COMSATS & ITS hold conference on “Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Development”
COMSATS, ITS and ANSO held a conference in Surabaya on how emerging technologies can support sustainable development and cooperation across the Global South.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
The conference in Surabaya brought together COMSATS, its Indonesian Centre of Excellence ITS, and ANSO to discuss how emerging technologies can help developing countries tackle shared economic, social and environmental challenges.
A group of science and tech leaders met in Indonesia to talk about how new tools like AI, clean energy and better farming methods can help poorer countries solve real problems, like a toolbox shared between neighbors.
Analysis
What happened
COMSATS and its Centre of Excellence, the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) in Indonesia, held a conference in Surabaya on Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Development. The event took place alongside the 26th Meeting of the COMSATS Coordinating Council and was organized with the Alliance of National and International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions (ANSO).
What the conference focused on
The stated aim was to show how emerging technologies can support sustainable development, exchange research and policy experience, and identify areas for collaboration. The conference themes covered AI, big data and digital transformation; renewable energy; climate change mitigation and environmental technologies; water, food and agricultural technologies; biotechnology; health technologies; advanced materials and nanotechnology; and STI policy and technology governance in developing countries.
What the speakers emphasized
At the opening, Dr. Mohammad Fauzan Adziman of Indonesia’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology said international collaboration is key to development and praised COMSATS initiatives such as indigenous EV technology, a NanoTech Lab, a joint industrial biotechnology center, and TeleHealth Clinics. He also encouraged Indonesian organizations to work more closely with COMSATS.
COMSATS Executive Director Ambassador Dr. Mohammad Nafees Zakaria said developing countries face interconnected challenges and need to harness emerging technologies to respond to local problems and socioeconomic needs. He stressed sustained investment in science, technology and innovation, strong institutions, forward-looking policy, ethical regulation and meaningful international cooperation.
ITS Rector Prof. Dr. Bambang Pramujati said inventions start with conversations and exchange of ideas, while ANSO Executive Director Prof. Liu Weidong said the themes were important for socioeconomic development.
Why it is being framed this way
The article presents the conference as a platform for cross-border scientific cooperation rather than a standalone academic meeting. It also ties technology discussion directly to development goals, especially for countries that want practical solutions in energy, health, agriculture and governance.
Key points
- COMSATS, ITS and ANSO held a conference in Surabaya, Indonesia, on emerging technologies and sustainable development.
- The event was held alongside the 26th Meeting of the COMSATS Coordinating Council.
- Speakers stressed international collaboration, sustained science and technology investment, and ethical regulation.
- Session themes included AI, renewable energy, climate, agriculture, biotechnology, health tech and nanotechnology.
- Experts from COMSATS centres and ANSO delivered technical talks during the conference.
If the partnerships discussed at the conference lead to real projects, COMSATS and its centers of excellence could help spread useful technologies across member countries. The focus on collaboration could also make it easier for researchers to share ideas, facilities and know-how. The themes named in the article, such as renewable energy, health tech and agriculture, are all areas where practical improvements could have a visible public benefit.
The article also suggests a familiar risk: conferences can produce good language about collaboration without turning into funded projects or lasting partnerships. Without sustained investment and clear policy support, the ideas discussed may not reach the people they are meant to help. The emphasis on ethics, regulation and institutional strength also implies that weak governance could slow adoption of the very technologies being promoted.
