Pakistan and Ethiopia reaffirm education cooperation

The Associated Press of Pakistan reported on Meskerem 29, 2019 E.C. (9 October 2026) that Pakistan's Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, received Ethiopia's Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Oumer Hussien Oba, at the ministry in Islamabad for a courtesy call. Mettis Global carried the same meeting, based on a press release issued by the Pakistani side.

The talks focused on higher education, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), STEAM education, research and institutional links. Mettis Global reported that the two sides discussed a structured framework for cooperation, and that a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) on education cooperation was at the centre of the talks.

Dr Siddiqui said the draft had been shared with the Ethiopian side through diplomatic channels in December 2025. He welcomed an update from Ethiopia on its status and said Pakistan was ready to consider any comments needed to finalise a text both sides could accept. He proposed that focal persons from both countries resolve outstanding issues once Ethiopia's comments arrive, and that the two countries then move toward finalisation and signing through diplomatic channels.

On higher education, Dr Siddiqui pointed to joint seminars, workshops and webinars, guest lectures, visiting scholars, student networking and research showcases. He encouraged direct links between universities and research institutions, subject to their mandates and procedures. He also highlighted the role of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and relevant Ethiopian institutions in exchanging expertise on skills standards and industry-responsive training.

Dr Oba thanked the Pakistani side for the warm welcome and expressed commitment to strengthening bilateral relations. The meeting ended with a shared commitment to advance the proposed cooperation framework and to identify concrete areas for collaboration.

The reports do not name an Ethiopian university, TVET college, ministry or student group that will take part. The talks were between the two governments and their diplomats, and the examples given (joint seminars, faculty visits, student networking, skills training) are proposals without start dates.

Mettis Global wrote that the cooperation should create opportunities for students, teachers, educational institutions and the skills sector. For a reader in Ethiopia, the reports do not describe any change to a school calendar, a fee or an entry requirement.

The reports give no date for Ethiopia's comments, for the focal persons' meeting or for signing. None of them refers to a statement from the Ethiopian Ministry of Education on the subject.

No action is asked of students or parents. Anyone who wants to follow the matter should watch for three things:

• Word from the Ethiopian side on the draft MoU and its comments.
• A signed text, or a date for signing through diplomatic channels.
• Named Ethiopian institutions taking part in seminars, exchanges or skills programmes.

A programme that reaches Ethiopian campuses or colleges would normally be announced by the institution or authority running it. The reports name neither.

Pakistan and Ethiopia established diplomatic ties in 1973. Mettis Global reported that Dr Siddiqui described the opening of the Ethiopian Embassy in Islamabad in 2022 as an important step towards deeper engagement.

The draft was shared in December 2025, and the meeting on Meskerem 29, 2019 E.C. (9 October 2026) followed it. The reports describe the meeting as a step towards finalising the text.

The Diplomatic Insight headlined its report 'Pakistan, Ethiopia Agree to Enhance Educational Cooperation', but the other reports describe a meeting and a draft still under review. None of the three reports describes a signed agreement.