Riphah International University has signed agreements with three Turkish universities to expand joint research, student and faculty mobility, and academic cooperation.
The partnerships involve Yıldız Technical University, Dokuz Eylül University and Sabancı University. They form part of Riphah’s efforts to strengthen its international academic network and deepen higher education ties between Pakistan and Türkiye.
The signing followed bilateral engagements between Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission and Türkiye’s Council of Higher Education on September 13.
OIC-COMSTECH and the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan hosted a high-level reception at Islamabad Club the following day. The September 14 gathering brought together senior academic leaders from both countries to discuss institutional cooperation.
HEC Chairman Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, a Sitara-i-Imtiaz recipient, and Turkish Ambassador Dr. İrfan Neziroğlu attended the event.
Three partnerships with distinct academic strengths
The agreements connect Riphah with Turkish institutions whose academic profiles span engineering, science, technology, research and interdisciplinary education.
Yıldız Technical University, established in 1911, brings a longstanding tradition in engineering and technical education. The institution’s academic focus aligns with the partnerships’ emphasis on research, knowledge sharing and innovation.
Dokuz Eylül University, established in 1982, offers multidisciplinary education as a public university. Riphah highlighted its research strengths when announcing the agreement.
Sabancı University focuses on innovation, research and education across disciplines. Its origins trace to the Sabancı Group’s 1994 decision to establish a university, while student enrolment began in 1999.
Sabancı’s academic structure includes engineering and natural sciences, arts and social sciences, and business. Its educational model allows students to explore academic interests before choosing a programme.
Senior Riphah leadership joins engagement
Chancellor Hassan Muhammad Khan represented Riphah alongside Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Yawar Hayat Khan.
The delegation also included International Office head M. Nauman Mansoor and Prof. Dr. Abdulhamit Birışık, Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Riphah said the partnerships would extend beyond academic exchanges to support joint research, knowledge sharing and cross-border innovation. Student and faculty mobility also features among the stated areas of cooperation.
The announcement did not specify exchange quotas, funding commitments, application deadlines or individual research projects. It also did not announce scholarships or identify which degree programmes would participate first.
Agreements build on existing international activity
Pakistan’s federal government chartered Riphah in 2002. The university now lists campuses across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Malakand, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Peshawar and Gujranwala.
Its academic portfolio includes computing, engineering, health sciences, management, pharmaceutical sciences, rehabilitation, social sciences and veterinary sciences.
Riphah already operates an international student exchange programme that provides opportunities to study at partner institutions abroad. The latest agreements add three Turkish universities to its wider international collaboration efforts.
The university presented the partnerships as a step towards sustained Pakistan–Türkiye higher education cooperation, linking institutional relationships with research and mobility opportunities.
