Following OIC Charter, expressing the necessity of cooperation between OIC Member States, and according to the Article 15 of Resolution of the 14th General Assembly Meeting of COMSTECH held on 11th 13th  January 2011 at Islamabad, Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in order to strengthen the relationship and to improve the scientific, educational, academic research and technological collaborations among the Islamic countries, the COMSTECH Inter-Islamic Network on Virtual Universities (CINVU) was approved to be established to support the educational and research networks based on ICT technology and knowledge engineering, promoting joint venture and collaboration culture and expedition of cooperation and sympathy among entrepreneurs and scientists, scholars, students and researches of Islamic countries through laying the required groundwork.

The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the Host Country of CINVU has accepted to provide the required administrative, financial and scientiftic support to make CINVU a viable and successful institution of OIC and COMSTECH.

 

 

1.1. The name of the Network shall be "COMSTECH Inter-Islamic Network on Virtual Universities" abbreviated as CINVU;

1.2. For this document, unless specified otherwise, the following terms and conditions shall have the meanings ascribed to them as:

1.2.1.  "OIC" stands for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation;

1.2.2. "COMSTECH" stands for the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation Ministerial Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation;

1.2.3. "Member States" means any representative from Virtual Universities in OIC Member States and COMSTECH (Full members) and other Countries (Observer members) which is a member of the  CINVU per Article 6;

1.2.4. "Virtual Universities" refers to all the universities, including online, electronic, open, distance and virtual universities, which are based on technological and IT based infrastructures and knowledge engineering and management;

1.2.5. "General Assembly" means the General Assembly of CINVU comprising representatives of the Member States as per Article 8 of this Statute;

1.2.6. "The Executive Committee" consists of the Representatives of CINVU Member States including CINVU Secretary General, the number of which to be decided by the General Assembly;

1.2.7. “Host Country” means the Country of the Islamic Republic of Iran that hosts the headquarters, offices and permanent secretariat of CINVU Network;

1.2.8. "MSRT" means the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of the Government of I.R. of Iran that is the host;

1.2.9. “Secretary General”, means the Secretary General of CINVU Network.

 

 

2.1. This network is an independent, non-political and non-profitable organization;

2.2. CINVU is working under the umbrella of COMSTECH;

2.3. CINVU is established with the aim of the realization, monitoring and evaluation of objectives described in article 4;

2.4. The operations of the Headquarter will be subject to the law governing of any of the office(s) of CINVU will be governed under the law applicable in each of the respective countries in which such offices are located;

 

 

3. Headquarter of CINVU is located in Tehran the Islamic Republic of Iran.

 

 

The objectives of CINVU are as follow:

 

4.1. to establish concepts of quality and strategic management patterns in the field of higher education among Muslim countries particularly OIC member states;

4.2. to promote the status and role of online, open, distance and virtual universities in national, regional and international development projects of Muslim countries particularly OIC member states;

4.3. to provide collaboration bases to utilize the benefits of synergy of Islamic countries universities, and scientific, educational and research centers;

4.4. to convene and offer higher education and conduct shared research projects at all levels in CINVU and outside;

4.5. to promote the level of scientific, educational and research achievements of Muslim countries;

4.6. to develop knowledge and science-based research network to discourage the brain drain and to attract their indigenous scholars;

4.7. to create strong national and international markets in order to provide educational and research services for open, online, distance and virtual universities through promoting linkages and reinforcing networks Muslim countries particularly OIC member states;

4.8. to provide backgrounds to transfer the existing experiences (information, technology, human resources, etc.) in the fields of technology, education and research tools and accessories technologies, among Muslim countries particularly OIC member states.

 

 

The duties and functions of CINVU are:

5.1. to provide educational and research facilities for virtual cyber space which has flexible educational goals, options, and choices of appropriate time and place for education and with virtual capability of developing suitable educational and research materials and optimal instructional tools inside and outside the network;

5.2. to support activities for producing multimedia and web-based educational and research contents, such as e-content, audio video products, multimedia virtual laboratories for cooperation inside and outside the Network;

5.3. to support feasibility studies and SWOT analysis of the educational and research projects related to the virtual universities in OIC countries and to develop virtual universities;

5.4. to exchange students, scholars, and academic members among Islamic countries with the aim of promoting researchers educational and scientific knowledge and experiences in their fields of study And accepting membership of colleges and virtual education centers to promote and become a virtual university;

5.5. to define and support intellectual property law for network educational products, contents and knowledge, among OIC member states;

5.6. to support specialized conferences, workshops and training courses in the field of educational system development and skilled manpower as well as the researches mechanisms;

5.7. to support the traditional educational and research universities and institutes in case if they are willing to transform to the virtual universities;

5.8. to support the development and updating data in the field of education and research, data banks and human resources involved (e.g. elites, scholars, students etc.); and

5.9. to support to evaluate and harmonize the documents and certificates issued by virtual universities and Colleges and virtual education centers to continually monitor and evaluate development and ranking of virtual universities in order to optimize cooperation in education and research.

 

 

6.1. Any Virtual Universities in OIC Member States and COMSTECH (Full members) and other Countries (Observer members) wishing to join this network and agree to adhere to this statute are entitled to accept as members in writing;

6.2. There are two types of CINVU memberships:

6.2.1. Full members: with right of vote;

6.2.2. Observer members: without right of vote;

6.3. Membership will be relinquished in the following cases:

6.3.1. When requested by the member states in writing;

6.3.2. When Executive Committee of CINVU requests and the General Assembly approves.

 

 

The main structure of CINVU shall be composed of the following:

7.1. The General Assembly;

7.2. The Secretary General;

7.3. The Executive Committee.

 

 

The General Assembly of CINVU is the supreme policy-making organ of CINVU. It consists of the followings:

8.1. The representatives of CINVU member state;

8.2. A representative of COMSTECH;

8.3. Secretary General of CINVU.

 

 

9.1. The duties and functions of general assembly are:

9.1.1. to elect members of the Executive Committee;

9.1.2. to examine and approve CINVU policies submitted by the Secretary General;

9.1.3. to examine and approve CINVU regulations submitted by the Secretary General;

9.1.4. to examine and approve CINVU annual reports submitted by the Secretary General;

9.1.5. to examine and approve the official reports submitted by the Secretary General and agreed by the Executive Committee and then to present them to the COMSTECH and host country;

9.1.6. to evaluate and approve the membership of applicant members with reference to the conditions of membership in article 6;

9.1.7. to convene the General Assembly sessions on the request of the Secretary General;

9.1.8. to define and ratify CINVU policies, plans rules and regulations submitted by the Secretary General.

9.2. General Assembly will convene at least once a year at a physical or virtual place and on a date, suggested by the Executive Committee and approved by the General Assembly;

9.3. Special or emergency meeting of the General Assembly will be held due to the request of at least two third majority of the Members of the Executive Committee;

9.4. Only the full members of CINVU and the representative of the COMSTECH have the right to vote in the General Assembly;

9.5. The decision of General Assembly will be effective by the simple majority of the Members. However, for the amendment or any fundamental changes to CINVU Statute, two third majority vote by the General Assembly is required.

 

 

10.1. CINVU Secretary General will be appointed by the Host Country of I.R. of Iran for

4 years term;

10.2. The Secretary General shall ensure smooth operation of CINVU;

10.3. The Secretary General may be re-appointed for one more 4 years term.

 

 

11.1. to manage CINVU;

11.2. to present annual CINVU reports for consideration of the Executive Committee and submission to the General Assembly;

11.3. to submit the reports of the General Assembly to COMSTECH;

11.4. to submit CINVU annual report to the General Assembly;

11.5. to communicate with member states;

11.6. to initiate CINVU rules and regulation procedures and executive plans for consideration and ratification in the Executive Committee;

11.7. to extend membership of CINVU;

11.8. to establish, maintain and expand close relationship with the universities, educational and R&D institutions of the host country and member states in domain of CINVU activities;

11.9. to attract necessary funds according to article 14;

and

11.10. to manage and administer CINVU staff and determine their salaries that shall come into force on adoption by the Executive Committee.

 

 

12.1. The Executive Committee consists of the Member States representatives (including the Secretary General), the number of which will be decided by the General Assembly;

12.2. Internal regulations of the Executive Committee will be suggested by Secretary General and approval of the Executive Committee;

12.3. The Executive Committee members are elected for a period of 4 years;

12.4. The Executive Committee members can join different subcommittees to the Executive Committee;

12.5. The chair of the Executive Committee shall be elected by vote of the Executive Committee members, the chair shall:

12.5.1. manage the Executive Committee meetings;

12.5.2. maintain close cooperation with the Secretary General and members of the Executive Committee for the realization of CINVU goals and plans.

 

 

13.1. The functions and duties of the Executive Committee are:

13.1.1. to review and approve CINVU annual programs, activates and budget submitted by the Secretary General;

13.1.2. to implement proper strategies to optimize the efficient management of CINVU in line with CINVU statute and related rules and regulations;

13.1.3. to monitor and supervise CINVU programs and executive affairs;

13.1.4. to collaborate with the Secretary General to convene the General Assembly;

13.1.5. to establish where necessary technical committees for special problems;

13.1.6. to ratify the annual financial report submitted by CINVU Secretary General.

13.2. CINVU Secretary General or his nominated representative shall attend in all the Executive Committee sessions;

13.3. The Executive Committee shall be held at least twice a year in CINVU host country or in one of the physical or virtual places of the member states which has volunteered.

 

 

14.1. It is the limited responsibility of the host country to provide annual reasonable financial resources for running CINVU.

14.2. Further funds will be sought from:

14.2.1. OIC and its institutions and related organizations including Islamic Development Bank (IDB), COMSTECH, etc.

14.2.2. Periodic contributions by member states of OIC;

14.2.3. International donor agencies and institutes;

14.2.4. Private donations and other organizations including international agencies, banks, individuals, etc;

14.2.5.Income from services and income generated through publications, consultations, training courses, educations, educational and R&D services, conferences, seminars, workshops, etc;

and

14.2.6. Any other source approved by the Executive Committee.

14.3. Each OIC member state is expected to pay membership fee as per COMSTECH general assembly resolution, unless otherwise decided by the General Assembly.

 

 

15.1. The annual work program and budget of CINVU shall be prepared by the Secretary General and submitted to the Executive Committee for review and approval;

15.2. Fiscal year of  CINVU will start according to the host country regulations.

 

 

The official working language of CINVU shall be in English but Member States can use other OIC official languages for their internal activities (i.e. Arabic and French). However, they shall communicate with CINVU either in English or in Persian.

 

 

17. CINVU and its officials shall have the same immunities and privileges as are available to OIC and its constituent bodies and officials.

 

 

18.1. Financial, administrative, statutes and legal procedures of CINVU shall be prepared by the Secretary General ratified by the Executive Committee and approved by the General Assembly;

18.2. Member states may send their suggestions to CINVU Secretary General for consideration and ratification in the Executive Committee.

 

 

This Statute may be amended when required and recommended by CINVU Secretary General and agreed by the Executive Committee. Such amendment shall be reviewed and approved by the two third majority of the General Assembly.

 

 

CINVU Statute consists of the 20 articles ratified by Virtual Universities from seventeen countries of CINVU Member States dated 24rd September 2018 in the Headquarter of Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran.