MALAYSIA: ISTIC Hosts High-Level Leaders for Peace Delegation and Strengthens Strategic Partnership
On 12 December 2025, the International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre for South-South Cooperation under the auspices of UNESCO (ISTIC) welcomed a high-level delegation from Leaders for Peace at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The delegation was led by H.E. Mr. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Founder of Leaders for Peace and Former Prime Minister of France, together with Ms. Donia Kaouach, President of Leaders for Peace, and Madam Irina Bokova, Former Director-General of UNESCO and Patron of ISTIC, accompanied by representatives of the Leaders for Peace network.
ISTIC was represented by Prof. ChM. Dr. Mohd Basyaruddin Abdul Rahman, Chairman of the ISTIC Governing Board, and Academician Dato’ Ir. Lee Yee Cheong, Honorary Chairman of ISTIC. The visit provided an important platform for dialogue on shared priorities in peacebuilding, leadership development, and the role of science, technology and innovation (STI) in sustainable development.
A key outcome of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ISTIC and Leaders for Peace. The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation, enabling both institutions to work together on joint programmes, capacity-building initiatives, and knowledge-sharing activities that support peace, leadership, and inclusive development, particularly in developing countries.
Both Parties also expressed strong interest in initiating their first collaborative project in the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI) education, with a focus on training educators in developing countries. This initiative reflects a shared commitment to leveraging emerging technologies to strengthen human capital and promote equitable access to quality education.
