On July 30, 2026, a delegation led by Prof. Irshad Hussain, Director of the National Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NCNN) and Professor at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), visited the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, China (NCNST). Both sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen bilateral collaboration in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Prof. Zhiyong Tang, Director of NCNST, extended a warm welcome to the NCNN delegation. In his remarks, he recalled the more than decade‑long partnership between the two sides in nanoscience, which began with the signing of the first MoU in 2013. He noted that the establishment of NCNN marks a strategic upgrade of nanotechnology as a national priority in Pakistan. He expressed NCNST's commitment to practical cooperation with Pakistani counterparts in areas such as personnel exchange and training, joint research, and the sharing of technical resources.
The collaborative meeting was chaired by Prof. Xinghua Shi, Deputy Director of NCNST. Virtual remarks were delivered by Prof. Zia‑ul‑Haq, Executive Director of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan; Prof. Kausar A. Malik, President of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences; and Professor Noor M. Butt, former Chairman of the Pakistan Science Foundation and a long‑standing partner of NCNST. All speakers emphasized the importance of nanotechnology in driving socio‑economic development in both countries and expressed strong expectations for taking bilateral cooperation to a higher level.
During the meeting, directors of NCNN's constituent national laboratories presented their respective research directions. The two sides held in‑depth discussions on emerging areas such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and agricultural nanotechnology. The delegation also toured NCNST's research laboratories.
Two MoUs were signed during the visit, one between NCNST and NCNN, and another between NCNST and LUMS. The agreements aim to promote staff exchanges, facilitate joint research, and support collaborative applications for bilateral funding schemes.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Khan Muhammad Wazir, S&T Counsellor at the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing; Ms. Haihua Gong, Director of the Department of Asian and African Affairs at the Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and other researchers from NCNST.
