ISLAMABAD: The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS), Malaysia reiterated their resolve to forge an institutional relationship through joint ventures aiming to build strong people-to-people ties.
The two think tanks, during a virtual meeting, apprised each other of their respective visions, mandates and scope of work, and highlighted their outputs over the years as well as the extent of international collaboration.
They also acknowledged the complementarity in their objectives and research interests, including building narratives, focusing on relevant global and regional issues, and reinforcing their countries’ foreign policy endeavours.
During the interactive session, ISSI Director General Sohail Mahmood highlighted the close brotherly relations between Pakistan and Malaysia, the convergence of views between them on major issues, and their long-standing tradition of supporting causes dear to the Muslim Ummah.
He also highlighted efforts in the realm of countering Islamophobia and accentuating Pakistan’s pivot to geo-economics.
IAIS Chairman Prof Dr Maszlee bin Malik, also former Minister of Education of Malaysia, underscored the fraternal Malaysia-Pakistan relations, the need for enhanced academic and think-tank exchanges, and the importance of developing a ‘road map’ for IAIS-ISSI collaboration.
Besides Sohail Mahmood and Prof Dr. Maszlee bin Malik, other participants included Dr Talat Shabbir, Director, China Pakistan Study Centre, ISSI; Dr Ahmad Badri, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO), IAIS, Malaysia; and members of Team CPSC, ISSI.
