Pakistan’s COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) has appointed global consulting and accounting services network RSM as its transaction advisor for a project to build an information technology park, a senior official told Infralogic.

A formal agreement will be signed soon, said Muhammad Danish, head of projects at the country’s PPP Authority. The authority is assisting the university in the initial stages, he said, adding that a procurement schedule and other details will be finalised by RSM.

The IT park will be designed to serve as a hub for technology-driven growth in areas including software development, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, said Danish.

CUI aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry as well as create opportunities for startups, internships, and skill development programmes, preparing graduates for the global digital economy, Danish said.

The university was established in 1998 as a project of Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), an international intergovernmental organisation.

The commission comprises member countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America, as well as non-state members including academia, business and civil society.

CUI operates under Pakistan’s Ministry of Science and Technology as a public university, offering programs across its seven campuses nationwide.

It has more than 150 memoranda of understanding with universities worldwide, including University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; North Dakota State University; University of Malaya; Jacobs University Bremen, Germany; Tampere University, Finland; and Lancaster University, UK.