The World University Association for Community Development (WUACD) has been committed to enhancing the prosperity of local communities in facing global challenges through education, research, community services, and partnership initiatives since its establishment in 2018. As part of keeping that commitment, WUACD continues to foster its global partnerships by formalizing a collaboration with COMSTECH through the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) signing. COMSTECH (Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation) is a standing committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) dedicated to the promotion of collaborative works in science and technology among OIC members. That dedication is manifested in COMSTECH goals to develop science and technology to support social and economic development. On the other hand, WUACD believes that university is responsible for impacting the community with its academic knowledge. Along with its university partners, WUACD has been an active association that bridges coordination between universities, ensuring that academic knowledge can be applied to address community issues through community development, collaborative research, and other initiatives. In this context, the collaboration between WUACD and COMSTECH is seen as a strategic impact to translate scientific knowledge into real impact on the community.

The MoU signing was held on the second day of the WUACD Summit 2025 in Conjunction with AMBC 2025 and AUN/SEED-NET Regional Conference 2025: ASEAN BCG Network Meeting and Conference on June 14, 2025. It took place in Majapahit Hall, ASEEC Tower, Universitas Airlangga. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Nasih S.E., M.T., Ak, the Rector of Universitas Airlangga and also the President of the WUACD, and Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, the Coordinator General of COMSTECH, officially signed the MoU at the event as a commitment to strengthen cooperation between esteemed institutions in science, technology, and higher education. This event marked the first step in addressing problems faced by the community within the countries of OIC members. COMSTECH’s commitment as a powerful catalyst for science and technology development to support socio-economic growth among its member states, combined with WUACD’s network of universities expertised in local community engagement, offers both institutions the opportunity to transform academic research into real-life impact. The initial plan marks the commitment to the upcoming collaboration as the start of future cooperation between the two associations. The next step, WUACD, in partnership with COMSTECH, is finalizing preparations to do a pilot project in the form of international community development in three different locations with three different issues to address.

During the opening of the WUACD Summit 2025 event on June 14, 2025, Prof. Dr. Iqbal Choudhary also delivered an inaugural speech. He mentioned how education is the catalyst for change that shapes the current and future generations. Therefore, university, as a place for knowledge transfer, plays a vital role in preparing the future generation so that they are well prepared for the new reality, which is increasingly being technology-driven. Additionally, Prof. Dr. Iqbal Choudhary suggested that Universities can adopt community-centered education, enabling academic knowledge to truly address community problems. What Prof. Dr. Iqbal Choudhary mentioned in the speech aligns strongly with the cooperation between COMSTECH and WUACD, which is marked by the MoU signing. The cooperation aims to translate shared commitment into action by fostering research-based innovation and ensuring that higher education institutions take a direct role in addressing challenges faced by the community. This cooperation also reflects a strong commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals. It shows how each of the institutions uniting their strength can accelerate progress towards shared goals in addressing community problems.