Makhdoom Hussain
Jhelum: The Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) and the Islamic Research Institute (IRI) have extended their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a further two years to strengthen cooperation in countering violent extremism (CVE), promoting peace and advancing sustainable development in Pakistan.
The MoU extension agreement was signed on January 8 and will remain effective until January 7, 2028. The renewed partnership builds on a collaboration initiated in 2020, under which the two institutions jointly implemented a range of academic, research and capacity-building initiatives aligned with the Paigham-e-Pakistan narrative.
Under the agreement, SSDO and IRI will continue cooperation in education and academic collaboration, research activities, professional and vocational training, and capacity-building programmes for relevant stakeholders. The partnership also envisages the organisation of seminars, workshops and conferences on issues related to peacebuilding, social cohesion and sustainable development. Both sides agreed to explore additional academic and developmental initiatives through mutual consent.
Representatives of both institutions, speaking on the occasion, expressed satisfaction over the outcomes achieved during the previous term and underscored the importance of sustained collaboration between academic institutions and civil society organisations to address emerging social, educational and developmental challenges in the country.
The MoU was signed by Prof Dr Muhammad Zia ul Haq, Director General of the Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), and Syed Kausar Abbas, Executive Director of SSDO, in the presence of designated focal persons from both organisations.
The renewed collaboration is expected to further strengthen research, policy dialogue and capacity development efforts, contributing to academic growth and broader social development in Pakistan.
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