevant information.