The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) is an international organization. It aims to reduce the ever-growing gap between the developed and developing world through useful applications of science and technology. The Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) initiated the proposal for the formation of COMSATS under the leadership of Nobel Laureate, Dr. Abdus Salam.
The foundation-conference of COMSATS was held at Islamabad on 4th & 5th October 1994. Representatives from thirty-six countries attended. The participants included twenty-two Ministers, members of the diplomatic community of Islamabad and representatives of international organizations, like UNESCO, UNIDO, UNEP and the World Bank.
The CIIT was established in 1998, as a project of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), which is an inter-governmental organization with 21 member states in three continents; Asia, Africa and Latin America, namely Bangladesh, China, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Iran, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea (DPRK), Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Currently, CIIT has the status of a public sector degree awarding higher education institution, and was given charter by the Federal Government in August 2000.
CIIT aspires to be both one of the top research institutions and one of the best higher education providers in the country. It envisages becoming a university by the name of “COMSATS University”, for which the legal documentation is under process with the Government of Pakistan. The vision being pursued by the CIIT is to become one of the top 100 universities in the developing world.
CIIT is providing higher education services to the people of the Islamic as well as other countries. In light of our present experience with regard to the time required for visa processing, CIIT has decided to open admission for its Fall 2016 session well in advance to facilitate the international students. Likewise CIIT will continue to offer admission on scholarship basis in the following fields: