Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has chaired a meeting to review the progress of four key Centers of Excellence in Islamabad today.     

These key centers of Excellence included National Center for Brand Development, Establishment of Bayt-ul-Hikmah at NUML, Establishment of China-Pakistan Joint Research Centre (CPJR) on Earth Sciences at QAU, Islamabad, Dr. A. Q Khan Institute of Materials and Emerging Sciences and establishment of nine Seerat Chairs.

During the meeting, the Minister emphasized the strategic importance of the National Center for Manufacturing, a project approved by the Central Development Working Party scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2027.

He highlighted that material science would play a pivotal role in shaping the future of production technologies and directed that a leading expert in material science be appointed to steer the project.

On the subject of establishing Bayt-ul-Hikmah at the National University of Modern Languages, Ahsan Iqbal highlighted that this institute would serve as a platform for translating the world's best books into local languages and vice versa.

The Bayt-ul-Hikmah project has been approved by the CDWP at a revised cost of 485.998 million rupees.

The meeting also reviewed the Quality Assurance Framework for Higher Education in Pakistan, where the Planning Minister called for improved regulation of departments to enhance the performance of higher education institutions.

He directed the Vice Chancellor of Quaid-e-Azam University to prepare a roadmap for the establishment of the A.Q. Khan Institute of Materials and Emerging Sciences, with the final plan to be submitted within the next seven days.

The Minister reiterated that top experts in material sciences should be associated with the project to ensure it meets global standards.

Ahsan Iqbal also inquired about the updated status on nine Seerat Chairs across various universities in Pakistan. These chairs, to be filled through the Higher Education Commission, will be held by internationally acclaimed Islamic scholars.