Animal science: New campus to accommodate 6,000

Development work resumes, campus expected to open next year.

LAHORE:

Twenty per cent of construction work on the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Ravi Campus in Pattoki has been completed and it should be completed and open for student by 2012.

This was announced by Dr Muhammad Nawaz, the UVAS vice chancellor, on Monday while addressing reporters during an inspection visit to the 1,000 acres campus.

Dr Nawaz said that the new facility would cater to more than 6,000 students.

He said that due to a lack of funds, work on the campus had been stopped for the last three years.

Dr Nawaz visited various facilities in the campus including a buffalo and cattle farm, sheep and goat farm, poultry farm, fish farm, dog breeding and training centre, a bio gas plant, livestock marketing, department, milk processing plant and a 20-bed hospital.

The VC regretted the dissolution of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and termed it a great loss. “The UVAS had submitted mega infrastructure projects worth Rs6 billion to the HEC. Moreover, it will negatively affect Pakistan’s human resource development.”

Newly established universities would face a severe financial crunch due to the non availability of funds especially in research projects, he added.

The VC also announced that the university’s convocation would be held on April 20.

He said that 25 PhD students will be awarded degrees this year as compared to five last year.

As many as 632 students from various disciplines would be given degrees including 339 DVM (doctorate in veterinary medicine) students, 191 MPhil students and 78 MBAs in Life Sciences.

Dr Nawaz said that the university would generate the resources to run the 3,000 litres milk processing plant through public-private partnership.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2011.