Government College University (GCU) Lahore and the Maldives National University (MNU) have signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen academic cooperation through joint research, student and faculty exchanges, and collaborative educational programmes.

The agreement was signed by GCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Omer Chaudhry and Maldives National University Vice Chancellor Dr. Aishath Shehenaz Adam at a ceremony organised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Islamabad.

The agreement was part of a broader initiative under which Maldives National University signed five MoUs with Pakistani higher education institutions, including GCU Lahore, the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, University of Wah and Foundation University Islamabad.

The signing ceremony coincided with the three-day state visit of Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to Pakistan.

HEC Chairman Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, Pakistan's High Commissioner to the Maldives Faisal Rasool Lodhi, vice chancellors and senior HEC officials attended the ceremony.

Under the agreement, GCU Lahore and MNU will explore joint research projects, international research grants, scholarships, faculty exchanges, academic conferences, curriculum development and the sharing of research facilities and academic resources.

The collaboration will cover disciplines including business and management, computing, law, art and design, engineering, social sciences, medicine, natural sciences, pharmacy, media and humanities.

The MoU also provides a framework for student exchanges, guest professorships, academic visits and potential credit-transfer arrangements, subject to regulatory approvals and separate agreements.

Speaking at the ceremony, HEC Chairman Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar said the agreements would strengthen academic ties between Pakistan and the Maldives and open new avenues for joint research, faculty development and collaborative degree programmes.

MNU Vice Chancellor Dr. Aishath Shehenaz Adam welcomed the partnerships and emphasised the need to translate the agreements into practical opportunities for students, faculty members and researchers of both countries.